Coast Guard says no damage found on Shell drill ship

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — No damage has been found on a Shell Oil drilling ship that lost its mooring in Alaska’s Dutch Harbor, the Coast Guard said Tuesday.

Coast Guard Lt. Jim Fothergill said video captured by divers shows no damage or signs of grounding by the 571-foot Noble Discoverer, which slipped its anchorage Saturday, drifting extremely close to shore. Two Coast Guard investigators were aboard the ship Monday during the divers’ inspection and witnessed the live video feed, Fothergill said.

“We are still reviewing the video. However, what I can tell you is that there is no physical evidence that suggests that they hit bottom,” he said. “We believe if they did ground, it was a very soft grounding.”

Earlier footage taken by a remotely operated vehicle also shows no damage, Fothergill said. There also have been no reports of injury or pollution.
 

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