Method and apparatus of mounting a valve on a flange with flexible bolts to stop oil flow from a ruptured pipe or device

A method of stopping oil from the end of a ruptured pipe or blowout preventer (BOP) situated on the floor of a deep body of water, comprising the following steps:

• a. mounting a flange on the end of the ruptured pipe or BOP, if a flange is not already present;
• b. providing a gate valve, having a highly polished fluid flow bore therethrough, and a flange on a lower end of the gate valve to mate with the flange on the ruptured pipe or BOP;
• c. providing a permanently affixed gasket member on the mounting flange of the gate valve to prevent the gasket from being released by pressure of oil flow;
• d. lowering the gate valve to a depth of flowing oil from the ruptured pipe or BOP;
• e. providing at least two flexible bolts through opposite openings in the flange of the gate valve, wherein each flexible bolt comprises
• (i) a first solid upper end threaded,
• (ii) a second lower threaded end,
• (iii) a bore through a portion of the body of each of the upper and lower ends,
• (iv) a flexible metal rope, ends of which are permanently crimped into the openings of the upper and lower bolt ends, to provide the flexibility of the bolts needed in the installation procedure;
• f. while the gate valve is situated adjacent the flowing pipe or device, threading each flexible bolt through two opposite openings in the flange of the ruptured pipe or BOP;
• g. placing pulling pressure on the lower ends of the two flexible bolts to pull the gate valve from a position adjacent the ruptured pipe or BOP to a second position where the gasket of the gate valve mounts against the face of the flange of the ruptured pipe or BOP, while the gate valve is in the open position;
• h. continuing to hold the gate valve in place by the flexible bolts while inserting permanent bolts in the remaining openings of the mated flanges to secure the gate valve permanently in place;
• and
• i. closing the gate valve to stop the flow of oil.

An apparatus of stopping oil from an end of a ruptured pipe or blowout preventer (BOP) situated on the floor of a deep body of water, comprising:

• a. a flange mounted on the end of the ruptured pipe or BOP, if a flange is not already present;
• b. a gate valve, having a highly polished fluid flow bore therethrough, and a flange on its lower end positioned onto the flange on the ruptured pipe or BOP;
• c. a permanently affixed gasket member on the mounting flange of the gate valve to prevent the gasket from being released by pressure of oil flow;
• d. the gate valve positioned to a depth of flowing oil from the ruptured pipe or BOP;
• e. two flexible bolts through opposite openings in the flange of the gate valve, wherein each flexible bolt comprises
• (i) a first solid upper end threaded,
• (ii) a second lower threaded end,
• (iii) a bore through a portion of the body of each of the upper and lower ends,
• (iv) a flexible metal rope, ends of which are permanently crimped into openings of the upper and lower bolt ends, to provide the flexibility of the bolts needed in the installation procedure;
• f. while the gate valve is situated adjacent the flowing pipe or device, each flexible bolt threaded through two opposite openings in the flange of the ruptured pipe or BOP;
• g. means for placing pulling pressure on the lower ends of the two flexible bolts to pull the gate valve from a position adjacent the ruptured pipe or BOP to a second position where the gasket of the gate valve mounts against the face of the flange of the ruptured pipe or BOP, while the gate valve is in the open position;
• h. two latching members mounted onto at least two bolt openings in the valve flange, so that when the valve flange is pulled against the flange of the BOP, a spring-loaded, moveable latch on each latching member engages against the lower face of the BOP flange and secures the valve against the BOP until permanent bolts can be installed;
• i. the gate valve held in place by the latching members while inserting permanent bolts in the remaining openings of the mated flanges to secure the gate valve permanently in place;
• and
• j. the gate valve is closed to stop the flow of oil.