As of Feb. 27, the Unified Command reports that roughly 47% of the overall rig has been deconstructed. The deconstructed rig, Doyon Rig 26, will ultimately be cleaned and transported to a recycling facility.
The rig move incident occurred on Jan. 23 while Doyon Drilling Inc., or DDI, was moving the rig on a gravel road near the community of Nuiqsut.
Nicknamed the "Beast," the 165-foot high, 9.5-million-pound high-tech extended reach drilling rig was thought to be the largest mobile land rig in North America. On Jan. 23, it toppled over onto the tundra, according to DDI officials and Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy.
As owner and operator of the rig, DDI is leading response efforts under a Unified Command structure comprised of additional representatives from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), the North Slope Borough (NSB), and the Inupiat Community of the Arctic Slope (ICAS). DDI is fully cooperating with agencies and leading response continuity.
The company said shortly after the incident that no employees were seriously injured during the incident.
The Unified Command said Feb. 27 that work remains in Phase Two of the incident response, which focuses on removing the rig from the tundra. This includes further inspection and disassembly of the structure, removal of any remaining fluids or debris, and transportation of the rig salvage to another location.
While work has focused on rig removal, the total number of gallons of spilled product recovered by response crews has remained the same. Response crews have thus far recovered an estimated 2,475 gallons of product for disposal, more than half of the approximately 4,600 gallons of product estimated to have been spilled.
The response team continues to evaluate the site in real time, and there remains no immediate risk to the community, infrastructure, air quality, drinking water sources, nearby waterways, traffic, or wildlife. Unified Command will continue to provide regular updates and engage with key stakeholders, including in the community of Nuiqsut.
The last phase, phase 3, will consist of final cleanup, mitigation, and remediation of the entire affected area.
For more information, contact the Joint Information Center at [email protected], or call 907-452-0507.
--KAY CASHMAN
