Sunken Velesto rig removed from seafloor offshore Malaysia

Velesto Energy says its NAGA 7 jackup drilling rig, which sank offshore the coast of Sarawak in May 2021, has been removed with remaining recycling activities set to be completed in December.

Early in September, the company received a certificate of completion and a release order from the Marine Department.

Due to rapid penetration into the formation at the offshore location on May 3, 2021, the rig tilted and then submerged the following day.

Boskalis Malaysia managed all removal operations, except for the helideck, which had been retrieved previously. Operations took place over two seasons in 2023-24, and it involved removing the wreck and debris and closing activities.

According to Boskalis, all required actions were implemented to ensure safety and security, with no significant adverse environmental impacts occurring.