Almost 11 months after its offshore platform partially collapsed at sea, Well Services Petroleum Company Ltd says it will begin its operation to salvage and recover the caved rig and to retrieve the remains of deceased employee Pete Phillip.

close-up view: This is a close-up view of the 110 jack-up rig, owned and operated by Well Services Ltd in the waters off Trinidad’s south-western peninsula, off the coast of Granville Beach Facility, near Point Fortin, approximately three miles from land, yesterday afternoon. Before daybreak on Sunday, part of the oil drilling rig collapsed, injuring one man. A second worker, Pete Phillip, is unaccounted for. More than 70 other workers were evacuated following the incident and a search and rescue team is looking for the missing rigger.

Phillip, 45, was one of 75 employees stationed on Well Services Rig 110, when it suffered a partial collapse during drilling activities on December 22 last year. The rig is located within the Heritage Offshore East Field, and began shaking at around 3.a.m. Phillips, a father of five, was thrown from the platform.