Method and apparatus for containing an undersea oil and/or gas spill caused by a defective blowout preventer (bop)

Abstract

A method and apparatus are described for containing oil and/or gas spewing from a defective blowout preventer (BOP) stack located on an ocean floor. In one scenario, a containment assembly having a hollow wall is lowered below the ocean surface, and positioned on a portion of the ocean floor that circumvents the defective BOP stack. The hollow wall of containment assembly is filled with reinforcement material (e.g., cement). Then, a valve assembly is lowered below the ocean surface and positioned on top of the reinforced containment assembly. The valve assembly has a hollow cavity surrounding at least one large diameter high pressure valve that is maintained in an open position. The hollow cavity of the valve assembly is also filled with reinforcement material (e.g., cement). The large diameter high pressure valve is then closed to contain the oil and/or gas within the reinforced containment assembly.

1 . A method of containing at least one of oil or gas spewing from a defective blowout preventer (BOP) stack located on a floor of an ocean, the method comprising:
 (a) lowering a containment assembly below a surface of the ocean, the containment assembly having a hollow wall;   (b) positioning the containment assembly on a portion of the ocean floor that circumvents the defective BOP stack;   (c) filling the hollow wall of the containment assembly with reinforcement material;   (d) lowering a valve assembly below the ocean surface, the valve assembly having a hollow cavity surrounding at least one large diameter high pressure valve that is maintained in an open position;   (e) positioning the valve assembly on top of the reinforced containment assembly;   (f) filling the hollow cavity of valve assembly with reinforcement material; and   (g) closing the large diameter high pressure valve, wherein the at least one of oil or gas is contained within the reinforced containment assembly.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the reinforcement material is cement. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the valve assembly and the containment assembly each have a cylindrical geometric configuration, and the cylindrical valve assembly has at least the same diameter as the cylindrical containment assembly. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the cylindrical valve assembly comprises at least one seal that is mounted along the entire bottom perimeter of the cylindrical valve assembly. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the cylindrical containment assembly comprises at least one seal that is mounted along the entire top perimeter of the cylindrical containment assembly, and the seals of the cylindrical valve assembly and the cylindrical containment assembly compress together due to the weight of the cylindrical valve assembly after its hollow cavity is filled with the reinforcement material. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the hollow wall of the cylindrical containment assembly comprises an inner wall, an outer wall, an annular rim connected between the bottom of the inner wall and the bottom of the outer wall, and a reinforcement cavity above the annular rim, wherein the annular rim is positioned on the portion of the ocean floor that circumvents the defective BOP stack. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the inner wall, the outer wall and the annular rim are comprised of steel. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the valve assembly comprises at least one heating element for heating the large diameter high pressure valve. 
     
     
         9 . Apparatus for containing at least one of oil or gas spewing from a defective blowout preventer (BOP) stack located on a floor of an ocean, the apparatus comprising:
 a containment assembly having a hollow wall that is filled with reinforcement material after the containment assembly is lowered below a surface of the ocean and positioned on a portion of the ocean floor that circumvents the defective BOP stack; and   a valve assembly having a hollow cavity surrounding at least one large diameter high pressure valve, wherein the hollow cavity of the valve assembly is filled with reinforcement material after the valve assembly is lowered below the ocean surface and positioned on top of the reinforced containment assembly while the large diameter high pressure valve is maintained in an open position, and then the large diameter high pressure valve is closed to contain the at least one of oil or gas within the reinforced containment assembly.   
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein the reinforcement material is cement. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein the valve assembly and the containment assembly each have a cylindrical geometric configuration, and the cylindrical valve assembly has at least the same diameter as the cylindrical containment assembly. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the cylindrical valve assembly comprises at least one seal that is mounted along the entire bottom perimeter of the cylindrical valve assembly. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12  wherein the cylindrical containment assembly comprises at least one seal that is mounted along the entire top perimeter of the cylindrical containment assembly, and the seals of the cylindrical valve assembly and the cylindrical containment assembly compress together due to the weight of the cylindrical valve assembly after its hollow cavity is filled with the reinforcement material. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the hollow wall of the cylindrical containment assembly comprises an inner wall, an outer wall, an annular rim connected between the bottom of the inner wall and the bottom of the outer wall, and a reinforcement cavity above the annular rim, wherein the annular rim is positioned on the portion of the ocean floor that circumvents the defective BOP stack. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14  wherein the inner wall, the outer wall and the annular rim are comprised of steel. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein the valve assembly comprises at least one heating element for heating the large diameter high pressure valve. 
     
     
         17 . A method of containing at least one of oil or gas spewing from a defective blowout preventer (BOP) stack located on a floor of an ocean, the method comprising:
 (a) positioning a containment assembly on a portion of the ocean floor that circumvents the defective BOP stack, the containment assembly having at least one seal and a hollow wall;   (b) filling the hollow wall of the containment assembly with reinforcement material;   (c) positioning a valve assembly on top of the reinforced containment assembly, the valve assembly having at least one seal and a hollow cavity surrounding at least one large diameter high pressure valve that is maintained in an open position;   (d) filling the hollow cavity of the valve assembly with reinforcement material, causing the seals of the reinforced valve assembly and the reinforced containment assembly to compress together; and   (e) closing the large diameter high pressure valve to contain the at least one of oil or gas within the reinforced containment assembly.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  further comprising:
 (f) attaching a riser assembly between the large diameter high pressure valve and a containment vessel on a surface of the ocean; and 
 (g) opening the large diameter high pressure valve to allow the at least one of oil and gas to be stored by the containment vessel. 
 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17  further comprising:
 (f) monitoring pressure of the at least one of oil or gas after the large diameter high pressure valve is closed; and 
 (g) automatically opening the large diameter high pressure valve when the pressure within the reinforced containment assembly reaches or exceeds a predetermined threshold. 
 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the containment assembly has a cylindrical geometric configuration, and the hollow wall comprises an inner wall, an outer wall, an annular rim connected between the bottom of the inner wall and the bottom of the outer wall, and a reinforcement cavity located above the annular rim for containing the reinforcement material. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20  wherein the annular rim is positioned on a portion of the ocean floor that circumvents the defective BOP stack. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the containment assembly further comprises a plurality of mud flaps that are configured to stop the containment assembly from sinking too far below the ocean floor when reinforcement material is added to the hollow wall of the containment assembly, the valve assembly is positioned on top of the reinforced containment assembly, and reinforcement material is added to the hollow cavity of the valve assembly. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22  wherein the mud flaps are located at different heights along the outer wall of the hollow wall of the containment assembly, and may be remotely activated to protrude or retract, or be raised or lowered, to control the depth of the containment assembly as more weight is added on top of it in order to contain the spewing oil and/or gas. 
     
     
         24 . Apparatus for containing at least one of oil or gas spewing from a defective blowout preventer (BOP) stack located on a floor of an ocean, the apparatus comprising:
 a containment assembly having at least one seal and a hollow wall that is filled with reinforcement material after the containment assembly is positioned on a portion of the ocean floor that circumvents the defective BOP stack; and   a valve assembly having at least one seal and a hollow cavity surrounding at least one large diameter high pressure valve that is maintained in an open position, wherein the hollow cavity of the valve assembly is filled with reinforcement material after the valve assembly is positioned on top of the reinforced containment assembly, causing the seals of the reinforced valve assembly and the reinforced containment assembly to compress together, and then the large diameter high pressure valve is closed to contain the at least one of oil or gas within the reinforced containment assembly.   
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of  claim 24  wherein a riser assembly is attached between the large diameter high pressure valve and a containment vessel on a surface of the ocean, and the large diameter high pressure valve is opened to allow the at least one of oil and gas to be stored by the containment vessel. 
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of  claim 24  further comprising:
 a pressure monitoring unit configured to monitor pressure of the at least one of oil or gas after the large diameter high pressure valve is closed, and automatically open the large diameter high pressure valve when the pressure within the reinforced containment assembly reaches or exceeds a predetermined threshold. 
 
     
     
         27 . The apparatus of  claim 24  wherein the containment assembly has a cylindrical geometric configuration, and the hollow wall comprises an inner wall, an outer wall, an annular rim connected between the bottom of the inner wall and the bottom of the outer wall, and a reinforcement cavity located above the annular rim for containing the reinforcement material. 
     
     
         28 . The apparatus of  claim 27  wherein the annular rim is positioned on a portion of the ocean floor that circumvents the defective BOP stack. 
     
     
         29 . The apparatus of  claim 24  wherein the containment assembly further comprises a plurality of mud flaps that are configured to stop the containment assembly from sinking too far below the ocean floor when reinforcement material is added to the hollow wall of the containment assembly, the valve assembly is positioned on top of the reinforced containment assembly, and reinforcement material is added to the hollow cavity of the valve assembly. 
     
     
         30 . The apparatus of  claim 29  wherein the mud flaps are located at different heights along the outer wall of the hollow wall of the containment assembly, and may be remotely activated to protrude or retract, or be raised or lowered, to control the depth of the containment assembly as more weight is added on top of it in order to contain the spewing oil and/or gas.