Injectable Seal for A Blowout Preventer

Abstract

A supplemental sealing system for a blowout preventer (BOP) includes a fluid source configured to support a sealing fluid and a conduit fluidly coupled to the fluid source. The conduit is configured to deliver the sealing fluid from the fluid source to a bore of the BOP to enable the sealing fluid to supplement a seal formed by one or more primary seal elements of the BOP.

1 . A supplemental sealing system for a blowout preventer (BOP), comprising:
 a fluid source configured to support a sealing fluid; and   a conduit fluidly coupled to the fluid source, wherein the conduit is configured to deliver the sealing fluid from the fluid source to a bore of the BOP to enable the sealing fluid to supplement a seal formed by one or more primary seal elements of the BOP.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the conduit comprises an outlet positioned on an upstream side of the seal formed by the one or more primary seal elements of the BOP. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the conduit extends through a housing of the BOP. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the conduit extends through a connecting rod coupled to a ram of the BOP. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , comprising a second fluid source configured to support a second sealing fluid, and a second conduit fluidly coupled to the second fluid source, wherein the second conduit is configured to deliver the second sealing fluid to the bore of the BOP to enable the second sealing fluid to supplement the seal formed by one or more primary seal elements of the BOP. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein respective outlets of the conduit and the second conduit are positioned at different axial locations, different circumferential locations, or both relative to the bore of the BOP. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , comprising a solvent fluid source configured to support a solvent, and a solvent conduit fluidly coupled to the solvent fluid source, wherein the solvent conduit is configured to deliver the solvent to the bore of the BOP to enable the solvent to remove a sealing material formed by the sealing fluid from the BOP. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , comprising a controller configured to instruct a valve actuator to adjust a valve to enable flow of the sealing fluid to the bore of the BOP in response to receipt of a signal indicating that the BOP will be moved to a closed position or is in the closed position. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , comprising a controller configured to instruct a valve actuator to adjust a valve to enable flow of the sealing fluid to the bore of the BOP in response to receipt of a signal indicating a potential leak path while the BOP is in a closed position. 
     
     
         10 . A blowout preventer (BOP) system, comprising:
 a housing configured to support opposed rams of a BOP;   one or more primary seal elements configured to form a seal across a bore of the BOP when the opposed rams are in a closed position; and   a supplemental sealing system configured to inject a sealing fluid proximate to the one or more primary seal elements to enable the sealing fluid to supplement the seal.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the supplemental sealing system comprises a fluid source configured to support the sealing fluid, and a conduit fluidly coupled to the fluid source and to the bore of the BOP. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the conduit comprises an outlet positioned on an upstream side of the seal formed by the one or more primary seal elements of the BOP. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the conduit extends through the housing of the BOP. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the conduit extends through a connecting rod coupled to one ram of the opposed rams. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the supplemental sealing system is configured to independently provide two different fluids to the bore of the BOP to enable mixing of the two different fluids within the bore to supplement the seal. 
     
     
         16 . A method for sealing a bore of a blowout preventer (BOP):
 providing a sealing fluid from a fluid source to a bore of the BOP via a conduit; and   supplementing a seal formed by one or more primary seal elements of the BOP using the sealing fluid within the bore.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , comprising providing a second sealing fluid from a second fluid source to the bore of the BOP via a second conduit, wherein supplementing the seal formed by one or more primary seal elements of the BOP using the sealing fluid within the bore comprises mixing the sealing fluid and the second sealing fluid within the bore to form a sealing material. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , comprising injecting a solvent into the bore of the BOP to dissolve a sealing material formed by the sealing fluid. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , comprising providing the sealing fluid in response to receipt of a signal indicating that the BOP will be moved to a closed position or is in the closed position. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , comprising providing the sealing fluid in response to receipt of a signal indicating a potential leak path while the BOP is in a closed position.