Rig 110 Disaster: Delayed salvage efforts leave Pete Phillips’ family in agony

Trinidad and Tobago: Nearly three months after the Rig 110 collapse, the family of Pete Phillips, a Trinidad-based victim who went missing in the incident, is still waiting for closure.

Minister of Energy Ernesto Kesar, on Monday, also demanded a quick action from Well Services limited, the company responsible for the rig collapse.

According to the reports, in May 2025, the well services limited briefed about the incident to Minister Kesar and MEEI technical officers, outlining the June 2025 project date for salvage activities. Implying to this, the Minister urged the company to expedite the process and to provide consistent support to the victim’s family. 

This comes as the projected June timeline has passed, yet no salvage operation has commenced. Furthermore, the well services company has not officially communicated with the minister and MEEI regarding the reasons for the project's delay.

Minister Kesar has taken the charge and reminded all the companies operating in Trinidad and Tobago’s energy sector whether they are private or state owned that they have to report about all the incidents and provide continuous updates on their remediation efforts to the MEEI as they are legally bound to do that. 

According to the reports, the ministry has assured stakeholders that all the regulatory approvals required to advance salvage efforts will be treated with urgency. She further gave a statement in which she appealed to all the parties involved to move with the level of urgency, safety, and compassion to bring closure to Phillip’s family.  

The salvage efforts are expected to involve the removal of tanks, fuels and fluids for removing hazardous materials from the rig; raising and cutting rig legs to dismantle the rig’s structure; shifting the structure for refloating the rig for final disposal. It is being said that this operation is serious and critical for the recovery of the victim’s remains. 

This incident has put an impact on nearby assets and with that heritage petroleum company limited has raised concerns that its assets remain at risk in proximity to the collapsed rig, further emphasising the need for swift action.