Update: Tow line reattached to Transocean rig after weather forces it to be released

The U.S. Coast Guard says a tow line that was released in rough weather has been reattached to a mobile drill rig destined for Newfoundland.

A coast guard spokeswoman said the Henry Goodrich was heading to Terra Nova when weather conditions forced officials to remove the tow line.

Petty officer Connie Terrell of the coast guard centre in Boston says the line was now in place and the rig was expected to make good time, though she didn’t know its arrival time.

She says it was about 405 kilometres southeast of Halifax after undergoing maintenance and upgrades at a shipyard in Mississippi.

Officials say the line on the Transocean rig was released as a safety precaution and happened sometime before 8 a.m. eastern standard time on Wednesday.

Transocean spokesman Guy Cantwell says the Henry Goodrich was secure and all 117 people on board were safe.

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(earlier story)

A mobile drill rig destined for Newfoundland was released from its towline Wednesday morning due to weather conditions, according to a spokesman for the United States Coast Guard District One Command Center.

Petty officer Connie Terrell of the coast guard centre in Boston said today that the line was now in place and the rig was expecting to make good time, though she didn’t know its arrival time.

The Henry Goodrich, owned by Transocean, had undergone maintenance work and was in the process of returning to Terra Nova when weather conditions early Wednesday morning forced officials to remove the towline.

As of Wednesday evening, it was approximately 210 nautical miles southeast of Halifax, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

The spokesman said the towline was released as a safety precaution. He said the incident happened prior to the start of his shift at 8 a.m. eastern standard time.

According to the U.S. Coast Guard, the rig was not adrift and was still moving under its own power with an assist vessel dispatched to help it reach port more quickly.

Guy Cantwell, director of corporate communications for Transocean, said the drill rig was using two thrusters to proceed at four knots per hour on its scheduled course.

"The Henry Goodrich is secure, and the 117 people aboard are safe," he said.

Once weather permits, Cantwell said a towline will be reattached to the rig.