The fleet of available surface offshore recovery vessels has increased substantially in the Gulf of Mexico. These vessels are effective spill response tools since they provide systems – including dedicated storage, ocean boom, high efficiency skimmers, and command and control that includes low visibility response tools. Expansions in dispersant capability and in situ burn resources mean that responders have all the tools, should they be needed.
To complement the surface response, industry has invested in two deepwater containment systems. The Marine Well Containment Company (MWCC) system is available for use in water depths up to 10,000 feet,can cap or cap and flow an incident well, and has the capacity to process up to 100,000 barrels of liquid per day and up to 200 million cubic feetof gas per day. The Helix Well Control Group's containment system can cap and contain a well at depths up to 10,000 feetand capture and process 130,000 barrelsof oil per day and 220 million cubic feetof gas per day. These equipment resources stand ready to respond today.
