Subsea deepwater petroleum fluid spill containment

Abstract

A subsea deepwater petroleum fluid spill containment device that can be quickly deployed to the site of a deepwater well blowout or similar eruption of petroleum fluids on or near the ocean floor to be sunk and positioned over the eruption, capture the petroleum fluid preventing it entering and polluting the environment, separate the constituents of oil, water and gas into disparate components subsea and inside of the collection device clean them, deliver the clean produced water to the subsea water and utilizing the hydraulic hydrostatic head pressure of the waters depth, if at least 4500 feet deep, deliver dewatered oil to surface storage with sufficient pressure to eliminate the need for mechanical pumping and the filtered gas at sufficient pressure for storage in a CNG container ship.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of capturing and containing, subsea, petroleum fluid, consisting of a mixture of oil, water and gas, erupting from the blowout of a deepwater well or similar leakage, said method preventing the pollution of the environment by the said petroleum fluid through the construction, deployment and commissioning of a uniquely configured, large cylindrical elongated vertical vessel with a substantially open bottom end and closed top end placed, subsea, directly over the erupting said petroleum fluid so as to capture the oil, water and gas constituents of the said petroleum fluid, inside the said vessel, wherein they are then separated and deposited in stratified sequence comprising a water phase occupying the bottom region,
 a gas pad extending from the said closed top end down to a level somewhat below the said closed top end and a pad of oil extending from the bottom level of the said gas pad to the top level of the said water phase and including a conduit attached to the said closed top end for delivery of the gas from the vessel and another conduit attached to a side wall of the said vessel in the upper region of the said pad of oil for separate delivery from the said vessel of the said oil, with both the said gas and the said oil being discharged from the said vessel at a substantial pressure created by the hydrostatic hydraulic head pressure of the deepwater communicating to the inside of the vessel through the said substantially open bottom to thereby compress the said stratified fluids inside of the said vessel.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the said vessel contains a multiplicity of partial bulkheads installed inside, transverse to the flow of the said erupting petroleum fluid for the purpose of slowing the momentum, absorbing the pent up energy, trapping the gas and/or water, and establishing a substantially horizontal flow path inside the said vertical vessel. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  including at least one conduit attached to one or more of the said partial bulkheads for the purpose of transporting said gas, that has been trapped, to the said gas pad and at least one additional conduit attached to one or more said partial bulkheads for the purpose of transporting said water, that has been trapped, to the said water phase. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein there is also a vertical cylindrical retainer device open on both ends structurally supported off the side wall of the said vessel and placed inside of the said vessel and having a diameter smaller than the inside diameter of the said vessel with its lower end near the substantially open bottom end of the said vessel and its upper end a few feet above the said lower end and a stiffener ring attached to the said substantially open bottom end of the said vertical vessel. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2  wherein there is also one or more coalescing means operating in conjunction with the said partial bulk heads for the purpose of augmenting the separation process through enlarging the particle size of non-continuous phase fluids which will speed up the gravity separation rate. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein there is also a mist extraction device through which the gas must pass as it exits the said vessel. 
     
     
         7 . The method of claim one whereby there is also included sensors to detect the gas/oil interface and thereby control the level of the said gas/oil interface and to detect the oil/water interface and thereby control the water level. 
     
     
         8 . The method of claim one and also including adjustable supporting legs and/or adjustable stabilizers whereby the said distance between the subsea floor and the said substantially open bottom end of the said vessel can be adjusted and the stability of the said large cylindrical elongated vertical vessel can be enhanced. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  whereby the said vertical vessel construction will include an automated air and water filling and venting means in order for the said vertical vessel to be stored at a coastal location in proximity to the offshore drilling sites and be deployed relatively quickly to the location of a subsea deepwater eruption by capping the said substantially open bottom end of the said vertical vessel and towing it to the location with the said vessel laying horizontally and with proper ballast by utilizing the said automated air and water filling and venting system, floating horizontal and then by removing the said bottom end cap, right the said vertical vessel by venting air and taking on water to attain the desired lifting weight as the said vessel sinks in the vertical position and, using a lifting crane and underwater cameras, position the said vertical vessel directly over the said eruption, and once in place external dead weight may be added to the said vertical vessel to offset the buoyancy created by the captured petroleum fluids collecting inside and to enhance the overall stability of the said large cylindrical elongated vertical vessel and the said vertical vessel construction may also include several emergency hatches since, as the said vertical vessel is being positioned over the said eruption, it may be necessary to open the said emergency hatches, temporarily, to release pent up energy or in the event the said vertical vessel becomes too buoyant it may be necessary to temporarily vent some of the said gas to keep the said vessel from floating away. 
     
     
         10 . Apparatus for the capturing, containing, and processing, subsea, in deepwater, all of the outflow of the potentially contaminating petroleum fluid, consisting of a mixture of oil, water, and gas, erupting from a deepwater well blowout or similar leakage, said apparatus comprised of a large cylindrical vertical vessel, closed on the top end and open on the bottom end, positioned directly above the eruption that is emitting the said oil, water, and gas, said vertical vessel configured to accommodate the steps of separating the oil, water and gas and establishing three disparate strata, one strata on top of the other with a water phase on the bottom, an oil phase in the middle, and a gas phase on top, and including a multiplicity of internal partial bulkheads positioned to establish a horizontal flow pattern as the fluids traverse the vessel flow path, also there are at least two interface sensors one, located at the gas/oil interface, that sends a signal to a flow control valve on the gas discharge conduit causing it to open when the oil/gas interface lowers and another one, located at the oil/water interface that sends a signal to a flow control valve on the oil discharge conduit causing it to open when the oil/water interface lowers and water is discharged through the said bottom opening which also communicates the deepwater hydraulic hydrostatic head pressure as the driving force to deliver the gas and oil separately, the gas at high pressure to a sea going compressed natural gas container ship and the oil at moderate pressure to a sea going tanker or a barge, for storage and commercial sale. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10  and including a cylindrical longitudinal retaining ring of smaller diameter than the said vertical vessel diameter and open on both ends with its lower end located near said vertical vessel bottom open end and its upper end a few feet higher than its lower end and said retainer ring centrally suspended within the interior of the said vertical vessel supported by structural members attached to the outside wall of the said retaining ring and the inside wall of the said vertical vessel, and also there can be a means attached in perpendicular transverse relationship to at least one of the said multiplicity of internal partial bulkheads for causing coalescence of the non continuous phase fluid particles to enhance the gravity separation and may also include a mist extracting device through which the said gas must pass when exiting the said vertical vessel and wherein one or more of the said multiplicity of internal partial bulkheads may perform as gas traps and/or water traps one or more internal vertical conduit may extend from the said gas trap into the said vertical vessel said gas space and additionally one or more internal vertical conduit may extend from said water trap into the said water space of said vertical vessel. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 10  including, attached to the said bottom open end, a structural stiffener ring around the circumference of the inside wall of the said vertical vessel, and attached to the said circumference of the outside wall a multiplicity of adjustable legs and/or adjustable stabilizers and further there may need to be included a means for externally attaching dead weight to anchor the said vertical vessel firmly on the deepwater seabed and there may also be included, as part of the said apparatus, ancillary appurtenances, means for emergency venting of pent up energy and/or said gas to reduce the buoyancy of the said vertical vessel. 
     
     
         13 . A device, for capturing petroleum fluids erupting subsea on or near the ocean floor in deep water as associated with a well blowout or similar leakage, comprising:
 a large cylindrical elongated vertical vessel of sturdy construction with a long cylindrical side wall, a closed top end and open bottom end, and including internally, a multiplicity of horizontally positioned spaced apart partial bulkheads open on only one chord edge, attached to the said side wall of said vertical vessel positioned one above the other with the open end alternating, and also a vertical straight sided elongate cylindrical shape retaining ring of sturdy construction with its diameter smaller than the inside diameter of the said vertical vessel, open on both ends, centered and structurally supported off of the said vertical vessel said inside side wall, with its bottom end at a level close to that of the bottom end of said vertical vessel and its top end a few foot of length above the bottom end, also attached to and penetrating the said closed top end of said vertical vessel a conduit through which fluid can escape and attached to and penetrating the said side wall of said vertical vessel located a few feet of length below the closed top end of said vertical vessel another conduit through which fluid can escape, and also including, integral to the operation of the subject device, at least two electronic interface sensors installed at various locations that can, with the subject device in operation, detect the level of fluids on the inside of said vertical vessel.   
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 13  also including a permeable coalescing device, installed in perpendicular relationship between at least two of the said partial bulkheads, traversing the full inside width of the said vertical vessel. 
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 13  also including a mist extractor unit installed inside the said vertical vessel in proximity of the said conduit penetrating the said closed top end of said vertical vessel. 
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 13  also including one or more vertically oriented conduits attached to and penetrating one or more of the said partial bulk heads, said conduit may provide, when the subject device is operating and its length extends to proximity of the said closed top end, vapor venting, and/or its length extends to proximity of the said open end of the said vertical vessel, water draining. 
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 13  may also include a stiffener ring near and attached to the said open end of the said vertical vessel and also a multiplicity of adjustable supporting legs and/or adjustable stabilizing means and may also include means for adding dead weight to the subject device.