When a leakage occurs, the emergency leakage-collecting tool (Subsea HC skimmer) is brought in place and starts to collect as much hydrocarbons as possible through the inlet funnel, as close as feasible at the leak. If possible, the suction lance (snorkel) is placed inside the leaking equipment to reduce the pressure inside the equipment below ambient pressure to eliminate all leakage into the seawater. A good compromise will be a combination of snorkelling from inside the equipment and collecting the remaining leakage outside.

The positioning of the leakage-collecting tool will do by ROV’s.

A leakage detection tool (hydrocarbons sniffer) should be installed on the snorkel to find the centre of the leakage cloud, and an other detector should be installed outside of the suction cone to document how much hydrocarbons are still going into the environment.

The Subsea Skimmer can be hanging from a oil recovery vessel in safe distance from the subsea installations. Later or alternatively the Subsea Skimmer can be installed subsea onto a containment system structure or beside it on a separate structure and connected to the containment system via flying leads. The "Subsea Skimmer" might also be connected directly to a Insertion Tool in order to draw down the pressure in damaged hydrocarbon piping system so that the amount of oil leaking to the environment can be reduced.

Based on the Bornemann SMPC series 4 concept, the existing pump-motor module is used as it is. The pressure casing will be modified to a insulated inlet funnel. Some short piping is connecting the suction snorkel to the pump-cartridge. A ROV operated control valve will adjust the flow rate through the snorkel and through the inlet funnel.

Injection of additives (gas hydrate inhibitors) and additional heating of the cone can eliminate the formation of hydrates.

Information from the HC-sniffers, measurement of discharge pressure and cone temperature will be used for optimal flow rate control of the pump.

Speed variation can be done by the use of topside frequency converters or by using a hydraulic speed converter subsea.