ABSTRACT
Blowout prevention and pollution control in offshore petroleum operations are of prime concern to Industry, Government and the public. This paper reviews spill prevention equipment and procedures used in offshore oil production and discusses Exxon Company, U.S.A. and Industry programs to achieve maximum protection.
Several pollution prevention systems are utilized. Subsurface safety valves shut in the wells below the mud line if an emergency develops. Surface safety valves on each well provide automatic shut-in if an abnormal condition is detected by one of a large number of platform sensors. Oil leaks are retained in sumps. Sand erosion detectors are installed on wells to identify potential erosional failures before they can occur.
The paper concludes that various Industry and regulatory programs are providing the pollution control that is needed. Technological developments and reliability improvements are continuing. Ongoing work emphasizes development of improved subsurface safety valve concepts applicable to all wells, better manufacturing quality control and standards, and future reductions of human errors through training and safety programs.