Caption: Pete Phillip

Summary

• Well Services Petroleum Company Ltd has announced it has ended the search and recovery operation for missing employee Pete Phillip, whose remains were not found.
• Phillip, 47, went missing after Rig 110 collapsed in the East Soldado Field at about 3:09 a.m. on December 2, 2024; he was the only one of 75 workers unaccounted for.
• The company said all avenues have been exhausted, the family has been informed, and it will continue providing support and assistance.

By Alicia Chamely

THE search for the remains of Well Services employee Pete Phillip has officially ended.

Phillip, 47, of La Romaine, was working on Rig 110, operated by Well Services Petroleum Company Ltd in the East Soldado Field, when the rig collapsed at around 3:09 a.m. on December 2, 2024.

Of the 75 employees on Rig 110, Phillip was the only person unaccounted for.

As time passed, the search transitioned into a recovery operation. Foreign experts were brought in on January 13, 2025, to assist with the effort.

In a press release on Monday, Well Services confirmed that, more than a year later, a decision was taken to abandon any further attempt to locate Phillip’s remains.

The release stated: “Despite the best efforts and the dedication demonstrated by all personnel involved, carried out under these gruelling conditions, it is with profound sadness that we confirm Mr. Phillip’s remains have not been recovered.”

“With nowhere else to search and having exhausted all avenues, a decision has been made to abandon any further attempt to locate Mr. Phillip’s remains. This outcome is deeply distressing for all parties concerned, and our thoughts remain firmly with Mr. Phillip’s family during this incredibly difficult time. We have conveyed this development to the family,” it added.

Well Services acknowledged the “immense emotional toll this situation continues to place on Mr. Phillip’s loved ones” and extended its sincerest condolences.

Noting this was not the outcome it had hoped for, the company reaffirmed its commitment to support Phillip’s family “through this period of grief, with continued access to appropriate assistance and resources and ongoing engagement grounded in compassion, transparency, and respect.”

Phillip left behind his wife, Candacy, and six children, the youngest of whom was born after he went missing.