Underwater robots used to pinpoint damage to holed oil rig
16 August 2016
An underwater survey continues to be carried out around the Transocean Winner drilling rig grounded at Dalmore on Lewis.
Remotely operated vehicles, ROVs, are videoing the damage to the holed rig.
Images will also help in identifying the possible refloating routes out of the bay.
At the moment, salvors are looking at an option of first towing it sideways from the rocks and across the sandy bay before heading out to open water.
A team of 15 salvors are camping out onboard to continue their assessment of the damage.
A CHC Westland helicopter -
A chartered helicopter drops supplies onto the rig
It is thought Transocean bosses were onboard the aircraft which carried out more than one visit to the scene on Tuesday.
Lines and chains to be used as towlines to pull the rig off the rocks are due to be rigged up this week.
A second chopper has been hired by the owners from a Spanish air operator.
A 300 metre exclusion zone covers approaches from sea.
After people arrived from the mainland with a drone on Sunday, a restricted area
will be strictly imposed above the rig -
Hugh Shaw, the Secretary of State’s salvage representative said: "The exclusion zone has been put in place for the safety of the operational aircraft working at the scene and also for the teams carrying out their surveys and assessments.
"Our priority there is to make sure the operation is not compromised."
Underwater vehicles were remotely operated from workboats manoeuvring around the rig.