Oil Spill Suggestions
Here at BP Oil News we’ve gotten almost two thousand suggestions for ways to plug the Gulf oil leak or mitigate the damage from the Gulf oil spill. Here’s a link to some of your oil spill suggestions. And here’s a link to a page with many more oil spill suggestions. Many of the suggestions are contained in comments, but some oil spill suggestions were sent in using our contact form. Because of the volume of suggestions, we would like to request that future suggestions be submitted via comments to this post. And if you have suggestions about how the President should deal with the oil spill, please post your comments under the article “We need a New Deal for the Gulf Coast.”
Here are some oil spill suggestions we’ve already received via the contact form:
Bryan has the following oil spill suggestion:
I would like to discuss with a BP engineer an easy way to stop the oil leak. I am very serious about seeing this leak stopped and all efforts concentrated on clean up and containment. please contact me ASAP.
You can reach by my email or you can contact me via my mobile phone,my number is 321-228-5053.Thank you and I really hope someone contacts me quickly.
Carmen wrote:
I think if you add hard, round, rubber plates to the pipe that is siphoning the oil, starting from a small rubber plate gradually increasing the size till it plugs up the oil spill you can add metal for more support.
Paul has the following suggestion to plug the oil leak:
1) Drill a 1/2 hole on the side of the leaking pipe.
2) Insert an appropriate cable through a ratchet puller & through the drilled hole so that the cable comes out from the 12” leaking hole.
3) Push the cable all the way to the surface if needed, this just to attach an appropriate sized plumb-bob shaped stopper from the tip.
4) Pull back the cable from the ratchet side, eventually cable will guide the plumb-bob to the pipe’s mouth & the ratchet will prevent the gushing oil from pushing plumb-bob out.
5) The 12″ hole will practically be seal completely, a minor oil leak might be present from the 1/2″ hole but it should be negligible.
Thanks, if you require any further clarifications just email.
Our oil spill suggestion box got this suggestion from Gary:
Could you not use a vacuum system and vacuum it to the top and then have a separator for the oil and water?
Duane made the following suggestion for dealing with the oil spill:
I’ve been thinking as I know all of you are also. Just an idea. If you can put a tube in the pipe is there a way you can direct a bell shape steal cone with a cable going through the middle with a lead or steal ball attached to the cable and the bell above it. Lower the ball and bell shape into the casing when it is place pull the cable up at high speed an the ball will flare out the bell to the side of the casing .
If you need any more descriptions e-mail me. I would be glad to answer or explain this .
Wayne had the following oil spill suggestion:
Drill a parallel well fairly close to the leaking oil well to a depth of 500–1000ft. Stop drilling in close proximity to the leaking well’s casing.
Using knowledge of the geology of rock and explosives, destroy the well casing and block the flow with debris. The upward flow of oil will help to fill cavities with debris.
At sufficient depth, the present wellhead and ocean floor would not be disturbed. If this does not stop the oil flow rate, it should slow it down to be more manageable.
Wayne Durst
860-974-2301
A professional engineer named Bob shared the following suggestion to plug the oil leak:
API pipe is ductile and is made to be crimped. If you can get a hydraulic crimper down to the pipe, you could crimp it off. Its done every day on land with smaller diameter pipes.
Michael submitted the following oil spill suggestion:
DRILL / BLAST / SEAL
1) drill down below sea floor such that end of drill is close to the existing pipe that is leaking. Through the new pipe pass down explosive.
2) before setting off blast, pre-drill several ‘sealant’ pipes to within 100 ft of the blast point, such that they can complete drilling quickly after the blast.
3) set off initial explosive pipe to fracture the oil-leaking pipe and the rock around it.
4) ASAP complete drilling sealant pipes getting them around the blast zone.
5) through sealant pipes pump under high pressure a combination of quick-setting foam / concrete or other material that will fill the cracks and leaks around the fractured oil pipe.
Charles submitted the following suggestion which, he says, was submitted to the joint response task force:
This was submitted to the joint oil spill response task force on Friday may 21 2010:
Brief description of technology (200 words or less) Please stop thinking of harnessing or stopping the pressure of the spewing oil and gas mixture. Let the pressure and flow assist you in the recovery of the oil and gas by directing its flow to the surface where recovery is simply a matter of pumping to waiting tankers, barges, and bladders. We have all seen these collapsible tubes/tunnels children crawl through or dogs run through in agility contests. They can be made to any length and nearly any diameter desired. The one I envision will be about five feet diameter, made of marine grade canvas or sailcloth, it could have an internal continual spiral of steel (similar to what is used as rebar in concrete columns) intermittently attached to cables which will be used to lower it into place over the leak in the riser pipe. I think the internal spiral is unnecessary.
You apparently have three or more leaks so three or more will need to be constructed and deployed. Your pipe insertion method while useful to some extent is still not recovering anywhere near a majority of the spill let alone all of it as the method I proposed will. The bottom can be weighted with rubberized blasting mats.
Material list (100 words or less)
For each tube/tunnel you will need
-One (1)- 5280 foot long five foot diameter marine canvas or sailcloth tube
-Five (5) – 5,500 foot long steel cable 3/4″ to 1″ diameter
-Hundreds of connectors to keep the tube together down its length.
-Weighted flexible collar for the bottom of the tube so it sort of seals itself around the riser
Optional
-Six to Eight (6-8) miles of spiral (4’10″ diameter) formed 1/2″ to 3/4″ rebar joined at intervals (only necessary of the tube/tunnel collapses, I don’t think that will be a problem once this is put in place the tube will “fill itself”)
Equipment (100 words or less)
Sewing machines to make the canvas/sailcloth tube and attach rings at intervals for the cable to pass through.
Winches to let down the cable and tube.
Ships to deploy this apparatus.
Tankers for recovering the gas and oil.
Separator Pumps to recover the gas and oil as it comes to the surface.
The amazing robots to direct and place the open end of the tube above the leak.
Expertise Required (100 words or less)
Mine of course, call me, seriously though all kidding aside I think if you are reading this idea please get it to someone who can make it happen. Somebody with an open mind who can visualize and accept that sometimes the simplest solutions are really the best.
Finally, we’ll quote President Obama’s reported suggestion: “Plug the damn hole.”
We appreciate all the suggestions. Our oil spill suggestion box remains open. If you have a suggestion to plug the oil leak or limit the oil spill damage, please submit it as a comment to this post.
Update June 8, 2010: The official Deepwater Horizon response website has made an online form available for oil spill suggestions.
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Reharsh a submarine to house a enclosure
capture device and sail it on down job done
Why are they trying to cap this well loosely from the outside? This all wrong.
Inserting a tapered open pipe inside the well until it is wedged in place. At the end of the pipe is an opened valve to allow pressure to stream through while the pipe is welded in place using their robots for something besides holding a camera. Then close the valve.
Or. Insert a bladder 50 feet into the well and pump it with an expanding polymeruntil it is sealed off.
Shut it off and stop trying to capture the gushing oil with a giant garbage can with a hose on it.
They need to drop HUGE CONCRETE DONUTS around the pipe,then HUGE CONCRETE CAPS on top of the donuts..
Even if doesnt seal completely,it will slow it down..
(The DONUTS can have steel valve “tap offs” that could be used later to reduce pressure,extract oil,etc.)
David Ferrero
Pittsburgh Pa
PS No more drilling should be allowed,until this leak is fixed!
If another well leaks,it means DOOM!! Not only that,a company has no right drilling if it can’t fix it’s own leak!!
The answer is simple— It is all about pneumatics, pneumatics can operate at any pressure. One mile below sea level or 10 miles. The exact diameter of the pipe is known, the exact specs on the fitting are known.
This is not rocket science, Take a fitting that has a slightly larger pipe attached and a shut off valve. Remove the bolts holding the broken pipe with Pneumatic wrenches operated by Mechanical arms. Using cables through the bolt holes the new pipe with the shutoff valve is pulled down in place by Pneumatic winches. Once the new fitting with shutoff valve is in place, replace one cable with a new bolt and nut using Pneumatic wrench. Once the new valve is securely tightened, turn off the VALVE AND STOP THE LEAK.
Anyone that tells You it cannot be done is lying, Plain and simple. Give me the hardware and I could shut this leak down in three days.
Dear Cowboy,
It is a interesting idea you have. The big problem is not the lack of ideas such as your idea but the lack of materials. You will have to bring in all your own supplies 300 miles offshore. BP is the only group at the broken oil well site. I thought about it to. This and many other ideas do have to be tested. Let’s say your idea would work. (I think it would work.) Every piece of equiment BP has, you can borrow that same piece of equiment on the open market. You will not get any help from BP. Let’s call this Operation Pandora. Operation Pandora mission is to remove the old broken metal pipe, get a clean hook up with a new value. You will need a floating deck (A Barge.) you and your team can stand on. You will have to have a fence set up on the Barge’s Edges to keep from falling off. You will need a portable mobile office to control your ROVs underwater. You will need an electric generator with a huge tank of gasoline for fuel. You will need soap, hot water and etc. for cleaning the ROVs from the crude oil. All your equiment you need can be borrow and/or pay by donations. You will need a a team of ROVs will go down one mile also known as 5,000 feet. You cut the pipe, put on the new value and seal it. It would take me a lot of pages written by me on how to pull off an operation like this from start to finish. I help people make plans, get what they need, get it send to the right location and etc. If you need and/or want my help. You can contact me by using by email at bendallf@gmail.com . Thank for your time.
Nate
My idea is to cut a sphere tank in half. Weld on some #300 12” flanges and install 4 – 12” butterfly valves with ball and socket or cam and groove 12’ hose connections to allow the oil to rise to the surface via either Buna-n Tank S & D hose or chem resist spiral S & D hose. Support the hose using buoyancy pontoons to keep the hoses vertical. The oil could be captured on a tanker without the oil leaking into the Gulf waters.
A sphere tank (usually used to store Butane gas at refineries) is about 100’ in diameter so half of a ball would make it 50’ at the top. The butterfly valves and ROV’s could guide the dome over the leaking pipe and the oil having a lower specific gravity would come up and out of the 12” hoses.
Use ROV’s or hydraulic or pneu/draulic double acting butterfly value operators to slowly let water out so dome remains upright. (a drawing is available at the attached email address)
As soon as the dome and hoses are lowered down the oil will begin to flow (ie: no more leak).
This idea is simple and easy. That is why it will work.
Just replug the holes by stufffing the holes with the sand its a temporary fix, but the sand should clog up the hole until you can find a better way to plug it just stuff the hole, the sand will absorb and swell.
First put a big ring around the top of the pipe ( to prevent spreading of pipe at top)
Secondly, cut down a big pine tree of sufficient diameter and length (80′ +-) and taper it to about a six inch point at the small end .
Third step- attach a steel platform at the top to hold lots of weight
Next, lower the small point end down into the pipe using whatever weights necessary.
The tree being slightly larger than the pipe at the top end will act as a cork in a bottle and seal off oil.
Cork/tree can be removed at a later date for future oil recovery.
Should be able to perform the whole operation in 4 to 5 days.
Construct a small box shaped object shaped to place over the existing pipe and leak over the ea bed. The oil is still flowing during the operation. The block must have an exit for the oil to flow, and there must also be a hole to place the foam and glue mixture.
Before lowering the object, attach a large bundle of strong netting wire to the inside walls of the object. Place more large bundles of wire netting inside the object. This is to catch the foam and glue mixture to start the blocking process.
Then lower the object over the pipe and escaping oil. The oil is still flowing out at this stage.
Slowly attach the nozzle to the prepared hole, and slowly at first allow the foam to catch on the netting then very quickly squirt the foam sealant mixture inside the object. If possible, place a heavy block on the escaping oil exit and keep the sealant moving into the object at high speed.
Hopefully, this may contain the leak and seal the escape route.
My suggestion/question is can we use the same same bio-degradable dishwashing detergent (Dawn) and the ingredient used in baby no tear body soap (Johnson & Johnson) and apply it to on the coastline of the four states already effected with the oil? Would this prevent the oil from coming to the coastline and maybe isolating it to a small concentrate area for clean up and will be produce to harm to animal and the environment.
why dont you put a big cylinder on the sea floor to go around the leak and then siphon oil from cylinder to a ship
exactly! the cylinder idea is so simple and makes sense
Build a collar to attach to the top of the Blowout preventer . Its meant to grab around the top of the existing flange on the BP top. Hinged at one side. serious threaded bolt(s) on other side that one of the ROV’s can tighten after deployment. medium/hard serious pressure withstandent rubber collar placed on inside of collar – one or probably both opposite sides open. (Large – but probably two sided- version of marine deck fitting ‘Deep Sea Cable Clamp’) This completes the connection to the BP top.
Build on top of this a cylinder similar to existing LMRP, with similar anti-freezing technique. BUT build the top of several/2/4 ‘leafs’ that will close after connection to the BP below; forming a solid pressure resistant cone on the top of the cylinder. Gasket the edges to seal the leaves to each other when closed, again in a high pressure resistant fashion. In this way the existing gusher will continue to gush thru the top of the cap while being deployed, allowing clear vision of the tightening of the clamp below. Build a closing mechanism that forces the leaves closed around an oil exit hole/pipe that an ROV can close – perhaps from a distance of a meter in oil blurred water.
Attached to the top of this cylinder and held in position probably by a number of steel rods – that the ‘leaves’ close upon for support at closure – is a large exit pipe – that creates manageable pressure buildup – with a serious valve mechanism on it that can actually close the flow completely if desired – or contine oil collection to the surface.
*(Question – once the clamp is on top of the existing non-functional BP, could ANOTHER functional BP be attached to replace the LMRP mechanism?)
I think a system of stopping the flow or diverting it to a non surface vessel container for the multi-day duration of a hurricane is essential to minimize pollution while a surface vessel can no longer remain on site. A huge bladder hung below the surface on serious buoys that takes the oil flow for 2 to 5 days ? But then if the above works – just turn off the LMRP top valve or trigger a new BP to close!
- Art
Why can’t they insert a long tube that resembles a foley catheter into the pipe and blow up the balloon around the tube to fit the inside walls of the pipe. The oil should flow up through the tube into the place of collection.
Here is one idea from an ex naval architect. Fabricate a bell shaped structure of 1″ mild steel to lower over the entire remaining structure on the seabed. The bell should be like an inverted U. Have girders welded to the outside of the bell that can link up to a heavy duty vibrator lowered alongside ( or already joined together above sea level). Vibrate the bell down into the seabed until a complete seal is made.
You can always have pipe fittings ready to take off oil at the top of the bell…
Good luck with all your work
SO SIMPLE!!!!
The general answer to the oil leak is so simple: to do anything to block or make the riser pipe opening small enough that “junk shot” will work. Pinch, jam, weld or bolt plates or cap, cover with an industrial grade fine mesh wire screen or rebar, drop and secure a block of lead, or any of the other ideas people have sent. Then BP can take their time finding the long-term solution. Stopping the oil flow is number one. Freeden
Construct a (Baloon like) Elastic structure around the existing Leak.
Allow the structure to fill with Oil (Oil Contained in the structure). Attach as many discharge lines as needed to the discharge of the structure to remove the oil in a controlled manner to surfice tankers.
I have used cattails to soak up the oil in my fishbait for years. I put some oil in a pond and threw cattails in. By the time the wind blew them to the other side of the pond, all of the oil was soaked up. It was easy to just scoop them up. They grow everywhere in the south and are free for the picking. They are non-toxic, so they don’t hurt fish or wildlife.
Solve the Gulf oil spill;
I admit this will work to solve the oil leaking from the sea floor, don’t forget to credit me if this technique was used.
OK, the unit must be extremely heavy and shaped like a funnel with its edge just wider than the size of the oil leak entrance. Just flip the funnel shaped unit upside-down over the oil leak hold, the rest is easy connecting the smaller end to a pipe for pumping.
The oil will always flow upwards so it will not spill out to the bottom, i sat down and think out this very carefully and it will work.
By Rennie Peters
Trinidad and Tobago
In order to help clean up the oil spill, you could take strechy elastic cloth sew a bunch of cloth to each other get twoo boats (each holding one end of the cloth ) and send them through the water so the water will go through the cloth but the oil will stay on the cloth
Make a giant funnel out of heavy metal about a foot. Put it as close as possible to the leak. This will capture most of it; then the part that it doesn’t capture will not have very much pressure so you can slip someting around the non-pressure things.
Possible way to slow oil damage until well is capped:
Rather than burning surface oil, it might be possible to burn off oil as it gushes from the well. Oil might burn even underwater with heat source (as used in underwater welding) and oxygen source (pump compessed air and/or oxygen into oil at point where it gushes from the well.
More thoughts about my suggestion to burn oil underwater:
Not sure what effect products of combustion in water might have on local flora/fauna, but local damage may be better than oil washing into estuaries and wetlands.
When well is to be finally capped, the fire should extinguish when deprived of sources of heat and oxygen.
This may sound crazy but here goes: The pressure is obviously too much for regular practices or ideas of capping. Until recently I thought it was a huge 3′ pipe that was leaking; regardless, my idea is this: Invert a water tower (yeah, the kind that you see when you enter a city). I know it would have to be assembled on site but the pieces should be readily available from water tower companies, the weight of it should counter the wave action of the ocean and the pipes should be big enough to handle the pressure that seems to blow everything else. The height of most towers is 200-300 feet. Inverted with the top half not attached, it should measure around 150 feet or higher and that might give enough pressure release to attach a vacuum system to the top of the piping to handle the oil. Good luck and blessings!
Kathleen Guillot, Jesup, Ga
Destroy and crush the remainder of the pipe by lowering a many-ton block of metal onto the point where the pipe meets the ocean floor.
Hay I have been watching this and just can’t believe that the first idea was the best idea and was abandoned so quickly. The Drop Box or whatever term you gave it was working by the images but you guys made one mistake with the underwater buoyancy being too much plus the pressure from the well would definitely keep the box from being able to set on the ground, that is because the top of the box should have been cut off…and actually needs to be cut off, this allows the pressure to just pass through the box as the box is placed on the floor. Then few mountable tops could have been secured to top of the box.
A few of the ideas for the tops are 1 the best but probably most difficult is a giant Ball Valve preinstalled in the open position. OR Multiple ball valves preinstalled on top of the box can work too but, the multiple ball valves may also be prone for freezing elements. A Gate valve type of door would be a second best idea. Then these valves can be mechanically closed after the box is secured to the sea floor. This allows for pressure to pass through the box as it is set instead of forcing the box up.
The third idea for the top is to us a pivot hinge similar to one on a cell phone (like the Msung U470 Juke Cell Phone is the same type of swinging phone with dowel pin pivoting hinge) I was thinking of a different swing type cell phone that was designed for kids that likes to wear chains could not find the name. The pivot hinge is a round tube mounted a top corner of the box (size needs to be specked for the temp, Pressures, and other conditions) the top would also have an extension on the corresponding corner with a hole of equal diameter. Then you place a dowel pin through the top and all the way through the tube at the corner (do not try to install over the oil leak but over the sea floor away from the leak. Then use something such as a cotter pin type lock or something like a threaded cap to keep the pin from being pulled out. Once that is secured then the top can be swung over the top of the box until completely covered. (leakage at the top to be expected) there also needs to be either predrilled and threaded holes or some type of top latches that can be mounted at the top and sides of the box which can then be tightened to secure the top stopping the leak. However a one pin pivot cap may be to week to handle the forces of the oil while trying swing the top closed. Thus a two door or three door pivot system may support higher pressures. (two door system is easy just one pivot at opposite corners and two half doors, the doors should meet with T&G or Plainer type joints, the three door type would be two pivots on one side with quarter tops and one pivot on the other with a half top, the half top needs to be secured first since the small tops can handle more pressure. A last idea to the single or double pivot top is to mount arc guides for the top at the opposite side of the pivot tube on the box. The arc guides will still allow the top to swing closed while at the same time keep the top from trying to push upward to far which may bend or damage the dowel while the door is being closed. These arc guides can be as simple as L or ? shaped straps every so many inches to allow for the swinging arc of the top, or make an true arc guide which is the best and strongest idea… simple rough drafts can be drawn up to get on the engineering table which can be designed to correct sizes and strengths in a fairly short amount of time…
Construct large heavy metal rings that have a lip and groove so that they can be fitted together lying flat and will lock by gravity. Construct them in larger to smaller circumfrences so that when stacked one upon the other, the neck aperture becomes smaller like an upside down funnel. Each ring can be moved through and dropped into place around the spewing leak and the first fastened to the bottom. Each ring can be further locked to the next by an external mechanisam. When enough rings have been dropped and fitted to sufficiently build up and raise the height of the mouth formed by the top ring, a tube can then be moved into place and locked down to cover the opening formed by the top ring and the oil can be directed to storage.
My Idea in a 3d annamation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2aqnqE7yXk
Weld steel pipes together vertically in a cone or bell shape leaving pipes open on both ends so that the oil can flow through the pipes while it is being lowered over the gushing pipe. Once the pipes are in place and the oil is flowing through the pipes another pipe would be positioned over the center core of pipes and locked into place. This pipe would carry the oil to the surface and captured in oil tankers. The pipes surrounding the center core of pipes would gradually be plugged off which would increase the flow of oil to the center allowing the rest of the oil to go only through the center core of pipes thus capturing a big percentage of the oil. What do you think engineers
There is obviously alot of force involved in the spewing discharge from the pipe so any solution needs to consider this. A ring could be placed over the spewing discharge if it was lowered from higher elevation and brought down: similaryly a short spool piece of pipe larger in diameter than well casing pipe could be provided. A spool piece of pipe of larger diameter could easily be placed over the spewing discharge from the pipe. The spool piece should be Ten or Twenty feet or so and have a isolation valve at the top which is open. The bottom of the pipe spool piece should include a a rubber donut hydraulic boot on its end so that when inflated, it will close the annular space and make a seal between the damaged well casing pipe and the spool piece. Some vertical guide bars could facilitate this donut to position correctly for this operation. From the sides of the spool piece pipe, several other smaller pipes should tee off with valves and can be directed up to the recovery ship. So the operation would be as follows:
1. lower the spool piece down over the damaged pipe. top valve is open, side tee pipe valves are shut.
2. Direct hydraulic fluid into the rubber donut bladder to close the annular space between the spool piece and the damaged well casing pipe.
3. Open the valves on the sides of the spool piece to direct flow up through hose(s) or flexible pipe(s) to the recovery ship while simultaneously shutting the top valve. Include several vents with valves on the spool piece pipe as well to accomodate for the pressure in this transition.
4. Top Recovery ship should also take a suction on these hoses or flexible pipes that are teed off the spool piece with a pump. Oil recovered can be separated from seawater with settling/floating option, or oil/water centrifigal separators.
Feel free to reply if you need more help. I would be happy to assist, really!
I am a registered PE specializing in hydraulics.
My idea for this is to lower a pipe all the way into the oil cavity. This pipe has inside it a large deflated elastic vessel. Once into the oil cavity, the vessel would be inflated and the whole assembly would be pulled back up as far as it will go, blocking the bore hole from the inside.
Of course, this has several technical difficulties: How large a pipe can be lowered given the smallest size of pipe at the bottom of the well? What obstructions are in the way? Is there an elastic material that is sturdy enough to hold that much pressure and how would it be attached to the inside of the pipe its lowered in? And can we even generate enough PSI to blow up the vessel once it has been lowered?
While this is not a permanent solution, I believe that if the above questions can be overcome it would at least put the problem of containment on the surface and buy time to drill the relief well.
Sirs
I had expected the oil spill to be contained before now. I am disappointed that some of the fix’s given above are not more sophisticated.
My Suggestion as follows:>
This is a mechanical stop using your standard operations and materials.
A sketch can be provided if necessary.
Produce a split collar around the pipe in the form of a spool.
The collar should have much material removed around the centre/middle to ensure concrete contact with the 12″ oil pipe. The flanges alone with captive bolting in effect holding the spool ends in place. A temp hinge to one flange may facilitate assembly.
This spool along with the end of an oversized pipe on the outer and the oil pipe inner, will form a cylindrical housing into which concrete is poured.
Flanges on the inside to mate with the spool ends will anchor the pipe in the concrete.
Oversize pipe will pass over any distorted steel oil pipe end.
Guiding for assembly is required.
The oversized pipe will have a vent whose area is 2 – 3 times the cross sectional area of the oil pipe. This vent, designed to sit uppermost.
A baffle/bulkhead in the upper side, about half way along the oversize pipe will help direct the oil through the escape aperture. This action will tend to draw water through from the cylindrically, formed chamber.
Any scouring required in the chamber should enter from the outer end of the spool.
When the poured concrete hardens close the aperture, SLOWLY.
But you knew that already.
Note: the spool length and the oversize pipe dia ensure concrete bulk. The concrete is in compression or shear.
From the photographs the oil pressure is not extreeme. If extreme pressures are anticipated then Hilti type fasteners through the sleeve to the oil pipe could be an option.
Good luck from Ireland and the UK
Jason Mills
Has the flow of oil/gas been flowing at the same rate as it is now or before the accident. If there is more flow now, is it then possibly that there may be a well lower in this oil/gas cavity taking in gulf water creating more pressure.
If this is possible, then any open wells drilled by BP and others to this cavity of oil/gas can be a source of more spillage. That would be like needle in a hay stack. Does a normal well flow by oil/gas pressure or has to be pumped from these wells. Both I assume!
Frank J Maas
why not try, putting a smaller pipe inside the pipe., instead of over it
My location is Bridlington East Yorkshire. Offshore we have some empty oil/gas fields they are hoping to use for ‘carbon capture’ to supposedly clean up our coal-fired power-stations on the rivers Trent and Ouse. I wonder if there are any empty Gulf of Mexico oil fields which the filth coming from the rogue well could be pumped into? Could both oil and contaminated water be thus disposed of? It seems clear to me that disposal is crucial as a form of damage limitation.
I have an idea that might help. Get tons of old scrap metal to weigh down a very large (hot air type, but most likely you will need a much larger size) balloon that will trap oil, but let water flow through it easy enough. The oil will build up and get trapped in this very large balloon, but there would also be a large hose at the top of this balloon that gets smaller as you near the end of it so as to relieve some pressure. That will be where all of that oil will come out and be able to be put into a large oil ship/barge. Sounds simple enough, but you will need a whole lot of scrap metal to hold this thing down without tearing it. Maybe a few layers would help? Plus, when it’s all said and done, this scrap metal will be able to be left at the bottom of the Gulf for sea life to make homes out of it! God willing, I hope this helps!!!
Why is it that there is no mention of a platform or gantry having been constructed alongside/around/across the rouge well head. I hear mention of ROVs, but surely by now a solid platform with hydraulic equipment attached has been installed nearby to provide a stable base for attempting some of the plethora of ideas put forward. I envisage the platform to have multiple video links, with by now, a high-speed data link cable to dry land. (Independant of weather) The platform would have been lowered with equipment attached and secured to the ocean bed with screw anchors.
PLEASE tell me that this has been done, it should have been stage one.
First lower a double walled semi-sphere of steel and concrete over the broken pipe end. The sphere would likely have to be 50′+ in diameter. Through the upper section of the structure would be a number of steel pipes spanning the width of the double walls. On the exterior of each pipe would be a valve, all but one valve would be left open when the structure is lowered. Once the semi-sphere is in place the space between the walls, likely needing to be 3-4′+ wide, will be filled with concrete. Access holes in the upper exterior section could be left for this purpose. Once the concrete filling is complete, a section of pipe could be remotely attached to the closed valve with the other end secured to a pumping appartus. Once connected the valve could be opened and the unit would begin extracting some quantity of oil/water. A second valve would then be closed and the procedure for connecting the pipe/pump system would be repeated. This would continue until all the pipes were connected. If the structure were of sufficient weight it is possible that the oil pressure would eliminate any water from the space and the oil would be relatively pure.
A plumb bob shaped plug should be lowered onto the wellhead. The estimated pressure of the oil discharge is 10,000 psi. The pipe is 9” in diameter or ~64 square inches. That gives is a total estimated pressure of ~640,000 lbs at the well head. Iron has a weight of 450 to 470 lbs per cubic foot. A tapered iron shaft (shaped like a plumb bob) 13 inches in diameter at its’ top and 36 feet long has a weight of ~716,000 lbs, using 450 lbs/cubic foot.
This could be lowered by a derrick onto the well head and guided into place by the robot submarines. If an available derrick cannot handle the weight of the plug and the 1 mile distance, oil filled bladders can be utilized in the lowering process to reduce the effective weight during the lowering.
The plug should be coated in lead to act a lubricant/seal once in place.
Hi BP and all “responsible” people out there.
Just read the solution with a diagram, explaining how to temporary solve this problem and save the world and the oil. I have more details for any scenario of the shape of cut of the leaking pipe . Good luck
Hi again,
sorry the link did not appear above, so here it is:
http://oil-spill-special.wikispaces.com/
Hope someone responsible reads and does something. Good luck
Shame on the American Gov They should have taken control from the begining kick BP off site it is never too late all costs to BP
The rubber ring you put on to close the flow, needed an added metal collar over or around it to clamp it down tight, to stop any back flow. otherwise the idea looked good. You could add a shut off valve to it, if it was tight enough.
I pray that the Lord will give you the wisdom needed to save your company, for the wisdom of God is always in the spirit, and there is no problem that is to big for him. Try Him and see.?
This is about clean-up. Rather than paying people by the hour and dealing with all the administration of that, make the spilled oil a commodity. Pay people for it by the pound. In this way, BP pays only for the oil they spilled and it will effect a good clean-up. The shrimpers and oystermen who cannot prove their loss of livelyhood because it is a largely cash business can use their boats to capture oil still in the water instead of fishing. Out of work people will come from other areas and that will shore up the local businesses.
A good ideal is to run 6″ tubing down to the bottom of the well use a snubbing shoe (a pressure control ball and seat) at the bottom of the 6″ tubing, pump heavy mud down the 6″ tubing, while choking off the vents to a safe pressure, by the time you get mud returns the well should be dead!
Another ideal is to run 8″ tubing down to the bottom of the well, hook up the 8″ tubing up th the barge, run 6″ tubing to a vent and start pumping heavy mud down the casing ( back scuttle ), the weight of the tubing should keep the 8″ from lifting out of the well, by the time you get mud returns choke off the 8″and pump the mud to TD put a cement cap on the well, drill the two relief well and later come back in and do a proper abandonment!!
Plug the well with a sealant which expands on contact with water, such as Expandable Zonal Inflow Profiler (Ezip), before capping it. It works on leaky pipes in the oil industry and a large quantity should be easily available.
Rather than fighting the pressure and trying to plug the leak. Is it possible to run a pipeline from a tank to that area and connect that line to the leaking line with a piece of hose? It looks like a piece of hose would go far enough past that flange to be able to clamp it. It would at least redirect the oil until it could be stopped.
Why dont you airbag it. Ship salvage companies for many of years have used long huge airbags to lift and roll ships that come a shore back into the oceans. I am sure there is a airbag long enough and big enough and durable enough for this well laying in someones warehouse.If not i do not think Goodyear would mind making you one. Slide one down the hole and inflate it so it seals the well up until you can get the other well drilled and that one capped.
Here is a way that I think will stop the oil spill. How about having a company the specialize in steal or metal to make a container that goes over the top of the pipes to keep the oil from coming out.
- The container should cover the top of the the pipe in length, height it should go halfway down the pipe and it should also have a sticky inside surface that can stand up to water and oil that will keep the oil from running out…. Basically what I am saying make a cap
problem:
broken pipe, under water, 75 ton pressure, not much pipe to work on threading etc.
solution needs to overcome the problems to present ability to cap said pipe.
suggestion is to invent extention method that involves no threading, and can be done while
pressured fluid is still leaking from pipe. also is desired the ability to absorb the
cappings build up when capping takes place so as to not rupture elsewhere in the pipe (tho
i dont think capping it would increase any pressure at all i can also show how to implement
an absorbtion system in my suggestion.
overall presentation of the idea:
a set of 3 slotted pipes of progressive size (one fits inside another both fit inside the
third) slotted in such a way that if the center one is turned a quarter turn it seals the
walls to form one pipe wall made of the three pipes.
to mount this would be placeing the first pipe onto the broken one, an a ram (hollow so as
to be able to be used to flare the broken pipe inside the inner slotted pipe, a seal agent
needs to be also placed in so when the flare is made a seal can be made with the pipes.
once flared the other 2 pipes are installed the center of these pipes should be geared so
that it can be driven with a gear to rotate so as to seal the walls of the 3pipe.
the top of this 3pipe’s outer pipe will be threaded already and mount it with a cap that
has some method of driving the gearing of the center pipe to seal the walls of this 3pipe.
useing this method of adding the 3pipe extention should allow you to work at the high
pressure of and offer ability to further the idea to add in any relief mechanisms past this
extention.
things to consider:
slot size versus oil flow rate versus the viscious pressure. even with this slotted pipe
will still be some pressure related holdups, but not as much as trying to put a full pipe
on.
but the sloted pipe will be weak if the slots are too long of a strech 2 4 foot slots are
stronger than 1 8 foot slot.
also the solution should be temoporary.
i have a simple idea that works. i emailed it to cnn but they prolly never read it.
cut the leaking pipe. make this big steel ball with 1 hole in bottom two on top offset to each side. the top two holes have hydrolic gates on then keep one open one closed. put the bottom hole on the pipe and weld it(if cant weld need a hydrolic clamp. now pipe the top hole that is close up to the oil rig and then close the open top hole and open the piped in one
laters joe
electro magnetize the broken pipe and lower thousands of small ball bearings in a suitably strong and large fine mesh bag. The ball bearings will soon corrode and make a seal over end of pipe!…or somehow magnetize the ball bearings as they are lowered over the steel pipe..
An industrial tire baler could be used to construct tire bails that are slightly smaller than the broken pipe opening. Tire bails could be lowered to depth and driven down into the pipe at which point the bailing wire could be cut allowing the tire bails to expand and considerably reduce the flow to a manageable level. Stacking multiple tire bails would likely stop the leak completely or allow for alternative methods to cap the pipe more permanently. Commercially available tire balers are available from:
http://www.eagle-equipment.com/balers.html
although it would likely be necessary to design a custom tire baler.
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