BSEE Conducts Unannounced Spill Drill to Test Subsea Containment Response
2011-12-22 NEW ORLEANS
The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE)
has completed the first unannounced oil spill drill since the reorganization
of the former Minerals Management Service was completed on Oct. 1. The
table-top drill, which took place last week, was led jointly by BSEE in
conjunction with the U.S. Coast Guard and the State of Louisiana and tested
Stone Energy Corporation’s ability to assess a subsea well control situation
and mobilize the proper subsea containment/intervention equipment in a
timely manner. A final evaluation will follow when analysis of all
documentation is completed.
“The Unannounced Spill Drill Program provides an
effective tool that helps us ensure operators are appropriately trained in
effective containment deployment and that the necessary equipment and
resources are truly in place to implement the approved response plan,” said
BSEE Director James Watson. “This program is one of many diverse activities
we employ within our agency to ensure operators are able to fully execute
their oil spill response plans.”
The Unannounced Spill Drill Program, initiated in 1989,
tests an operator’s ability to notify the appropriate entities and personnel
in the event of a spill, including federal regulatory agencies, affected
state and local agencies, internal response coordinators, and response
contractors, and to take appropriate action to implement their response
plan. If the decisions made during the drill do not align with the approved
oil spill response plan, it provides an opportunity to determine what needs
to change in the response process.
Last week’s drill tested Stone Energy Corp. with a
scenario that was premised on a hypothetical blowout experienced by one of
its deepwater exploratory wells.
The selection of an operator to participate in an
unannounced drill is based on such factors as the number of oil producing
facilities, the volume of oil production, and proximity to sensitive areas.
With an eye to the operator’s current activities, a location is chosen and a
spill scenario is developed. Simulated weather conditions provided to the
operator during the drill are used to produce a hypothetical trajectory of
the spill.
For more information on BSEE’s Unannounced Spill Drill
Program, go to:
http://www.bsee.gov/Inspection-and-Enforcement/Inspection-Programs/Inspection-Programs.aspx