A large oil drilling rig toppled over Friday afternoon on Alaska’s North Slope while being moved across the tundra, authorities said.
The rig, known as Doyon 26, was operating on behalf of ConocoPhillips Alaska and was travelling along an ice road when the incident occurred at around 4:45 p.m. A small fire broke out following the collapse but was quickly contained.
Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy said there appeared to be minimal environmental impact and no damage to oil infrastructure or facilities. Response teams were dispatched to the site, and recovery planning is underway, with further assessments ongoing.
ConocoPhillips confirmed that all personnel in the area were accounted for and that no serious injuries were reported. The company added that there was no damage to local community infrastructure and no impact on pipelines or fuel transportation. Emergency response crews remain on site, and additional information will be released as it becomes available.
There was no immediate word on the cause of the incident from ConocoPhillips or Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy, who confirmed the accident in a post on his Facebook page.
