The project forms part of the UK offshore oil and gas industry’s review of its well control practices and assessment of its readiness to respond to a major oil spill, in light of the events unfolding in the Gulf of Mexico.
Brian Kinkead, leader of TRG and supply chain director of Oil & Gas UK, said: “Drawing on the experiences from the Gulf of Mexico, the TRG has outlined several ways in which an oil spill resulting from a blowout might be capped and contained and will now commission an engineering study to develop the technical and operational feasibility of those options.
“The engineering consultancy chosen will be guided by the TRG and we expect that this study will be completed within two months, at which time we will decide on the suitability of different contingency equipment and possible improvements to existing systems.”
The TRG comprises representatives from oil and gas operating companies, drilling contractors, the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC), Health and Safety Executive, trade unions and Oil & Gas UK. Well capping and containment is one of several areas of focus for this group.
