Aban Pearl listing off Trinidad in August 2009
For those who haven’t been following this saga, the Aban Pearl, a semi-submersible drilling rig, sank off of Venezuela on 13 May 2010. The seas were calm and the skies were clear, so the cause of the accident is a mystery. We have learned from a reliable and knowledgeable source that PDVSA, the national oil company of Venezuela, has conducted an official investigation to determine the cause(s) of this accident. We urge them to release their report so that all may benefit from their findings.
While searching the web for other information on the Aban Pearl, I was surprised to find that the rig was reported to be listing offshore Trinidad & Tobago in August 2009, and that assistance was requested from the T&T Coast Guard. This incident occurred nine months before the rig sank offshore Venezuela.
According to Public Relations Officer at the T&T Coast Guard Lt Kirk Jean Baptiste, the T&T Coast Guard received a distress call from the rig around 2.45 pm. “The Coast Guard received a call that one of the flotation devices on the rig was taking in water which caused the rig to lean on one side,” he said. Sources said it belonged to an Indian company, but was registered in Singapore. They said it was not working, but just passing through T&T waters. Rigs are normally moved with the help of other boats.
Bud's Offshore Energy (BOE) 
I had worked on the assumption that it was working at the time and in Venezuela. A friend of mine flew down there as part of the investiation team. They determined they would not try to refloat it (obviously too deep). The interviews were conducted but the information obtained was scanty. It seems to have been some kind of ballasting error or failure. Whether a physical valve or ballast operator error I understood was not determined….at least not by the time my collegue had returned to US.
Another rig was contracted to take its place.