A salvage operation on an oil rig which ran aground off a remote Scottish island was halted on Wednesday due to bad weather.
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The UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) says “no pollution [has been] detected” around the grounded Transocean Winner despite confirming as much as 53mt of diesel is likely to have leaked from the wounded semi-submersible drilling rig. Salvors identified two of the four diesel fuel tanks on the rig appear to have been breached.
The Transocean Winner rig broke away while being towed during a storm and became grounded off the northwestern Isle of Lewis.
However, the agency said “no sheen or sign of pollution has been found” around the rig following aircraft surveillance by its counter-pollution unit, despite reported local sightings of such a sheen earlier this week. Diesel is a light and non persistent oil which presents a lower environmental risks than heavy black crude oil.
The MCA says it continues to monitor for pollution and salvor teams from Smit Salvage and Transocean will continue inspections on board the rig, which has remained in the same position, this week. Just seven miles west from the grounding site is the EU-protected Loch Roag coastal lagoons, which form a rare and valuable habitat of marine grasses, seaweeds and sponges.’Since the incident occurred there have been increasing calls from MSP’s and environmentalists for the reinstatement of a second emergency towing vessel (ETV) in the North. FOES described the decision by the Scottish Government to remove the vessel in 2012 as a cost-cutting measure which will end up costing way more in the long run.
Hugh Shaw, the Secretary of State’s representative for maritime and salvage, continues to monitor the operations and is in contact with all key stakeholders including Transocean, Smit Salvage, the Scottish Environment Group and Western Isles Council.
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