The Ocean Valiant drilling rig, which ran aground last year in the Mediterranean near Tunisia’s Bizerte region, has been successfully refloated. After more than a year of preparations, Tunisian salvage teams managed to free the rig from the rocks on May 5.
The rig, built in 1988, had been under tow to Turkey for scrapping in January 2025 when it encountered severe storm conditions. As the weather deteriorated, the towing line snapped, and despite intervention attempts by the Tunisian Navy and Coast Guard, the rig drifted onto rocks and became grounded.
Although adverse weather conditions made immediate salvage operations impossible after the accident, fortunately no injuries or environmental damage were reported.
According to local media, the Ocean Valiant has now resumed its final voyage to the scrapyard.
