Marine Well Containment Company (MWCC) and Wood Group PSN today announced the formation of an offshore reserve response team. Made up of 100 select reserve operations personnel, the team will be activated should MWCC’s modular capture vessels (MCVs) be called upon to respond to a well control incident in the deepwater U.S. Gulf of Mexico.

The team would be deployed to a deepwater well control incident to operate the processing equipment on the MCVs should MWCC’s expanded containment system (ECS) be required to cap and flow a well. In this situation, the system redirects the flow of fluids from the deepwater well to the MCVs through flexible pipes and risers. Using modular, adaptable process equipment installed on the capture vessel, the system is designed to separate liquids from gas, flare the gas and safely store the liquids until transferred to a shuttle tanker and taken to shore.

The selection and training of the reserve response team is an important step in the progress of the ECS. Primarily based in southern Louisiana, the reserve response team members will be hand-selected by Wood Group PSN and trained to operate and maintain equipment onboard the MCVs during a response. The team will meet regularly for ongoing training and remain ready to respond to a deepwater well control incident in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.

“We look forward to working with Wood Group PSN to identify a team of exceptional operations personnel to operate the processing equipment on the MCVs during a response,” said Marty Massey, chief executive officer of Marine Well Containment Company. “We are pleased to be able to tap into the skilled and industry-experienced workforce of Louisiana and other Gulf States to achieve our mission to be continuously ready to respond with the expanded containment system.”

Derek Blackwood, Wood Group PSN Americas president added, “This latest initiative underlines the ongoing advancements in safer deepwater exploration and we are proud to be working with MWCC to develop a team of experienced oilfield operations personnel capable of responding to a potential deepwater well control incident in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. Wood Group PSN employs approximately 6,000 people in the U.S. and has access to a network of more than 3,000 experienced operations personnel in the Gulf of Mexico. We will be responsible for identifying and selecting the response team, delivering ongoing training, and mobilizing the team as and when required.”

The ECS, which will be made available by MWCC this year, is designed to be able to cap and flow wells in up to 10,000 feet of water. It will also be able to contain up to 100,000 barrels of liquid per day.

Press Release, March 26, 2013; Image: MWCC