International Activities

This project will organize and facilitate a two-day international workshop on fire and blast engineering in June 2002. This meeting will work on the initiatives that have begun to update existing API guidance relating to Fire and Blast to include technological advancements over the last 10 years to encompass deepwater, floating and moored structures. Seven working groups will be used at this meeting and are as follows:

The purpose of the study was assess the effectiveness of chemical emulsion breakers combined with rapid decanting and treatment of recovered oil when responding to an offshore oil spill. This effort builds upon previous project entitled 'Testing at Ohmsett to Determine Optimum Times to Decant to Temporary Storage Devices' Project 298, where S. L. Ross tested at Ohmsett, decanting at several different periods to determine the best time to separate excess water collected during oil spill clean-up operations.

A joint industry project (JIP) was formed between the MMS and 23 different oil companies to conduct this research. The project consisted of an experimental release of oil and gas conducted in June 2000 off the coast of Norway. Mixtures of crude oil and natural gas, diesel oil and natural gas, as well as only natural gas were released at approximately 800 meters water depth. The goal was to simulate a blowout or pipeline rupture in deep water and obtain data to verify the predictions of a deep water blowout model being developed under a separate contract.

Alaska Clean Seas (ACS) conducted an International Oil and Ice Workshop April 7-10, 2000 in Anchorage, AK. The workshop assembled experts on oil fate and behavior, Arctic oil spill response, ice environments, and Arctic oilfield development to present the leading edge technologies in a seminar and field setting. Conducting the workshop in the operating oilfields on the Alaskan North Slope added a level of realism to the key topics that cannot be duplicated elsewhere. The workshop provided a forum to showcase the results of MMS's Arctic oil spill response research.

To conduct a one day seminar at MMS Herndon to review work relative to Mexico's risk based technology developments, especially on facilities in the Bay of Campeche and to discuss possible areas of future cooperation.

The project investigated the performance of deepwater subsea BOP systems for drilling rigs operating in the Gulf of Mexico. It examined BOP test data from 83 deepwater wells drilled in water depths of 1,335 to 6,725 feet. It also compared BOP reliability in the Gulf of Mexico to that of other areas, such as the North Sea. The project also looked at the maintenance programs used by several of the deepwater drilling contractors to see how the various programs effect BOP reliability.

Due to the aging condition of existing pipelines, a need exists to be aware of new managing techniques for pipeline integrity. The subject workshop discussed such issues and provided a forum for the exchange of information.

This is a Multi-Phase Joint Industry Project (JIP) whose current fund providers include the MMS, Alaska Clean Seas, Prince William Sound Oil Spill Recovery Institute, BP Exploration, Phillips Alaska, Norsk Hydro and Store Norske Spitzbergen Kulkompani. The MORICE program was initiated in 1995 to develop technologies for more effective recovery of oil spills in ice-infested waters and is a multinational effort involving Norwegian, Canadian, American and German researchers.

The workshop is designed to define the state of the art of corrosion protection of marine structures and pipelines, to define the state of the art of testing for corrosion damage, to identify the technical and non-technical barriers which hinders a fuller utilization of advanced methods for mitigating corrosion on marine structures and pipelines, and to identify research and development projects that would advanced corrosion mitigation technologies. Marine structure is defined as offshore structures, harbor structures and ship structures.

TUFFP is a JIP with an industry consortium of 17 member organizations that conduct fluid flow research to maximize flow and analyze problems such as corrosion and erosion.

Member Companies:
AspenTech Baker Hughes/Baker Atlas BP DOI/BSEE Chevron ConocoPhillips ExxonMobil GE Oil & Gas JOGMEC Kuwait Oil Company Marathon Oil Company Petrobras Saudi Arabian Oil Company Schlumberger Shell SPT Group Total