Senior Multimedia Reporter
There are renewed calls for stronger offshore safety measures after a worker survived a crane-related incident at Perenco’s Samaan Alpha drilling platform off Trinidad’s south-east coast on Wednesday.
The incident occurred at approximately 4 pm on Wednesday during routine lifting operations being conducted by Jason Augustine at the Samaan Alpha platform.
According to Perenco, the platform’s crane became detached from its pedestal and collapsed on the vessel’s deck, triggering the immediate activation of the company’s emergency response procedures. Personnel aboard the platform and nearby support vessels were mobilised.
Augustine, who was conscious after he was ejected into the water, was assisted aboard the support vessel, Mr Row, by crew members. First aid was administered before the Samaan Field medic boarded the vessel to provide additional treatment.
The worker was later transported ashore and taken by ambulance to the Southern Medical Centre in San Fernando.
In an update issued yesterday, Perenco said Augustine suffered an abrasion to the forehead and a laceration to the left forearm. He completed medical evaluations and was discharged from hospital at approximately 6.45 am.
The company said all other personnel aboard both the support vessel and the Samaan Alpha platform were accounted for and unharmed.
Perenco also reported that the Mr Row had been repositioned away from pipelines and other subsea infrastructure, with the detached crane secured on its deck. The company said there was no evidence of any escalation or damage to nearby infrastructure.
The Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries and the Occupational Safety and Health Authority were notified and kept informed throughout the incident.
In a statement yesterday, the ministry said it remained in close contact with Perenco and would continue to monitor the situation to ensure all necessary follow-up actions were taken in accordance with regulatory and safety requirements.
The ministry added that Perenco was making arrangements to safely secure and recover the affected crane equipment.
Perenco confirmed that an investigation into the incident has begun, with a team scheduled to travel offshore to the Samaan Alpha platform.
The company reiterated that the safety and well-being of its personnel remain its highest priority.
The latest incident has again reignited concerns about safety standards in energy sector
Among those raising concerns is Candacy Phillip, whose husband, Pete Phillip, disappeared following the partial collapse of Well Services’ Rig 110 in the East Soldado Field in December 2024.
Yesterday, she said “There is clearly something wrong.” Calling for greater scrutiny of safety protocols across offshore installations, she added, “They’re saying the rigs have safety measures in place, but when things like this keep happening, it’s not right. They need to check on those systems,” she said.
Phillip believes the Government should closely examine the issue, particularly in light of previous offshore incidents.
“Since what happened with the four divers, then my husband, and now this incident, it’s something they need to look into,” she said.
She admitted that news of offshore accidents continues to reopen emotional wounds.
“When I’m online reading these stories, and every time you check the comments, you see Pete’s name come up, it brings everything back. It reminds me of Pete and his best friend. Everything comes back in a flash,” Phillip said.
Recalling seeing her husband’s name mentioned on social media following the Perenco incident, Phillip said the memories were overwhelming.
“It brings back everything that took place, all the sadness,” she said.
Despite her grief, Phillip expressed gratitude that the injured worker survived.
“You have to thank God for life. They have to be grateful that he’s still alive and here,” she said.
She also urged offshore operators to take every precaution necessary to protect workers.
The Energy Chamber of Trinidad and Tobago also responded to the incident. Chief executive officer Dr Priya Marajh said the organisation was closely monitoring developments and wished the injured operator a full recovery.
Marajh noted that the energy industry involves inherently high-risk operations and said the incident underscored the importance of effective emergency response systems.
She said thorough investigations and the sharing of lessons learned were critical to preventing similar occurrences, reducing future risks and maintaining the highest safety standards across the sector.
