The 1988-built semisubmersible offshore drilling rig Ocean Valiant has run aground some 20 km west of Bizerte in Tunisia.
The rig was being towed by the offshore supply vessel Maersk Tracer to Turkey where it is supposed to be scrapped when the towline was broken due to severe weather.
The towline couldn’t be reattached, and the semisub drifted until going ashore on Saturday, January 11. According to local authorities, the grounding of the Ocean Valiant did not cause damage, injuries, or pollution. Bad weather also delayed pulling the rig off the beach and the restart of its journey.
The rig was formerly owned by New York-listed offshore drilling contractor Diamond Offshore, which was bought by Noble last year.
Before the acquisition was closed, Diamond sold the 50-year-old semisub rig Ocean Monarch for scrap and announced that the same would be done with the Ocean Valiant, which hasn’t had a contract since 2020.