A supply vessel crashed with a rig off the coast of Aberdeen, leading to the evacuation of offshore workers. Harbour Energy confirmed that 52 “non-essential personnel” had been taken off its Valaris 120 installation located approximately 150 miles east of Aberdeen. The collision occurred at around 22:20 on Sunday, and there were 128 individuals on the jackup rig, but everyone was “safe and well”. The Valaris 120 installation is involved in combined operations with the Judy platform, which focuses on gas production and processing.
Harbour Energy stated that “the non-essential personnel have been flown to Aberdeen on three separate flights. Our incident response teams have been mobilised, and are in liaison with the relevant authorities. People are our priority, and everyone onboard the rig and the vessel is safe and well”. Harbour Energy also confirmed that there had been no impact on production.
The Valaris 120 is a jackup rig, which is a platform designed to support offshore drilling and exploration activities. Such rigs are commonly used in shallow waters, usually less than 400 feet deep. Two legs support the platform, while a third leg is adjustable to provide stability over the surface. In the event of a sudden impact, these legs can be lowered to the sea bottom.
Collisions are a significant threat in offshore operations, which is why periodic safety drills and awareness programmes are planned and executed. The safety of offshore workers is of the utmost importance; therefore, rigorous safety protocols involving the maintenance of a safe working environment, continuous monitoring for hazardous situations, and prompt evacuation when necessary is paramount
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