EP0069740A1 - Controle de materiaux s'echappant accidentellement - Google Patents

Controle de materiaux s'echappant accidentellement

Info

Publication number
EP0069740A1
EP0069740A1 EP81902797A EP81902797A EP0069740A1 EP 0069740 A1 EP0069740 A1 EP 0069740A1 EP 81902797 A EP81902797 A EP 81902797A EP 81902797 A EP81902797 A EP 81902797A EP 0069740 A1 EP0069740 A1 EP 0069740A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
fluid
pipeline
liquid
introduction
hazardous material
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP81902797A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Andrew Lloyd Smith
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Publication of EP0069740A1 publication Critical patent/EP0069740A1/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A62—LIFE-SAVING; FIRE-FIGHTING
    • A62C—FIRE-FIGHTING
    • A62C3/00—Fire prevention, containment or extinguishing specially adapted for particular objects or places
    • A62C3/04—Fire prevention, containment or extinguishing specially adapted for particular objects or places for dust or loosely-baled or loosely-piled materials, e.g. in silos, in chimneys
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
    • E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
    • E21B35/00—Methods or apparatus for preventing or extinguishing fires
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
    • E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
    • E21B36/00—Heating, cooling or insulating arrangements for boreholes or wells, e.g. for use in permafrost zones
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
    • F16L—PIPES; JOINTS OR FITTINGS FOR PIPES; SUPPORTS FOR PIPES, CABLES OR PROTECTIVE TUBING; MEANS FOR THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
    • F16L55/00—Devices or appurtenances for use in, or in connection with, pipes or pipe systems
    • F16L55/10—Means for stopping flow from or in pipes or hoses
    • F16L55/103—Means for stopping flow from or in pipes or hoses by temporarily freezing liquid sections in the pipe

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a method of combating the issue of hazardous material from a pipeline, for example during a blowout at an oil well or leakage of dangerous material from a chemical plant.
  • the problem is potentially worse if the hazardous material is concentrated and/or under pressure.
  • a method of combating the issue of hazardous material from a pipeline comprising providing the pipeline with a secondary inlet for introduction of a fluid inert to the hazardous material flowing in the pipeline, the fluid at normal temperature and pressure being a gas, and introducing said fluid into the pipeline through the secondary inlet, the introduction being made under conditions whereby the fluid expands and undergoes a temperature increase on introduction.
  • Pressuring means may be provided for injecting the fluid into the pipeline.
  • a valve may also be provided in association with the secondary inlet to allow the introduction of the fluid to be started, stopped and controlled as required.
  • the method of this invention operates in general terms by treating the hazardous material prior to its escape from the pipeline.
  • the treatment constitutes dilution by the inert fluid, and lowering of the hazardous material temperature and therefore, in many cases, its flash point.
  • a cryogenic fluid When a cryogenic fluid is employed the hazardous material may even be liquefied or solidified as a result of heat exchange with the fluid, thus making it easier to deal with.
  • the solidified ma£erial can form a frozen plug in the pipeline, thus s ⁇ alingthe pipeline against further escape until the cause of the escape can be located and dealt with.
  • the secondary inlet may be fed with any of a number of fluids depending on the particular hazard being presented by the issuing material. For example, if the escaping material is inflammable the fluid selected would be incapable of supporting combustion, so that its injection into the pipeline would prevent ignition of the material or would extinguish any already-burning material. This particular effect would be enhanced by the cooling effect of the fluid.
  • the fluid may be selected to provide in the pipeline sufficient daikition of the escaping material to reduce its concentration to below its threshold limit value, and in this case it is of advantage to use a fluid which undergoes a change of state on introduction into the pipeline, preferably from particulate solid or liquid to gas, so as to provide rapid volume expansion within the pipeline and provide fast dilution of the material.
  • Especially advantageous fluids to introduce into the pipeline are solid carbon dioxide, liquid nitrogen, liquid helium, liquid neon, liquid argon, liquid krypton, liquid xenon and liquid carbon dioxide, and mixtures thereof.
  • these fluids are cryogenic it is important. to ensure that the material of the pipeline, secondary inlet and. any valves has the capability of withstanding low temperatures without failing.
  • Stainless steel is useful in this context, and as much existing chemical plant is manufactured of this material the method of this invention can be introduced to existing plant without major replacement of pipework.
  • the fluid can be passed in contact with the pipeline wall before introduction into the pipeline, thereby providing initial heat exchange between the fluid and the hazardous material through the pipeline wall.
  • an annular conduit can be provided around a portion of the pipeline and communicating with the secondary inlet, the inner wall of the conduit being formed by the pipeline wall.
  • proportion of the fluid can also be fed to a cooling unit within the pipeline for cooling purposes, and this unit may be an annular passageway which allows heat exchange through its wall without greatly impeding the normal flow of material through the pipeline.
  • pipeline is used to describe any conduit for passage of material.
  • the hazardous material is material which presents a problem, whether to the environment or to health or in any other manner, on escape from the pipeline.
  • the invention in its aspects can be used, for example, in the following situations, with especial regard to oil wells: 1. Blow-out wild well control,
  • cryogenic liquids for example:- neon, argon
  • cryogenic gases for example:- neon, argon
  • inert liquefied gases for example:- krypton, xenon, carbon dioxide
  • inert gases for example:- krypton, xenon, carbon dioxide,
  • cryogenic liquids for example:- oxygen, hydrogen, carbon monoxide,
  • cryogenic gases for example:- oxygen, hydrogen, carbon monoxide,
  • 2.2.3 liquefied flammable gases 2.2.3. 1 liquefied natural gases - for example:- methane, ethane,
  • liquefied toxic gases for example:- chlorine, ammonia sulphur dioxide,
  • toxic gases for example:- chlorine, ammonia, sulphur dioxide, hydrogen sulphide,
  • the method of the invention is especially effective when the fluid has low-boiling point and high vapour, liquid-vapour or solid-vapour expansion ratio.
  • the invention can be used with regard to: (a) preventing the ignition of flammable concentrations of vapours or aerosols;
  • the first of these may involve the injection of an inert cryogenic liquid or liquefied inert gas into any line leaking flammable concentrations of vapour or aerosols. This requires the use of a low temperature liquid injection valve.
  • the injection of an inert cryogenic gas or inert gas into any line leaking flammable concentrations ⁇ f vapour or aerosol requires the use of a gas injection valve capable of operation at low temperatures.
  • valve would thereby permit injection of an inert cryogenic liquid, liquefied inert gas, inert cryogenic gas or inert gas directly into the leaking hazardous material prior to release, so that the vapourising inert cryogenic liquid or liquefied inert gas would both cool and inert the escaping release, through starving the hazardous material of oxygen, whilst the inert cryogenic gas or inert gas would inert the escaping release mainly by starving the fuel of oxygen, and additionally cool the escaping release should its temperature be sufficiently below the temperature of the escaping release.
  • Similar injection devices may be installed at selected parts of all hazardous chemical installations etc., in order to control any potentially hazardous release.
  • the inert fluid for example cryogenic liquid, liquefied inert gas, inert cryogenic gas or inert gas may be pumped into an existing facility that form an integral part of the pipelinp before and/or after the fluid injection facility, in order to effect the formation of a plug of material that will form an effective seal and thereby allow appropriate measures to be taken in order to control the material, once the plug of material is allowed to melt under controlled conditions.
  • an inner annulus may be incorporated in order to increase the surface area available for the cooling effect of these inert liquids or inert gases.
  • facilities may be provided for permitting the interchange of inert cryogenic liquids, liquefied inert gases, inert cryogenic gases and inert gases in circumstances where the additional cooling properties of a lower boiling inert material whether liquid or gaseous may replace a higher boiling inert material, whether liquid or gaseous, in order to provide an effective plug of material for sealing the pipeline.
  • the invention can also employ the large dilution effects achieved by the injection of inert cryogenic liquids, liquefied inert gases, inert cryogenic gases and inert gases into any pipeline leaking gaseous or volatile hazardous material prior to the point of release, through either a low temperature liquid injection valve or a gas injection valve, thereby effecting the dispersal of these materials to the air at concentrations below their threshold limit values.
  • the dispersion would be effective for any material irrespective of the actual vapour density, when compared to that of air.
  • leakages of hazardous material can be controlled, whether toxic, pyrophoric, flammable or explosive, through the use of combined inner and outer annulus cooling units, located before and/or after an injection unit to produce the liquefaction and/or solidification of these hazardous materials by the circulation of cryogenic fluids such as helium within the cooling unit.
  • cryogenic fluids such as helium within the cooling unit.
  • Fig. 1 shows a schematic layout for a pre installed annulus valve used for well-killing by the method of this invention, located in a tubing pocket.
  • a fully developed blow-out can be killed by pumping an inert low-temperature fluid, for example liquid nitrogen as kill material down an annular passageway between an outer casing 2 and a pipeline 3 carrying the oil flow, through the pre-ins tailed annular valve 4 directly into the pipeline 3.
  • the valve 4 is such that it can open from the annulus 1 to the pipeline 3 under a positive pressure difference, thereby allowing the inert kill material to be fed directly into the blow-out flow.
  • the valve 4 in this embodiment is similar to conventional chemical injection valves and may be located at any predetermined level within the well, where it is thought to be most effective.
  • Ancillary equipment can be p ⁇ ovided so that the well killing operation can be initiated as soon as possible followiny the blow-out.
  • Valves 5 are ⁇ provided for controlling the flow of the kill-material to the annulus 1.
  • the pipeline 3, outer casing 2, valves 5, annulus valve 4 and ancillary equipment are fabricated from materials capable of withstanding the range of temperatures to be encountered during this operation.
  • Fig. 2 shows a schematic layout for a pre installed annulus kill-valve together with dual inert liquid/inert gas cooling units for use on any other type of line leaking hazardous materials;
  • Figs.3(a) and (b) are respectively a schematic side section and plan section of an inert liquid/inert gas cooling unit of Fig. 2.
  • Fig. 2 the annulus valve 4 is disposed between cooling units 6, the valve 4 and units 6 being fed by pipes 7 leading from a common source of liquid helium.
  • the cooling units are shown in more detail in Fig. 3, from which it can be seen that the liquid helium is fed through the pipe 7 into an outer annulus 8 surrounding the pipeline 3, and thence through passageways 9 to an inner annulus 10 within the pipeline 3 and spaced from its wall. Flow of the helium through the annuli 8, 10 is ensured by an exhaust pipe 11 leading to a recycling plant for recooling the helium.
  • the flow of low-temperature helium through the annuli 8,10 cools the oil and gas in the pipeline 3 thereby slowing or stopping its passage.
  • liquid helium is supplied directly into the pipeline 3 through the annulus valve 4 to cool and dilute the flow as the helium vaporises and expands.
  • the predominance of the helium prevents ignition or continued burning by isolating the combustible flow from the air.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
  • Geology (AREA)
  • Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
  • General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Geochemistry & Mineralogy (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Emergency Management (AREA)
  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
  • Public Health (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Filling Or Discharging Of Gas Storage Vessels (AREA)

Abstract

Procede permettant de lutter contre l'echappement de substances depuis un pipe-line, par exemple lors d'explosions de puits de petrole ou lorsque des produits chimiques dangereux s'echappent, par introduction dans le pipe-line d'un fluide inerte, qui est normalement un gaz, ce fluide etant introduit a une temperature plus basse que celle de la substance qui s'echappe, et dans des conditions telles que le fluide se detend lors de son introduction, afin de refroidir et diluer la substance qui s'echappe.
EP81902797A 1980-10-15 1981-10-14 Controle de materiaux s'echappant accidentellement Withdrawn EP0069740A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB8033275 1980-10-15
GB8033275 1980-10-15
GB8036745 1980-11-15
GB8036745 1980-11-15

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0069740A1 true EP0069740A1 (fr) 1983-01-19

Family

ID=26277221

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP81902797A Withdrawn EP0069740A1 (fr) 1980-10-15 1981-10-14 Controle de materiaux s'echappant accidentellement

Country Status (2)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0069740A1 (fr)
WO (1) WO1982001408A1 (fr)

Families Citing this family (13)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB0210210D0 (en) * 2002-05-03 2002-06-12 Ingen Process Ltd Treatment of hydrocarbons
BRPI0719868A2 (pt) 2006-10-13 2014-06-10 Exxonmobil Upstream Res Co Métodos para abaixar a temperatura de uma formação subsuperficial, e para formar uma parede congelada em uma formação subsuperficial
US8622133B2 (en) 2007-03-22 2014-01-07 Exxonmobil Upstream Research Company Resistive heater for in situ formation heating
CA2686830C (fr) 2007-05-25 2015-09-08 Exxonmobil Upstream Research Company Procede de production de fluides d'hydrocarbure combinant chauffage sur site, centrale electrique et usine a gaz
US8863839B2 (en) 2009-12-17 2014-10-21 Exxonmobil Upstream Research Company Enhanced convection for in situ pyrolysis of organic-rich rock formations
TWI551803B (zh) 2010-06-15 2016-10-01 拜歐菲樂Ｉｐ有限責任公司 低溫熱力閥裝置、含有該低溫熱力閥裝置之系統及使用該低溫熱力閥裝置之方法
ITMI20101095A1 (it) * 2010-06-17 2011-12-18 Antonino Gambino Dispositivo di arresto di petrolio proveniente da giacimento
US9080441B2 (en) 2011-11-04 2015-07-14 Exxonmobil Upstream Research Company Multiple electrical connections to optimize heating for in situ pyrolysis
TWI525184B (zh) * 2011-12-16 2016-03-11 拜歐菲樂Ｉｐ有限責任公司 低溫注射組成物，用於低溫調節導管中流量之系統及方法
EP3044494A1 (fr) 2013-09-13 2016-07-20 Biofilm IP, LLC Soupapes magnéto-cryogéniques, systèmes et procédés de modulation d'un écoulement dans une conduite
WO2015060919A1 (fr) 2013-10-22 2015-04-30 Exxonmobil Upstream Research Company Systèmes et procédés pour réguler un processus de pyrolyse in situ
US9394772B2 (en) 2013-11-07 2016-07-19 Exxonmobil Upstream Research Company Systems and methods for in situ resistive heating of organic matter in a subterranean formation
CA2967325C (fr) 2014-11-21 2019-06-18 Exxonmobil Upstream Research Company Procede de recuperation d'hydrocarbures a l'interieur d'une formation souterraine

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* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
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DE163587C (fr) *
BE515190A (fr) * 1951-10-31 1900-01-01
US3738424A (en) * 1971-06-14 1973-06-12 Big Three Industries Method for controlling offshore petroleum wells during blowout conditions
CA958328A (en) * 1971-08-05 1974-11-26 Hurtsteel Products Ltd. Method and assembly for controlling blowouts in oil wells
AU3540671A (en) * 1971-11-05 1973-05-10 Wallace Wiseman Ben Jr Device for putting out oilwell fires
US3905424A (en) * 1971-11-26 1975-09-16 Albert A Elwood Cryogenic control valve

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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Title
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Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
WO1982001408A1 (fr) 1982-04-29

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Effective date: 19830422