Posted on 05/07/2014 6:36:50 AM PDT by thackney
Marine Well Containment Co. will complete an even larger system for responding to oil spills in the Gulf of Mexico by the end of the year.
Marty Massey, the Houston-based company’s chief executive, told an Offshore Technology Conference audience Tuesday that the spill-containment system will be able to collect up to 100,000 barrels of oil a day from a leaking well in 10,000 feet of water. It includes a capping stack rated for 15,000 pounds of pressure per square inch.
The expanded system will be available roughly four years after the non-profit company was formed by Exxon Mobil, Chevron Corp., Shell and ConocoPhillips in response to the Gulf of Mexico spill, which lasted 87 days and fouled some 68,000 square miles of waters in part because technology failed. Each of the oil giants – all of which are active in the Gulf – pledged $250 million to develop a rapid-response system for future spills.
Since then, BP, Apache Corp., Statoil, BHP Billiton, Hess Corp. and Anadarko Petroleum Corp. have joined the initiative. The 10 companies hold an equal stake and are dividing the initial $1 billion outlay to build the system. But others also may pay a fee to use it, Massey said.
In all, Marine Well Containment Co’s equipment is listed in the emergency response plans for 156 oil and gas leases in the Gulf.
“We’re ready to respond when needed,” Massey said.
At the same time, the company is working to go even deeper water with its partners. Massey said it is working toward a capping stack rated for 20,000 pounds of pressure per square inch.
“We have to move where our members are going,” he said.
Offshore industry has worst-case scenario technology at four strategic sites
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3152695/posts
Marine Well Containment Company Announces Completion of Shore Base Locations Following Three-Year Anniversary of Its Interim Containment System
Houston, TX, March 26, 2014 - Marine Well Containment Company (MWCC) today announced the completion of two new shore base locations to house its well containment equipment available for use in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. In addition, this year marks the three-year anniversary of MWCC’s Interim Containment System (ICS) becoming available for use in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico. To date, more than 150 permits have been approved citing MWCC’s system.
MWCC is committed to improving its equipment and response readiness in order to keep pace with its evolving member company needs in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. The company has built a strong organization and continues to make progress in its system enhancements. The availability of the two new shore base locations will strengthen MWCC’s existing capabilities and improve equipment mobilization in a response.
“The delivery of the Expanded Containment System (ECS) required that MWCC find additional storage and maintenance capabilities for our equipment,” said MWCC CEO Marty Massey. “We are confident in our selection and this milestone helps MWCC further fulfill its mission to be continuously ready to respond.”
The interim system, previously housed on the Houston ship channel and in Fourchon, Louisiana, has been permanently moved to new shore base facilities located in Theodore, Alabama (near Mobile) and Ingleside, Texas (near Corpus Christi) in order to accommodate an expanded system which is expected to be available later this year.
The shore base at Theodore, Alabama houses the company's subsea umbilical, risers and flowlines (SURF) equipment. The shore base at Ingleside, Texas houses modular processing facilities to outfit the company's modular capture vessels (MCVs) and the capping stacks, which are the centerpiece of the containment system. MWCC’s expanded system will further advance the company's deepwater well containment technology and capabilities. The ECS will be able to cap and flow a well in up to 10,000 feet of water and will have the capacity to contain up to 100,000 barrels of liquid per day.
About Marine Well Containment Company
Marine Well Containment Company (MWCC) is an independent organization committed to enhancing response capabilities for containing a deepwater well control incident in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. The company is not in the business of making a profit, and membership is open to all oil and gas operators in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. More information about MWCC (@mwccusa) is available at http://www.marinewellcontainment.com/
Testing to hold the pressure is not the same as using on an actual blowout.
The 15,000 psi unit was ready for use back in February 2011.
http://www.marinewellcontainment.com/interim_system.php
June 5, 2013 the 10,000 psi unit for 10,000 ft was completed and available for use.
http://www.marinewellcontainment.com/pdfs/mwcc_release_6_5_13.pdf
It was demonstrated in July 2012, for use including the mobilization and placement at sea bed.
http://www.marinewellcontainment.com/demonstration.php
I don’t remember if this is the same company but a friend of mine said a company he was doing some work for was looking for something they could use to blow on the surface of a oil spill to make the oil stick together and make it easier to skim from the surface.
I told him to pass it along to them to use grain hulls.
Cheap, if not free, and eco friendly.
Next spill I guess I’ll find out if they took my advice.
Those FPSO conversions were to be ready in 18 months
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I do not agree that was the plan. They are for the next stage, not the first. The cap was the original step.
The FPSO should be completed this year.
http://www.marinewellcontainment.com/expanded_system.php
Click on updates
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