ABSTRACT
Oil production in the North Sea and some other potentially important areas is much more difficult than offshore drilling was in the past. It is assumed that the difficulties are properly compensated so that blowout probability is not increased. The very much higher productivity of the wells, the expected longer duration of a blowout and the greater difficulties of surface containment obviously increase the probable oil spill volume. Exactly how much it is increased statistically is not known. A factor of 100 is suggested. For this reason, such areas need a much better oil spill defense than used in the past in other areas. The author is engaged in a feasibility study on underwater collection for control of underwater blowouts. The proposed equipment consists of a heavy submersible rig which can place a collection bell over the blowout orifice: the petroleum is then ducted from the bell to a surface vessel where the gas is burned and the oil collected or burned.
