Owners face questions from residents over rig grounding

THe owners of an oil rig that ran aground in the western Isles are to be questioned by residents after it emerged refloating it could take weeks.

Transocean bosses will explain why the tug hauling the winner drilling platform failed to seek shelter despite predicted adverse weather conditions.

They will also outline the extent of any damage done to Lewis’s Dalmore beach, where the rig ran aground last week, and the surrounding area.

The announcement comes as Smit Salvage, which is trying to refloat the rig, confirmed that plans are under way to transfer 135 tons of diesel to two intact tanks using onboard pumps.

It has emerged the rig’s two other tanks were breached during the grounding and more than 12,000 gallons of diesel were lost. Six more experts are due to arrive on the winner this week in addition to the eight who managed to board it on Sunday.

But Paul Shaw, the Secretary of State’s representative for Maritime Salvage and Intervention, has said that any attempts to refloat it are weeks away.

when the owners meet islanders at the end of this week, they hope to outline plans on how the 33-year-old structure – which became detached from its tug during towing from Norway to Malta – will be moved. So far, scientists monitoring the area have reported only ‘low levels’ of air pollution and no visible signs of shoreline pollution on the beach at Dalmore, near Carloway.

Mr Shaw will be present at the public meeting, which is likely to be held after the initial investigation is completed by Thursday.

He said: ‘we’ve made a commitment to keeping people informed locally and we intend to keep to that.

‘once I’m happy that the [salvage] plan is ready, we will be sharing it with community leaders and the community as a whole.’

Don Mackay, chairman of the Carloway Community Association, said: ‘It is imperative the owners and salvors remove this rig as soon as possible and take appropriate measures to avoid further fuel spillage.’