The tilted oil platform in Bohai Bay will be completely salvaged, sources with Sinopec's Shengli Oilfield said Thursday.

"I've never seen this before. Most part of the platform has dipped into the sea. It will be very difficult to salvage the platform as it weighs as much as 2,500 tonnes. Moreover, we are not familiar with its interior structure," said Yu Shouhai, an official from China Yantai Salvage.

The work area of the platform is tilted over while the accommodation area is submerged in sea. The links between the leaning oil rig and neighboring rigs have been broken.

Yu and two other engineers arrived at the oil rig Wednesday evening. They are discussing a salvage plan.

Meanwhile, more than 130 rescuers braved strong winds and big waves to continue to search for two missing workers in the bay near east China's Shandong Province.

Local marine authorities and the platform's operator, Shengli Oilfield, a subsidiary of Sinopec, ordered six rescue vessels and a helicopter to continue searching for the two workers in the waters near the oil rig.

Rescuers said strong winds and big waves brought by typhoon Malou have hampered the search.

"The waves are too big and the winds are too strong for us to get close to the platform," a rescuer said.

The accident occurred at the No. 3 drilling platform of Shengli Oilfield in Dongying City at around 6:52 p.m. Tuesday when strong winds brought by typhoon Malou tilted the oil rig over.

Thirty-six workers were aboard the platform when the accident happened, according to the Shengli Oilfield. Four of the workers fell into the sea as it tilted over.

Wednesday night, 34 workers were saved after the local government and marine authorities dispatched as many as six vessels and four helicopters to save the workers trapped on the platform.

Cui Hongbo, one of the two rescued from the water, said when workers noticed the titling, most donned life vests but that he was unable to before being dumped into the sea.

"I told the workers to put on life vests but I was soon thrown into the water by a huge wave. Someone threw me a life buoy but I was unable to reach it," said Cui.

"Given the weather conditions, there is only a slight chance the two missing workers have survived," said an official for the oilfield's public relations department who refused to give his name.

Still, the company has not given up hope.

"We will not give up searching until we find them," said Zhang Hongshan, vice general manger of Shengli Oilfield.

Winds between 76 km/hr and 87 km/hr and waves as high as four meters have slammed the rig, Shengli Oilfield said in a statement.

There was no oil spill at the scene. The company said in a statement all the valves on the oil rig were closed and that there is no risk of a spill.

The 34 rescued workers have received checkups at local hospitals and all are in a stable condition.

One of the workers suffered serious injuries to his lower body, said Chen Shetang, director of Binhai Hospital.

Editor: Ji Xiaoyi

Source: Xinhua