OSRL Unveils Cutting Edge Well Capping Equipment (Norway)

Oil Spill Response Ltd (OSRL) today unveiled cutting edge well capping equipment that can be deployed around the world in the event of a subsea well control incident. It is available to oil and gas companies across the industry, marking a major advancement for international oil spill response capability.

Norway’s Minister for Petroleum and Energy, Ola Borten Moe, attended an inauguration event at OSRL’s Base in Stavanger to commemorate the opening of this new facility where the equipment is stored.

OSRL’s Subsea Well Intervention Service (SWIS) provides for swift subsea incident response around the world. The integrated subsea well intervention system includes four capping stacks to shut-in an uncontrolled subsea well and two hardware kits to clear debris and apply subsea dispersant at a wellhead, creating safer surface working conditions and enhancing bio-degradation. The SWIS equipment is suitable for the majority of known subsea wells. It can be deployed in water depths up to 3,000m and control flow pressures up to 15kpsi.

The equipment will be stored in four international locations – Norway, Brazil, South Africa and Singapore – and maintained ready for immediate mobilisation and onward transportation by sea and/or air in the event of an incident. The first equipment is now available for international use from OSRL’s Norway Base, and a further three devices will be delivered during Q2 and Q3 2013.

SWIS is the culmination of unprecedented industry collaboration. In 2011, nine international oil and gas companies formed the Subsea Well Response Project (SWRP), pooling resources to develop equipment that could enhance subsea well control capability. OSRL collaborated with them to construct this equipment for the benefit of the wider industry, and companies can now subscribe to SWIS to incorporate this equipment into their own incident response plans.

Robert Limb, Chief Executive of Oil Spill Response Ltd, said: “SWIS represents a transformational addition to OSRL’s portfolio of services, helping our members prepare for, and handle, potential subsea well control incidents on a global scale. Members benefit from world-class capping capability, supported by OSRL’s industry-leading response and preparedness expertise.

“This pivotal development is wholly consistent with our mission to enable the most efficient, safe and effective response to oil spills wherever they may occur – and we are committed to extending this service to ensure a fully integrated response to all our members. Today’s development is the first step in a global programme that will ensure a response capability that has never been provided before.”

Keith Lewis, Project Manager, Subsea Well Response Project, said: “Incident prevention is the oil and gas industry’s number one priority, but we can never be complacent. The delivery today of world-class intervention equipment is a major milestone for technical capping capabilities, but also for industry collaboration.

“Working together and sharing resources across the industry has strengthened our knowledge and the technology on offer. This co-operation will continue to be the most effective path in our ongoing commitment to enhance drilling safety.”

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Press Release, March 15, 2013