Oil Rig Transocean Winner Towed Off Rocks In Outer Hebrides

Source: Sky News

A 1km exclusion zone will be set up around the Transocean Winner rig while it is towed to safety around 54 miles away.

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

Stornoway coastguard said the Transocean Winner drilling rig was "safely off the rocks and now under tow" on Monday night - a fortnight after it was blown ashore in bad weather at Dalmore Bay on the Isle of Lewis. 

The towline between the rig - with 280 tons of diesel on board - and its tug was lost en route from Norway to Malta amid high winds and heavy seas in the early hours of Monday 8 August.

Four fuel tanks were damaged, resulting in the loss of up to 53,000 litres of fuel, most of which is thought to have evaporated.

The remaining 200 tons 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 also be a 1km exclusion zone while it is towed from Dalmore Bay to Broad Bay, on the east coast of Lewis, some 54 miles (87km) away.