[0001] TITLE OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Oil Collection System and Method for Deepwater Spills
[0003] CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0004] This application claims priority benefit to, U.S. Patent application
serial number 61/385,223, filed September 22, 201 0 and entitled "Oil Collection
System and Method for Deepwater Spills", and U.S. Patent application serial
number 61/41 6,520, filed November 23, 201 0 and entitled "Oil Collection System
and Method for Deepwater Spills", and Application Serial Number 13/1 68,283,
filed June 24, 201 1 and entitled "Oil Collection System and Method for Deepwater
Spills", all of which are incorporated herein by specific reference.
[0005] STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED
RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0006] Not applicable.
[0007] REFERENCE TO APPENDIX
[0008] Not applicable.
[0009] BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[001 0] Field of the Invention. The inventions disclosed and taught herein
relate generally to offshore oil field tools; and more specifically relate to systems
and methods for collecting oil from deepwater spills.
[001 1] Description of the Related Art.
[0012] Known systems and methods for dealing with a sub-surface leak or
spill involve efforts to contain and skim spilled oil at the surface and/or the use of
dispersants.
[001 3] The inventions disclosed and taught herein are directed to an
improved system and method for capturing the oil before it gets to the surface.
[001 4] BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[001 5] A subsea spill containment system comprising: a funnel structure
positioned over a subsea leak; a plurality of interconnected skirts serially joined
above the funnel; a collection dome above the skirts; and a hose connected to the
dome. The skirts may be supported by one or more central internal longitudinal
supports, such a drillpipe or solid rods. There may be multiple supports and/or
multiple skirts per support. The skirts are preferably sealed to the dome, the
funnel, and each other. The system may be held in place over the leak using
cables secured to two or more anchor points, such as suction piles. The system
may be moved aside by manipulating the cables, thereby providing access to the
leak.
[001 6] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE
DRAWINGS
[001 7] Figure 1 illustrates a particular embodiment of a deepwater oil spill
collection system utilizing certain aspects of the present inventions;
[001 8] Figure 2 illustrates alternative embodiments of a deepwater oil spill
collection system utilizing certain aspects of the present inventions; and
[001 9] Figure 3 illustrates an alternative embodiment of a deepwater oil spill
collection system utilizing certain aspects of the present inventions.
[0020] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0021] The Figures described above and the written description of specific
structures and functions below are not presented to limit the scope of what
Applicants have invented or the scope of the appended claims. Rather, the
Figures and written description are provided to teach any person skilled in the art
to make and use the inventions for which patent protection is sought. Those
skilled in the art will appreciate that not all features of a commercial embodiment
of the inventions are described or shown for the sake of clarity and understanding.
Persons of skill in this art will also appreciate that the development of an actual
commercial embodiment incorporating aspects of the present inventions will
require numerous implementation-specific decisions to achieve the developer's
ultimate goal for the commercial embodiment. Such implementation-specific
decisions may include, and likely are not limited to, compliance with systemrelated,
business-related, government-related and other constraints, which may
vary by specific implementation, location and from time to time. While a
developer's efforts might be complex and time-consuming in an absolute sense,
such efforts would be, nevertheless, a routine undertaking for those of skill in this
art having benefit of this disclosure. It must be understood that the inventions
disclosed and taught herein are susceptible to numerous and various
modifications and alternative forms. Lastly, the use of a singular term, such as,
but not limited to, "a," is not intended as limiting of the number of items. Also, the
use of relational terms, such as, but not limited to, "top," "bottom," "left," "right,"
"upper," "lower," "down," "up," "side," and the like are used in the written
description for clarity in specific reference to the Figures and are not intended to
limit the scope of the invention or the appended claims.
[0022] Applicants have created a subsea spill containment system
comprising: a funnel structure positioned over a subsea leak; a plurality of
interconnected skirts serially joined above the funnel; a collection dome above the
skirts; and a hose connected to the dome. The skirts may be supported by one or
more central internal longitudinal supports, such a drillpipe or solid rods. There
may be multiple supports and/or multiple skirts per support. The skirts are
preferably sealed to the dome, the funnel, and each other. The system may be
held in place over the leak using cables secured to two or more anchor points,
such as suction piles. The system may be moved aside by manipulating the
cables, thereby providing access to the leak.
[0023] FIG. 1 is an illustration of a particular embodiment of a deepwater
oil spill collection system utilizing certain aspects of the present inventions. The
system includes a plurality of interior longitudinal supports and a plurality of skirts
surrounding the supports. The interior longitudinal supports may be commonly
available steel drill pipe in high strength steel. In this case, the interior longitudinal
supports may be approximately forty feet in length and two and three eights, two
and seven eights, three, three and a half, four, or four and a half inches in outside
diameter. Of course, larger drill pipe may be used, but it is anticipated that
smaller, lighter pipe will be more beneficial as the additional strength is not
anticipated to typically be necessary.
[0024] Alternatively, the interior longitudinal supports may be purpose built,
or otherwise differ from commonly available drill pipe. For example, the interior
longitudinal supports may be twenty, thirty, forty, fifty feet in length, or fall into
some range therein, such as between twenty and forty feet, between thirty and
forty feet, between twenty five and forty five feet, or between thirty five and forty
five feet.
[0025] The interior longitudinal supports may also be solid or partially solid,
as the system of the present invention does not necessarily require them to be
hollow thoughout, like commonly available drill pipe. Furthermore, interior
longitudinal supports do not necessarily need to be steel. Rather, the interior
longitudinal supports may be made of aluminum, an aluminum alloy, or even a
composite material, such as fiberglass, carbon fiber, or plastic material.
[0026] In any case, the interior longitudinal supports preferably connect with
one another using treaded connections typically found on commonly available drill
pipe. Therefore, workers on a rig, drillship or other installing vessel will be
accustomed to assembling the system of the present invention and may do so
using equipment and techniques normally used in offshore drilling environments.
The system may utilize one, two, three, four or more of the interior longitudinal
supports, or may utilize a number falling within a range thereof, such as between
two and four or between three and five of the interior longitudinal supports.
[0027] The skirts of the present invention are preferably constructed of a
flexible, yet strong fabric and are designed to contain and funnel oil from the spill
or leak up toward the surface. For example, in some embodiments, the skirts may
be cylindrical, segmented cylindrical, conical, and/or segmented conical in shape,
with a bottom portion of an upper skirt forming a seal with an upper portion of a
lower skirt. Alternatively, the skirts may be rigid and/or reinforced. For example,
the skirts may be made of aluminum, an aluminum alloy, or even a composite
material, such as fiberglass, carbon fiber, or plastic material.
[0028] There may be one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, or eight skirts
attached to each support, or may vary according or some range thereof, such as
four or five, three to six, or two to seven skirts per support. Thus, the skirts may
be five, ten, fifteen, twenty, or even forty feet in length, or fall into some range
therein, such as between five and ten feet, between five and fifteen feet, between
five and twenty feet, between ten and fifteen feet, between ten and twenty feet,
between ten and forty feet, between fifteen and twenty feet, or between fifteen and
forty feet.
[0029] The skirts may be one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine,
ten, twelve, fifteen, or even twenty feet in diameter, and may be sized according to
the capability of an installing drillship and/or the flow capacity of the leak or
reservoir. Of course, the skirts may be designed to accommodate a range of
situations, and may therefore be fall into some range therein, such as between
three and five feet, between two and seven feet, between three and eight feet in
diameter, or between ten and twenty feet in diameter. Additionally, the skirts'
diameter may vary along their length, such that skirt is narrower at the top portion
as opposed to the bottom portion. This variance in diameter may be gradual,
relatively continuous, or may be localized to an area near the top or bottom of the
skirt. In this manner, a bottom portion of an upper skirt forming a seal around the
outside of an upper portion of a lower skirt. This seal may be a simple press-fit
seal and/or may be an expanding seal operated by pneumatics and/or hydraulics.
[0030] The skirts may be attached to the supports by a cylindrical and/or
conical frame. The frame may be made of steel, aluminum, an aluminum alloy, or
even a composite material, such as fiberglass, carbon fiber, or plastic material.
The frame may also include a plurality of hoops, or rings, to support the skirt. The
frame may also include sealing rings, such as on an upper and/or lower most one
of the supporting hoops, to a facilitate the seal between upper and lower skirts.
The frame may attach to the interior longitudinal supports near the top of each
skirt, the bottom of each skirt, and/or at one or more places along the length of
each skirt. Thus, the frame may rigidly secure the skirt to the longitudinal
supports, or may allow the skirt to sway relative to the supports.
[0031] The frame may be welded directly to the interior longitudinal
supports and/or may be secured thereto using J-Lay collars, or similar structure.
Thus, the frames and skirts may hang, or be suspended, from the top, or bottom,
of a flange near a connection of the interior longitudinal supports. Where the
frames hand from the supports, a bottom most ring is preferable made weighted,
such as by being made of steel, to weight down the skirt and ensure each skirt
seals with a lower skirt.
[0032] Because the system may use multiple skirts mounted on each of
multiple supports, the system may include between two and thirty skirts, between
five and twenty skirts, between five and thirty skirts, between ten and twenty
skirts, or between ten and thirty skirts, such as ten, fifteen, twenty, or thirty skirts.
In one embodiment, the system utilizes nineteen skirts suspended on four
supports.
[0033] At the top of the upper most skirt, the system preferably includes a
dome, or collection structure with a hose attachment collar. The dome may be
constructed of steel, aluminum, an aluminum alloy, or even a composite material,
such as fiberglass, carbon fiber, or plastic material. The dome may also be
supported by a frame, if needed. The hose connects the dome with a collection
ship, the rig, drillship or other installing vessel in order to direct the oil collected by
the system to the surface in a controlled manner. Similar to the skirts, the dome,
or its frame, may be welded to the support and or may be secured to a flange or Jlay
collar.
[0034] The flexible segmented nature of the skirts allow them to be
installed on the support after it has been threaded, or welded, to a lower support
and/or a j-lay collar between adjacent supports. In any case, the supports
preferably carry the weight of the skirts. Also, a bottom rigid frame may provide a
tensioning mechanism for the skirts and/or a base for a packer and/or Chevron
type seal. The seal system will allow each skirt to use the surface of a lower
support top ring as bearing surface to reduce or eliminate the amount of water
intake from outside.
[0035] The system also preferably includes a funnel structure at the bottom
of the lower most skirt to collect the oil. The lower, larger outer diameter of the
funnel may be between five and twenty feet across, such as six feet, eight feet,
ten feet, twelve feet, sixteen feet, eighteen feet, twenty feet, or even twenty-five
feet in diameter. In some embodiments, the larger outer diameter of the funnel
may be significantly larger, such as between thirty and forty feet across.
[0036] If the above described components of the system, as constructed
are heavier than the surrounding seawater, the system may include one or more
air cans, or floats to suspend the system. For example, as described, the
supports, skirts, frame, and/or dome may be constructed of steel, which would
tend to sink. The air cans are preferably sized and configured to prevent this.
Thus, there may be between two and ten air cans, such as four, six, or eight. The
system may be configured with two or three times as many air cans as needed to
provide a level of redundancy.
[0037] The system is preferably secured to the seabed using two or more
suction piles around the spill location, or source. The funnel, lower most support,
and/or lower most skirt and/or frame may be secured to the suction piles with one
or more lengths of wire, cable, chain, rope, or the like. The length of the wire
between the suction piles and the above assembly can be modified to raise and
lower the funnel and/or move the assembly to the side in the event direct
intervention to the spill source is needed. If a cap can be installed on the spill
source; then flow from the cap can be channeled into the above system, or
directly to the hose and surface vessel. The system thus advantageously allows
access to the well, or spill source. The system may also be configured to handle
above and underground blow outs and can be placed anywhere oil is leaking.
[0038] With the surface vessel drawing collected oil and/or water from the
dome at the top of the system, and/or through the interior longitudinal support, a
pressure differential is created, thereby drawing the leaking oil into the system. In
other words, the system collects oil via a pressure differential from the vessel
taking the oil from top of the dome. The density difference between oil and water
is also advantageously utilized to draw oil up into the system. The surface vessel
may also inject a liquid or gas, such as air, through the interior longitudinal
supports to be vented through holes in the interior longitudinal supports at
selected depths along the system to reduce the density of the liquid within the
system, thereby assisting and/or facilitating drawing the oil and/or other liquids
into and through the system. In the event the surface vessel needs to disconnect
the hose, the system will vent through the hose from the top and the funnel from
the bottom so the system does not necessarily experience any pressure build up.
When the hose is disconnected it may drop and hang beside the skirts of the
system.
[0039] FIG. 2 and 3 illustrate another construction for the skirts. While this
construction for the skirts may be similar to that discussed above, rather than
being constructed of a flexible fabric, the skirts may be rigid. For example, the
skirts may be constructed from steel, a lightweight rigid composite, and/or alloy
pipe. This pipe may be threaded at each end, thereby allowing joints to be made
for the skirts much like the interior longitudinal supports and/or commonly
available drill pipe. Joints between rigid skirts may or may not include the press fit
and/or expanding seal discussed above. In this embodiment, the skirts are
expected to be generally cylindrical, with an expanded end. For example, the
skirts may have an expanded lower end that slips over, or threads onto, an upper
end of a lower skirt. Alternatively, the skirts may be generally cylindrical, with a
reduced diameter end. For example, the skirts may have an reduced diameter
upper end that slips within, or threads into, lower end of an upper skirt. Of course,
the opposite construction is possible as well, such that the skirts have an
expanded upper end and/or a reduced diameter lower end. While the expanded
end and/or reduced diameter end may be integral to the skirts, such expanded
ends and/or reduced diameter ends may be formed with one or more sleeves or
collars secured to an exterior or interior of the skirts.
[0040] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 and 3, the skirts are expected to
be approximately forty feet in length and approximately twenty feet in diameter,
but may fall within some range. For example, the skirts may be between five and
ten feet, between five and fifteen feet, between five and twenty feet, between ten
and fifteen feet, between ten and twenty feet, between ten and thirty feet, between
fifteen and twenty feet, or between fifteen and thirty feet in diameter. The skirts
for this embodiment, may or may not utilize the frame discussed above, and/or
may be secured directly to the interior longitudinal supports using J-Lay collars, or
similar structure. Thus, the skirts may be longer continuous rigid segments, such
as with one large skirt to each interior longitudinal support, as opposed to the
multiple smaller flexible skirts to each interior longitudinal support described
above. Of course, depending on the application, any combination of these
features may be utilized.
[0041] The skirts made be pre-assembled upon the interior longitudinal
supports awaiting installation above the spill. For example, where the skirts are
rigid, one interior longitudinal support, or skirt, may be pushed, pressed, raised, or
lowered toward another until the joint between the two adjacent interior
longitudinal supports is made and then the expanded end of one skirt may be slid,
or threaded, over the other skirt. The seal between the two skirts may then be
activated, pneumatically and/or hydraulically, through a port in the expanded end
of the skirt. Flexibility in the frame and/or other components mounting the skirts to
the interior longitudinal supports may allow access to the joint between the two
adjacent interior longitudinal supports before the seal between the two adjacent
skirts has been achieved. This process may be repeated until the system, of the
desired size, length, or depth, is assembled over the spill.
[0042] Other and further embodiments utilizing one or more aspects of the
inventions described above can be devised without departing from the spirit of
Applicant's invention. For example, one or more of the interior longitudinal
supports may be hollow and/or may have holes between the exterior and any
interior spaces. In this case, and especially where the surface vessel draws
collected oil and/or water through the interior longitudinal support, the holes may
be located in order to draw oil and/or water at a selected depth, or height within
the system. Alternatively, as discussed above, these holes may be utilized to
inject liquid or gas between the interior longitudinal supports and the skirts
selected depths, or heights within the system. This will allow the system to
control the density difference along the water column, and/or prevent the oil
and/or water to density from getting concentrated and/or eliminated. More
specifically, as different hollow regions take oil from the confined space within the
skirts, the system may also allow water to come in a gap between the skirts and
maintain certain level of density difference throughout the column. Taking oil from
the confined space within the skirts may allow the system to control a speed at
which the spilled oil rises toward the surface. Additionally, or alternatively, as
discussed above, the system may inject liquid or gas into the confined space
within the skirts, to further control the density and/or the speed at which the spilled
oil rises toward the surface.
[0043] Finally, this arrangement could be used for power generation, such
as by using density difference in the ocean due to temperature difference between
deep and shallow water and/or the density difference generated by oil in the water
column as described above, with a turbine or turbines at different locations.
These turbines could also be used to control the flow of oil and/or water within the
system.
[0044] The various methods and embodiments of the present invention can
be included in combination with each other to produce variations of the disclosed
methods and embodiments. For example, multiple strings of skirts may be used
with one funnel and/or multiple systems may be used in close proximity to cover a
large area spill. Discussion of singular elements can include plural elements and
vice-versa. Further, the order of steps can occur in a variety of sequences unless
otherwise specifically limited. The various steps described herein can be
combined with other steps, interlineated with the stated steps, and/or split into
multiple steps. Similarly, elements have been described functionally and can be
embodied as separate components or can be combined into components having
multiple functions.
[0045] The inventions have been described in the context of preferred and
other embodiments and not every embodiment of the invention has been
described. Obvious modifications and alterations to the described embodiments
are available to those of ordinary skill in the art. The disclosed and undisclosed
embodiments are not intended to limit or restrict the scope or applicability of the
invention conceived of by the Applicants, but rather, in conformity with the patent
laws, Applicants intend to fully protect all such modifications and improvements
that come within the scope or range of equivalent of the following claims.
CLAIMS:
1. A subsea spill containment system comprising:
a funnel structure positioned over a subsea leak;
a plurality of interconnected skirts serially joined above the funnel;
a collection dome above the skirts; and
a hose connected to the dome.
2 . The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the skirts are supported by one
or more central internal longitudinal supports.
3 . The system as set forth in claim 2, wherein the supports are metal pipes at
least twenty feet in length.
4 . The system as set forth in claim 2, wherein the supports are solid rods at
least twenty feet in length.
5 . The system as set forth in claim 2, wherein there are at least four skirts
secured to each support.
6 . The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein an upper most one of the skirts
is sealed to the dome.
7 . The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein a lower one of the skirts seals
to an upper one of the skirts.
8 . The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein a lower most one of the skirts
seals to the funnel.
9 . The system as set forth in claim 1, further including at least two anchor
points secured to a seabed around the leak and cables connecting the anchor
points to the funnel, the skirts, a frame or other support of the system to hold the
funnel over the leak.
10 . The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the cables are configured to be
manipulated to move the funnel relative to the leak.
11. A method for containing a subsea spill, the method comprising the steps of:
positioning a funnel above a subsea leak;
positioning a first skirt above the funnel;
positioning a second skirt above the first skirt;
positioning a collection dome above the skirts;
connecting a hose to the dome; and
drawing oil from the dome through the hose.
12 . The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising supporting the skirts
with one or more central internal longitudinal supports.
13 . The method as set forth in claim 12, wherein the supports are metal pipes
at least twenty feet in length.
14. The method as set forth in claim 12, wherein the supports are solid rods at
least twenty feet in length.
15 . The method as set forth in claim 12, wherein there are at least four skirts
secured to each support.
16 . The method as set forth in claim 11, further comprising sealing the second
skirt to the dome.
17 . The method as set forth in claim 11, further comprising sealing the first skirt
to the second skirt.
18 . The method as set forth in claim 11, further comprising sealing the first skirt
to the funnel.
19 . The method as set forth in claim 11, further comprising setting at least two
anchor points into a seabed around the leak and securing the funnel, the skirts, a
frame or other support with cables connected to the anchor points, thereby
holding the funnel over the leak.
20. The method as set forth in claim 11, further comprising manipulating the
cables to move the funnel relative to the leak.