Modular capture vessel


Modular capture vessels are converted oil tankers which can capture hydrocarbons or other liquid contaminations from leaking oil and gas wells in deep sea areas. MCV's in general operate as normal oil tankers and provide capture and containment services in the event of a potential deepwater well control incident.

Typical modules

  • Turret module for keeping the position
  • Subsea support module for controlling the subsea equipment
  • Process modules for treatment of captured hydrocarbons
  • Flare module
  • Offloading module for transferring the captured hydrocarbons to an attached tanker
These specialized ship types were created after the Deepwater Horizon [oil spill] in April 2010.

Actual application

After the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the Marine Well Containment Company consisting of the following oil companies ExxonMobil, Chevron Corporation, ConocoPhillips, Shell Oil Company, BP, Apache Corporation, Anadarko Petroleum, BHP, Statoil and Hess was founded in order to develop an expanded containment response system to capture and contain oil in the event of a potential future underwater well control incident in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico.