Marine oil leak containment and recovery apparatus
AssigneeWestern Geophysical Company of America
InventorBooth B. Strange
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A barge has a well in the center. A rigid oil containment sleeve is lowered through the well by suitable winches and cables. The barge is towed over a source of leaking oil and is anchored in position. Leaking oil accumulates inside the oil containment sleeve. A plurality of standpipes, open at their upper end to the fluid in the well, are built into the hull of the barge. The standpipes provide a protected volume from which gas bubbles can escape. Pumps whose inlets are connected to the bottom of the standpipes pump the oil from the standpipe into an oil storage vessel. Gas that accompanies the oil is flared to prevent dissemination of the noxious gases. A sprinkling system cools the barge deck from the heat of the flared gas.
Claims16
An oil leak containment and recovery apparatus for use in water-covered areas comprising:
- a floatation means having a deck and a well therethrough open to the water, the water in the well rising to a prescribed level;
- a hollow oil containment sleeve, having a wall, open at its upper and lower ends, slidably mounted in said well;
- means for lowering said oil containment sleeve through the well into the water beneath the floatation means when in use and for retracting said sleeve when underway;
- means for anchoring said floatation means over an oil/gas leak so that an upward flow of said oil and gas becomes entrapped at the upper end of said sleeve;
- and
- means for removing the entrapped oil to storage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.