Stranded oil rig pulled off rocks by pair of tugs

Rescue: Transocean Winner under tow by salvage crews

A 17,000-tonne oil rig that ran aground in the Outer Hebrides has been safely towed off the rocks by two tug boats.

A Stornoway coastguard spokesman confirmed to the Press Association that the Transocean Winner drilling rig was “safely off the rocks and now under tow” as of 10.10pm on Monday.

It comes a fortnight after the semi-submersible structure was blown ashore in bad weather at Dalmore Bay, near Carloway on the Isle of Lewis, during a towing operation.

The two tug boats are towing the rig to the east side of Lewis in Broad Bay, where experts are expected to assess the condition of the rig.

Salvage team Smit agreed the latest towage plan – which was focused around high water on Monday night.

The towline between the rig and its tug was lost en route from Norway to Malta amid high winds and heavy seas in the early hours of Monday, August 8.

The rig grounded with 280 tonnes of diesel on board and two of its four fuel tanks were damaged in the incident.

It resulted in the loss of up to 53,000 litres of fuel, most of which is thought to have evaporated.

The remaining 200 tonnes of hydrocarbons, mainly diesel oil with small amounts of base oil and brine, were transferred from the rig to the supply vessel Olympic Orion at the weekend.

A 300m exclusion zone around the rig will remain in place while the salvage work continues. There will be a 1km exclusion zone around the Transocean Winner while it is being towed from Dalmore Bay to Broad Bay, on the east coast of Lewis, some 54 miles (87km) away.

Dave Walls, Transocean’s operations' director for its north-west Europe operations, said earlier: “We only get one opportunity.

“We will do it once and we will do it right. What we won't do is make it worse,” he added.

Mr Walls said the global giant would meets its “obligations” and compensate for any environmental damage or loss of earnings.

“We will make right any damage. We are committed to do the right thing. We will stand by the community,” said the oil firm chief.

Transocean will leave Dalmore beach in the condition it found it, he said.

It will commission a “clean sweep of the seabed" to ensure there is no debris or pollution left behind.

“We will do it once and we will do it right”

TRICKY SPOT: The 17,000-tonne Transocean Winner was stuck on rocks at the picturesque beach at Dalmore on the west coast of Lewis

A helicopter brought from Spain for the operation