Method for lifting oil-based liquid

Abstract

A method of recovering an oil-based liquid from a body of liquid including a first layer of the oil-based liquid and a second layer of a second liquid having an interface with the first layer. The oil-based liquid being denser than the second liquid and the interface having a variable level in the body. The method includes the steps of suspending a length of oil-based liquid absorbent material from a support above the body, extending the absorbent material down a vertical distance from the support through the second layer into the first layer for absorbing oil-based liquid from the first layer, conveying the absorbent material along a path through the first layer, absorbing the oil-based liquid from the first layer with the absorbent material, and maintaining the path of the absorbent material in the first layer by varying the vertical distance in response to a variation in the level of the interface.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.