INTERIM CONTAINMENT SYSTEM
How The System Works
The interim containment system can handle pressure up to 15,000 pounds per square inch (psi) and is engineered to cap or contain a well in deepwater depths up to 8,000 feet. After a component-by-component review, the capping stack is now available to cap a well in up to 10,000 feet of water. The system has capacity to contain up to 60,000 barrels of liquid a day (and handle up to 120 million standard cubic feet of gas per day). It includes a 15 kpsi capping stack and dispersant injection system. Through mutual aid provided by members, the interim containment system includes capture vessels for surface processing and storage.
The centerpiece of the system, the capping stack is a massive piece of equipment, about 30 feet tall, 14 feet wide and weighing 100 tons. The capping stack provides a dual barrier for containment - a blowout preventer ram, plus a containment cap. The valves can be closed to cap the well, or if necessary, the flow can be redirected to surface vessels through flexible pipes and risers.
In designing the system, MWCC worked with regulators from the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) to ensure all expectations were met and that the new system would not only safeguard the Gulf, but allow new permits to be issued. MWCC has continued to stay in regular communication with the BSEE, including onsite reviews and witness testing of the capping stack, as well as a review of the interim containment system equipment. BSEE has also participated in a Responsible Party checklist workshop for member companies, as well as TLP/SPAR checklist development workshops.
