Marine well containment system and method

Abstract

A system and method for rapidly responding to and regaining control of uncontrolled flow from offshore hydrocarbon wells, that includes a subsea containment assembly, optionally including a capture caisson assembly installed around the assembly, riser systems for production of hydrocarbons to capture vessels on the surface of the sea, and modularized subsystems facilitating communication between and fluid flow from the subsea containment assembly through the riser to the capture vessel.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A marine well containment assembly comprising:
 a subsea containment assembly comprising a ram apparatus and a collection and venting apparatus in which the ram apparatus and the collection and venting apparatus operate independently;   the ram apparatus includes a plurality of rams and the collection and venting apparatus includes a plurality of collection and venting outlets;   wherein the subsea containment assembly is configured to connect on top of a blowout preventer and is located in substantially close proximity to the seabed.   
     
     
         2 . The marine well containment assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of rams includes at least two rams. 
     
     
         3 . The marine well containment assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the subsea containment assembly has a mechanical connection to the blowout preventer. 
     
     
         4 . The marine well containment assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the mechanical connection prevents fluids produced by the blowout preventer from escaping. 
     
     
         5 . The marine well containment assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the subsea containment assembly further comprises a plurality of adaptors and connectors. 
     
     
         6 . The marine well containment assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the plurality of adaptors and connectors are capable of interacting with one or more of the following selected from the group consisting of a wellhead, a blowout preventer stack, the lower marine riser package and a casing string. 
     
     
         7 . The marine well containment assembly of  claim 5 , wherein at least one of the plurality of adaptors and connectors is configured to vent fluids, configured to provide a port through which an inhibitor or dispersant may be injected, configured to accommodate at least one subsea gauge, configured to control well backpressure, configured to facilitate a well shut-in or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The marine well containment assembly of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of rams has choke and kill ability. 
     
     
         9 . The marine well containment assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the subsea containment assembly is configured to connect to at least one riser assembly. 
     
     
         10 . The marine well containment assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one riser assembly comprises a vertical pipe riser and a flexible riser. 
     
     
         11 . The marine well containment assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the riser assembly is connected to a capture vessel, and wherein the capture vessel is capable of receiving fluids produced by the blowout preventer, captured by the subsea containment assembly, piped through the riser assembly to the capture vessel or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         12 . A marine well containment assembly comprising:
 a subsea containment assembly comprising a ram apparatus and a collection and venting apparatus in which the ram apparatus and the collection and venting apparatus operate independently;   the ram apparatus includes a plurality of rams and the collection and venting apparatus includes a plurality of collection and venting outlets;   the subsea containment assembly is configured to connect on top of a blowout preventer and is located in substantially close proximity to the seabed;   wherein the subsea containment assembly has a mechanical connection to the blowout preventer and the mechanical connection prevents fluids produced by the blowout preventer from escaping.   
     
     
         13 . A marine well containment assembly comprising:
 a subsea containment assembly comprising a ram apparatus and a collection and venting apparatus in which the ram apparatus and the collection and venting apparatus operate independently;   the ram apparatus includes a plurality of rams and the collection and venting apparatus includes a plurality of collection and venting outlets;   the subsea containment assembly is configured to connect on top of a blowout preventer and is located in substantially close proximity to the seabed;   wherein the subsea containment assembly further comprises a plurality of adaptors and connectors and at least one of the plurality of adaptors and connectors is configured to vent fluids, configured to provide a port through which an inhibitor may be injected, configured to accommodate at least one subsea gauge, configured to control well backpressure, configured to facilitate a well shut-in or a combination thereof.   
     
     
         14 . A method of controlling a well comprising the steps of:
 assembling components of a marine well containment assembly comprising a ram apparatus and a collection and venting apparatus in which the ram apparatus and the collection and venting apparatus operate independently, wherein the ram apparatus includes a plurality of rams and the collection and venting apparatus includes a plurality of collection and venting outlets;   installing the subsea containment assembly on top of a blowout preventer connected to the well to be controlled, wherein the subsea containment assembly is located in substantially close proximity to the seabed, and wherein the subsea containment assembly is configured to be connected to at least one of a riser assembly.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the riser assembly comprises a vertical pipe riser and a flexible riser. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising the step of connecting the riser assembly to a capture vessel, wherein the capture vessel is capable of receiving fluids from the well to be controlled. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising the step of forming a mechanical connection between the subsea containment assembly and the blowout preventer. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the marine well containment assembly prevents fluids produced by the blowout preventer from escaping. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the subsea containment assembly further comprises a plurality of adaptors and connectors. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the plurality of adaptors and connectors are capable of interacting with one or more of the following selected from the group consisting of a wellhead, a blowout preventer stack, the lower marine riser package, and a casing string. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein at least one of the plurality of adaptors and connectors is configured to vent fluids, configured to provide a port through which an inhibitor or a dispersant may be injected, configured to accommodate at least one subsea gauge, configured to control well backpressure, configured to facilitate a well shut-in or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the ram apparatus includes at least two rams. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein each ram has choke and kill ability.