MWCC Overview, Well Containment
Operations & SIMOPS
Spill Control Association of America – Annual Meeting
March 20, 2014
Carmine Dulisse
About Our Company

Leading deepwater well containment system and
technology provider for U.S. Gulf of Mexico

Expertise in subsea containment and incident
response training

Independent company, not for the purpose of
making a profit

10 members, representing 70% of the deepwater
wells drilled in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico

Each member has an equal share and an equal
vote

Investment of over $1 billion into system

System available to all operators in the U.S. Gulf
of Mexico as a member or as a non-member (per
well basis)

147 permits citing MWCC’s containment system
approved by BSEE
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Source Control Response Workflow
There are multiple response functions that are critical to a successful source control effort.
Standard Source Control Response Workflow
Time
Debris Removal
Capping
Site Survey &
Initial
Assessment
Decontamination
& Demobilization
Subsea
Dispersant
Application
Capture &
Collection
SIMOPS
Relief Well
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Site Survey & Debris Removal
Site Survey & Initial Assessment
 A surface (aerial/vessel) and subsea (ROV) site
survey will prompt the subsequent steps in the
workflow by indicating:
‒ Existence of debris
‒ Potential discharge source(s)
‒ Status of surface and subsea infrastructure
‒ General magnitude of the release
Debris Removal
 If debris is known or detected, debris removal becomes the critical path activity to ensure a safe
working environment and access to the site for intervention
 The scope of debris removal operations is unpredictable and will impact the response timeline
 Capping operations will require a clean connection to the wellhead, BOP, or LMRP
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Well Containment Operations
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Subsea Dispersant Application
Subsea Dispersant Injection System (SDIS)
30-in. and 40-in. Hook Wands

Subsea dispersant is a key initial response tool for mitigating hydrocarbons in
the water and may be necessary to enable a safe working environment by
minimizing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) on the surface

MWCC provides an initial supply of approximately 200k gallons of COREXIT
9500.
Fan and 50-in. Hook Wand
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Well Containment Operations
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Capping
Capping operations involve the installation of a capping stack onto the
wellhead and closure of the ram and choke valves to shut in the well
and stop the discharge of hydrocarbons.
 Key Resources:
‒ Deployment vessel(s) – for the capping stack and support
equipment
‒ Crane for load-out onto deployment vessel
‒ Additional connector if interface necessary
 Key plans & procedures:
‒ Pre-mobilization and testing plans
‒ Equipment load-out and sea fastening plans
‒ Well straightening procedure (if necessary)
‒ Installation procedures (adapted to the current situation)
‒ Well shut-in procedure and contingency plans
• Wellbore Containment Screening Tool
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Well Containment Operations
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Hydrate Inhibition
Hydraulic Power
Unit (HPU)
Chemical injection
pumps & manifolds
Methanol storage
tanks
Launch & recovery
system
Umbilical & reel
Air tugger
Umbilical Distribution
Box
Long (static) chemical flying
leads
Hot stab patch
panel
17D hot stab
assemblies
Flying lead deployment
frame
To CDP Manifold
Not Used
To BOP Gooseneck
Short (dynamic) chemical
flying leads
Flying lead distribution box

Methane hydrates form from natural gas exposure to very cold deep water temperatures

Hydrate Inhibition Systems inject methanol or glycol solutions into the containment system
equipment to prevent potential hydrate formation and blockage
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Well Containment Operations
Well Containment Operations
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Cap & Flow

Cap & Flow operations involve the installation of additional subsea equipment such as subsea
umbilicals, flowlines, risers, and manifolds to enable a well to be flowed to a surface capture vessel

The surface capture vessel will process the oil/gas/water stream for safe storage and transport
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SIMOPS
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What is SIMOPS?

SIMOPS is the management of Simultaneous Operations to ensure safe execution
of response activities to avoid a potential clash which could bring about an
undesired event

A proper SIMOPS management program involves an exchange of information to
enable efficient use of resources to accomplish multifaceted missions safely

During a response, USCG will require a comprehensive SIMOPS plan that includes
deployment and operation of well containment equipment

MWCC has created a SIMOPS Guideline and associated drawings for deployment
and operation of its equipment in order to provide its members with a framework
for SIMOPS management
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Role of SIMOPS in the Response
The SIMOPS control group is responsible for coordinating the safe execution of
operational plans within the designated control area(s) in the field.
Effective SIMOPS coordination requires that:

SIMOPS requirements are integrated into Command Post tactical planning

SIMOPS procedures are established and maintained for all resources in the field
Command Post
Field
SIMOPS
Control
Planning
Coordination
Execution
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Continuously Ready to Respond