Three workers were killed during the decommissioning of an aging floating storage and offloading vessel (FSO) off the coast of Libya, according to operator Mellitah Oil and Gas.
Mellitah put the Sloug up for bid in early 2020, offering up the vessel and any residual hydrocarbons inside of it on an as-is/where-is basis. The terms of the tender put all responsibility for disconnection and towing of the platform on the buyer, including cutoff and isolation of two 16-in. pipelines at the FSO's single-point mooring buoy.
After a tender process and sale, a Tunisian contractor was selected to prepare the Sloug for towing. On 5 November, workers were on board and getting the vessel ready for its removal when a chain snapped, throwing three workers over the side. They did not survive. One additional individual remains missing, and one more sustained injuries in the accident.
Mellitah emphasized that it is now encouraging the buyer to expedite the vessel's removal.