US 2013/0199792 A1Published application

Subsea collection and containment system for hydrocarbon emissions

OwnerRaymond Michael Backesinventor

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Abstract

A rapidly deployable flexible enclosure system for the collection, containment and presentation of hydrocarbon emissions from compromised shallow or deepwater oil and gas well systems, pipelines, other structures, including subsea fissures. The flexible containment enclosure can accommodate various depths and collection terminator configurations. The flexible containment enclosure system is connected to a floating platform and supported by positive offset neutral buoyancy attachment devices. The floating platform with the flexible containment enclosure separates liquid and gaseous materials and directs them to separate ports for removal from a rigid enclosure cavity integrated within the floating platform. Gaseous emissions may optionally be directed to a tethered floating flare system. The system has the ability to partially or fully submerge for extended durations and resurface on demand manually or by transmitted signal. The system provides for operation by a combined tele-supervisory and autonomous control system.

Claims24

Dependent claims

Apparatus for collecting, separating, and delivering a combination of gaseous product and liquid product emitted into a liquid environment beneath the apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

a separator for separating the gaseous product and liquid product, the separator including-a separator enclosure,
a liquid product conduit for delivering liquid product to a liquid product destination,
a gaseous product conduit for delivering gaseous product to a gaseous product destination, and
a diverter within the separator enclosure for diverting gaseous product away from the liquid conduit;
and
a self-supporting flexible containment enclosure (SSFCE) forming a tube having a first end disposed at the source of the gaseous product and liquid product and having a second end disposed at the separator enclosure, such that the gaseous product and liquid product enter the SSFCE first end, rise within the SSFCE, and approach the SSFCE second end adjacent to and beneath the diverter;
wherein the liquid product conduit includes a first end above and adjacent to the diverter to collect the liquid product and above a second end spaced apart from the separator enclosure to deliver the liquid product;
and
wherein the gaseous product conduit includes a first end spaced apart from and above the diverter and the liquid product conduit first end to collect the gaseous product and a second end spaced apart from the separator enclosure to deliver the gaseous product.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/766,655Filed 13 Feb 2013
Priority: 10 Aug 2010
Published: 8 Aug 2013
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

E21B 43/0122
Specially adapted for obtaining from underwater installations: collecting oil or the like from a submerged leakage
B63B 35/32
Vessels or similar floating structures specially adapted for specific purposes and not otherwise provided for: for collecting pollution from open…
E02B 15/04
Cleaning or keeping clear the surface of open water; Apparatus therefor: devices for cleaning or keeping clear the surface of open water from oil…
E21B 41/005
Equipment or details not covered by groups E21B15/00 - E21B40/00: waste disposal systems

Family

Application12/853,296Continuation in part · filed 10 Aug 2010
Application13/766,655Continuation in part
US 2012/0037063 A1Published application
US 9,217,317 B2Related patent
US 2013/0199792 A1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.