A North Sea drilling contractor has said staff evacuated from a rig after several of its anchors came loose during Storm Babet are being sent home following the incident.
Forty-five non-essential staff working aboard the Stena Spey were airlifted to other sites on Saturday after four out of eight anchors became detached due to the severe weather.
They were flown to neighbouring platforms and Sumburgh in the Shetland Isles, while another 44 employees stayed behind to man the rig, which is located 146 miles east of Aberdeen.
Stena Drilling has now said the 45 staff airlifted off the platform are being sent to Aberdeen and then home as work gets underway to stabilise the rig at sea.
A spokesperson said: “Plans are in place to return all 45 personnel to Aberdeen today. The incident was due to the severe weather encountered from Storm Babet.
“The remaining 44 personnel who remain onboard the Stena Spey are safe and well.
“All relatives of those involved have been informed.
“Several anchor handling vessels will travel to the location throughout the next 24 hours to begin attaching tow lines to the drilling unit.
“The Stena Spey is safe and the well remains secure.”
More than half the staff manning the North Sea drilling platform have been airlifted to other sites after several of its anchors came loose during Storm Babet.
Stena Drilling said four out of eight anchors became detached from the drilling unit because of the severe weather.
The company confirmed all 89 employees manning the rig were accounted for during a roll call held before the partial evacuation.
A response number has been set up for concerned relatives. The number to call is 01224 455199.
A Stena Drilling spokesperson said the well remains secure and the Stena Spey is stable. An ERRV emergency response rescue vessel is on standby to provide additional support.
The spokesperson said: “Emergency response procedures have been initiated and relevant authorities have been advised including the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
“All support services are being co-ordinated through the shore-based incident response team and every possible effort is being made to safeguard risk to personnel and to safely and swiftly resolve the situation affecting the asset.”