Abstract: An improved method for storing a lighter-than-water fluid, e.g., oil, produced from the blowout of an offshore subsea well is provided herein. The method includes the steps of deploying a containment dome in shallow water near the location of the seabed where the containment dome is to be located. The containment dome as an upper expanded dome-like fluid impervious membrane, a fluid impervious hollow peripheral ring attached to the periphery of the membrane to provide a depending bag-like container, and discrete water drainage means within the bag-like container for connection to pump conduit means therefrom. Wet sand from the seabed is then pumped into the bag-like container, and water is then drained from the wet sand through the water drainage means so as to provide a body of drained sand disposed within the bag-like container and providing a hollow peripheral ring as a hollow peripheral torus acting as a self-supporting structure and as an anchor for the dome-like structural unit.