Offshore staff
HOUSTON –The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, Shell Oil Co., and the Marine Well Containment Co. have demonstrated successfully the deployment of a spill containment system in the Gulf of Mexico.
At the direction of the Department of the Interior and BSEE, MWCC initiated mobilization of its containment system, including the physical deployment of the capping stack, the centerpiece of the system. The single ram capping stack stands roughly 30 ft (9 m) tall, 14 ft (4.25 m) wide and weighs about 100 tons.
The equipment was loaded onto theLaney Chouest at the Houston ship channel and deployed to a simulated well in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico. Once offshore, the capping stack was lowered approximately 6,900 ft (2,103 m) on a wire and latched to a simulated wellhead, where all necessary functions were completed and pressure testing confirmed the ability to control a well.
“Through this demonstration, we effectively validated our ability to safely and effectively respond to a well control incident in the deepwater U.S. Gulf of Mexico,” saidMarty Massey, MWCC CEO. “This demonstration is further proof that we have the right people, processes and equipment in place to be continuously ready to respond.”
7/31/2012
