FR2477218A1 - Collector for petroleum or gas blown out of sea-bed - where vertical duct suspended by floats is aligned above oil well blowout, so oil and gas fill duct - Google Patents

Abstract

The collector consists of a vertical duct, suspended in the sea by floats contg. an adjustable amt. of ballast. The duct is assembled from a vertical stack of rings, and more rings can be added to increase the length of the duct, which can slide between the floats, or through one float when only a single float is used. The duct is placed over a zone in the seabed where an accidental blowout of an oil well has occurred, so that oil with a lighter density than water travels up the duct and does not spread over a large surface area of the sea to cause pollution. The collector is designed to prevent catastrophic pollution of the sea, of the type which has occured during the last few years.

Description

- Anti "oil spill" device
or
Apparatus for capturing and evacuating the flow of an underwater hydrocarbon spurt from an accidental underwater drilling.

The invention relates to an apparatus making it possible to collect the oil emerging from accidental submarine forages and thereby interrupt the extension of the oil spills "consecutive to these accidents.

The ecological disasters produced by these oil spills and their repercussions were in fact caned.

We know the use of solvents, idterge-ants or flocculants, used on the surface, to dissolve, resorb or sink the spilled oil slicks
We know that the massive presence of residues from these dissolutions, saponifications or flocculations has an immediate harmful effect on flora, marine fauna and on humans.
When the means named above prove insufficient, the aquifer spreads, sc splits and disperses in all directions, entrained by the sea winds and goes inexorably towards the coasts where it produces ecological disasters and social dramas that we know,
In addition to the scourge that these aquifers represent in the short term for marine fauna and the coastal populations, we know that in the long term, a thin film of petroleum spread over a large ocean surface would stop the evaporation of eaur and its chlorophyll function. essential to life.

Up to now, the development of the gigantic technical means used in the field of underwater petroleum prospecting has not normally been accompanied by research and the creation of materials overcoming the dangers inherent in the implementation of submarine forages of the crust ter remains.

Preventive materials are not yet known at the scale of potential disasters in the field of underwater petroleum research.

 The present invention relates to an apparatus capable of weaving such disasters; this device constituting an essential means of backup.

In what follows, the invention is explained using the drawings representing only one embodiment.

The concept of dimension is voluntarily absent there because the dimensions of the device can vary in a gigantic way according to the characters of the underwater gushing section, pressure, speed, viscosity, temperature, flow, depth underwater, presence of underwater currents etc ...

or characters of the site on the surface, weather conditions, condition of the water table or bubbling on the surface, distance from the terras, etc.

 La-: igure r represents a tube 2, vertically immersed in lteaur supported on the surface by one or more floats 3 which contain the floatation adjustment ballasts, the crew accommodation, various equipment similar to that of a ship and those specific to the specific vocation of the device.

The tube 2 is composed of one or more elements connected to each other in a leaktight manner by seals 4. It can slide vertically in or between the float (s) 3. It possibly has, depending on the characteristics of the spouting stated above, a flexible skirt 5 fixed at its lower end 8.

As required, other components of the tube 2 can be fixed on its upper end so as to.

increase the length of tube 2 to reach the required depth. Each operation of fixing a new element of the tube 2 is followed by a sliding downwards of the tube 2, the value of which corresponds to the length of the tube element which has just been butted
This floating assembly is transported near the disaster site according to the routing procedures of the drilling platforms for the research or the exploitation of the submarine oil deposits.

In the case of the invention, it is possible that the water table on the surface is partially burned and that the main focus is directly above the deposit.

In this case the tube 2 and floats 7 assembly, prepared at a distance, can: - either be towed across the water table by tugs standing at a distance from the main focus thanks to the length of their moorings, - or there render on his own using 7 * thrusters
The tube 2 and float 7 assembly has known known adequate cooling and protection equipment.

FIG. 2 represents the apparatus which is the subject of the invention placed above the disaster well 26.

The oil spouting from the well 26 rushes into the lower orifice 8 of the tube 2. The sheet of ro oil possibly burned on the surface of the water 9 will go out by itself for lack of a new supply of fuel since the jet 6 is captured by the tube 2 and no longer spreads over the surface in contact with the fire>
Oil continues to fill tube 2; Figure 3 shows a state. instantaneous equilibrium between the pressure exerted by the oil column 12 at its lower level r3 and that exerted by the water at the same level 15.

H1 being the manometric height of the water at level 13, H2 the height of the oil column at this same level 13; d1 being.

the density of water and d2 the density of oil, we know that H1.d1 = H2.d2; d1 having a value greater than that of d2 the height S2 will be greater than the height H4.

We know that the value of H2 is: H2 = H1.d1 greater than H1
d2
FIG. 4 shows the apparatus when the upper level r4 of the oil column reaches the oil drain orifice (s) 15 giving access to the lines 70 suspended from floats 16, connected to the oil tankers or to the pipe lines ".

Depending on the viscosity of the oil, the flow rate of the well, the manometric height of oil H2 minus 4, of acceleration pumps 17 make it possible to evacuate the flow rate of the well 26 from the signals received from a controller 18 of the upper level 14 of the oil column 12.

FIG. 5 represents an embodiment of the invention in which the tube 2 is provided on the top with a sealed cover I9 situated at a height H3 relative to the interior level 17 of the column 12 of petroleum. This height H3 is less than the height H2 shown in dotted lines that the oil column I2 would have reached If the tube 2 had been longer and without cover T9,
We know that the pressure exerted on the cover 19 is equal to: (H2 - H3) d2.

This pressure is used for the evacuation of petroleum towards.- the tankers or "pipe lines" with possibly the addition of the acceleration pumps I7.

In this embodiment a pressure controller 22 regulates the speed of the acceleration pumps I7 so as to maintain a constant pressure, on the cover I9, the value of which combined with the filling rate of the ballasts: floats 3 ensures the level flotation of the entire device.

 This other embodiment is suitable for collecting purely liquid spurts as well as gaseous or mixed spurts, that is to say composed in the latter case by a mixture of liquid and gaseous fluids.

FIG. 6 represents an embodiment of the invention concerning the collection of a mixed spout with a high gas content, where it is necessary to separate liquid and gas.

In this case the gas is concentrated in the upper part of the tube 2 while the liquid occupies the lower part.

The cover I9 is equipped with a valve or an acceleration pump 29 for the evacuation of the gas. This valve or pump 29 has its speed adjusted by the pressure regulator detector 22 so as to maintain the gas pressure at a value which, combined with the filling rate of the ballasts of the floats 7, ensures the desired level of flotation for all of the the apparatus as well as the lower level of the liquid column has a depth compatible with the submerged length of the tube 2.

The upper level 14 of the senaric liquid column is controlled and maintained by means of the level detector I8 whose signals act on the acceleration pump I7 discharging the liquid.

 Bour all the embodiments, FIG. 7 represents the flexible skirt 5 deflected by the underwater c-current 23. The lower orifice 24 of the skirt 5 is placed directly above the passage of the spout 6 diverted itself in the same: direction by the current 25.

 Guette skirt 5 makes it possible to considerably increase the operating field of the device without the need for the tool to move.

However, a marine current detector 25 transmits to the captain or to the electronic brain for automatic positioning of the apparatus the signals, force and direction, to be exploited at the level of the thrusters 7 or the capstans 27, if any, acting on similar anchors 28 to those of a ship
This so that the spout 6 constantly penetrates into the lower orifice: 24 of the flexible skirt 5,
For all the embodiments cited by way of example, heaters 20 glazed along or in the tube 2 can; possibly reduce the viscosity of the column of fluid, following the cooling of the gushing 6 in contact with the cold waters of the seabed 21. -

Claims (2)

PATENT CLAIMS Apparatus for collecting and discharging the hydrocarbon flzrr from an underwater spout, liquid or gaseous, Characterized by the fact that it consists of a tube (2,) immersed vertically in water , supported by floats containing ballasts similar to those of oil tankers to maintain the level of flotation giving it stability and maneuverability. Characterized in that the tube 2 composed of one or more elements can be lengthened or shortened by adding or removing a constituent element and that the tube 2 can slide vertically in the or between the floats 3. Characterized in that, in the case of an underwater spout of liquid hydrocarbon, the tube and float assembly being placed directly above the spout, this liquid having a lower density than the water rising in the tube and filling it on a manometric height will go greater, than the manometric height H1 C 'water measured between the lower surface I3 of the column of liquid 12 and the surface of water 9, this difference in the manometric heights equal to H2 minus H1, corresponds to the level 9 of the water surface, at a pressure equal to (H2 - H1) d2 which is used for the evacuation of the fluid to ships or "pipelines Characterized in that the upper level 14 of the column 12 of liquid is controlled by a level detector 18 of which the signals applied to the speed of the acceleration pumps 17 make it possible to maintain the lower surface I7 of the column I2 of liquid at the desired depth H1 compatible with the submerged length of the tube 2. Characterized in that, in the case of a gaseous submarine spurt; compound of hydrocarbon or other chemical combinations or mixtures; or else in the case of a mixed spurting, that is to say composed of liquid and gas as defined above, the tube 2 is provided with a sealed cover 19. Characterized, in the case of a purely gaseous burst, in that the lower level 17 of the gas column I2 is maintained thanks to the signals of the pressure detector 22 which acts on the opening of the discharge valves or discharge pumpas 29. Characterized, in the case of a mixed spout, in that in addition to the control exerted by the pressure detector 22 act without. on the degree of opening of the valves or on the speed of the pumps 29 which ensure the regular evacuation of the gas, the level detector 18 simultaneously maintains the upper level I4 of the separated liquid fluid by acting on the speed of the acceleration pumps I7 so as to maintain the lower level 13 of the fluid column 12 at the depth h1 compatible with the submerged length of the tube 2; and in that the tube  2 used in this way plays the separator roll between the liquid and gaseous fluids together forming the spout 6 from well 26.  Characterized in that the tube 2 has, fixed to its base, a  flexible skirt 5 which, pushed by underwater currents 23,  moves in the same direction as the jet formed by the jail  smoothing 6 itself deflected by the same underwater currents  27; and in that this flexible skirt 5 makes it possible to widen  the operating area of the device without it being  necessary to move it  Characterized in that, depending on the depth or nature of the  seabed 21 and the importance of the currents 27 all of  the device can be t either permanently anchored or self-positioning  born by means of the pronulators 7, either corrected in position at  means of inking 28 and of capstan 27 years analogous to those of a ship, either placed on the seabed 21 by partial ballasting  or complete floats 7 or by ballasting of tube 2, without qutil  there is tightness with the bottom. Characterized in that the device which is the subject of the invention  puts into practice the fundamental physical law of equivalence  pressures exerted by two pressure columns in  balance and communicating through their base at the same level,  fluids respectively constituting these two manomated columns  triques with different densities.