The latest exercise, from 16 to 26 July 2011 was to simulate the logistical process of transporting a well capping device, loading it on to a vessel and lowering it over the side before fixing it to a specially-built simulated well on the seabed about 75km northwest of Shetland.
The site was prepared for the exercise with the deployment of a specially-built landing base to the seabed in 300m of water to simulate a subsea well. ROVs deployed a non-toxic fluorescent dye in lieu of the subsea oil dispersant they would typically distributed in a well control situation.
Heavy-duty cutting shears were deployed to sever a subsea marine riser pipe, which would be done to clear the riser out of the way to make room to land the cap. A crane deployed the capping device over the side of a multi-service vessel. The capping device landed at the well, locked onto the base and activated using ROVs. All equipment, including the landing base, was then recovered.
Malcolm Webb, Oil & Gas UK chief executive, said that while the UK has not had a blowout in over 20 years, with over 7000 wells being drilled, it's important to be prepared for a worst-case scenario.
The exercise's 'success proves we can not only quickly mobilise and deploy the capping device, but also incorporate the use of a wide variety of other related equipment, such as subsea dispersant and cutting shears, which in a real-life situation would be used as part of the same operation,' he said.
A debrief is planned, during which the participants will identify any 'learning opportunities and Oil & Gas UK will share these findings throughout the industry,' he added.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8d9ZcjK45E&feature=player_embedded
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