A group of workers have been evacuated from a Valaris drilling rig working in the North Sea due to concerns over an outbreak of Covid-19 onboard.
It is understood 11 staff working for Premier Oil in the Catcher field have been flown from the Rowan Gorilla VI Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit to Aberdeen.
Eight workers are thought to have displayed symptoms of coronavirus, while three staff who were in close proximity to the suspected cases have also been removed.
The Catcher field lies around 110 miles east of Aberdeen.
Premier Oil said health and safety procedures had been its “top priority” and in-line with Oil and Gas UK guidelines.
It added that an intensive deep clean has now taken place and that social distancing measures remain in place.
Valaris was contacted for comment but did not respond.
London-headquartered Valaris, created through a merger between Ensco and Rowan, mobilised the rig out to the Catcher field in April.
Premier Oil has slated first oil for early 2021.
The development covers three fields – Catcher, Burgman and Varadero.
The asset is thought to contain about 96million barrels of oil.
Premier has a 50% stake, alongside Cairn Energy and Mol Group, each with 20%, and Dyas (10%).