Emergency disaster temporary rapid deployment oil spill reclamation pyramid or pyramid with chute and flotation collar

Abstract

The Emergency Disaster Temporary Rapid Deployment Oil Spill Reclamation Pyramid and Pyramid with Chute and Flotation Collar is a totally new concept to the offshore oil industry. Nothing of this unique, new concept has ever been conceived, manufactured or deployed in the history of the offshore oil drilling industry. It is a revolutionary concept that will have a dramatic impact on the problems with the environment, the fish and wildlife, the local and national economy, and the health and welfare of the citizens of the United States from the time of this application into the future. The Emergency Disaster Temporary Rapid Deployment Oil Spill Reclamation Pyramid and Pyramid with Chute and Flotation Collar is a conceptual method of arresting the oil from an off-shore oil spill such as the DEEPWATER HORIZON. It is a containment vessel which when deployed at an off-shore oil spill contains the oil at the site and allows the oil to be suctioned off or float naturally and unrestricted to the top of the pyramid as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, or to the surface as shown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7. The oil can then be reclaimed by pumping the oil from the reservoir provided by the pyramid or pyramid with chute and flotation collar into an oil reclamation tanker.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/343,937 filed May 6, 2010 and also U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/396,783 filed Jun. 3, 2010.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING

Not applicable.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

The Emergency Disaster Temporary Rapid Deployment Oil Spill Reclamation Pyramid or Pyramid with Chute and Flotation Collar is intended for use by the offshore oil drilling industry. As its full name implies, it is intended for use when either by accident or mechanical failure an oil spill occurs beneath the surface of the water. If the spill is at such depth and magnitude that the leak cannot be rapidly repaired or stopped using conventional tried and true methods, one of the temporary structures described herein become necessary.

The Emergency Disaster Temporary Rapid Deployment Oil Spill Pyramid or Pyramid with Chute and Flotation Collar is not intended as a permanent answer to such disasters but is intended for use until a more permanent solution to the disaster can be provided.

Who can forget the DEEPWATER HORIZON disaster that occurred on Apr. 20, 2010? This explosion and subsequent oil spill was located 45 miles south of the mouth of the Mississippi River in the Gulf of Mexico. This horrendous spill impacted not only the Gulf of Mexico but all of the beaches and estuaries along the Gulf from Texas to Florida. Fish and wildlife were killed, beaches, shoreline and estuaries were devastated, the tourism trade was reduced to near nothing, and the local economies were severely compromised. The overall effect of this oil spill will be felt along the Gulf coast for decades. If this temporary structure had been built and warehoused before this disaster occurred, it could have been deployed within 48 hours of the initial explosion and the vast impact of this spill to the environment, wildlife, local and national economy, and health and welfare of the local residents could have been substantially minimized. The DEEPWATER HORIZON spill cost the local residents, the local, state and federal governments, the insurance companies involved, and BP billions of dollars. This horrific waste could have been substantially eliminated, if either the pyramid as shown in FIG. 3 or the pyramid with chute and collar as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 had been prefabricated, stored, and ready for rapid deployment.

It is my conclusion that these structures could be pre-constructed in a variety of sizes for use in water depths ranging from 100 feet to 5000 feet (or greater) and stored for rapid deployment to spill sites anywhere in the United States or any other country in the world. It is obvious that the nearer the pyramid is stored to the spill site, the more rapidly it could be deployed. The light weight and easily foldable materials used lend to rapid transportation by airplane, truck, or ship.

This structure addresses the containment of oil spills at the location of the spill long before the deployment of miles and miles of useless oil containment booms are needed. This after-the-fact containment has proven useless in large bodies of water subject to rough sea conditions due to wind and weather as experienced along the Gulf.

It has become apparent that the offshore oil industry as a whole has not prepared for a disaster the magnitude of the DEEPWATER HORIZON spill. As of the time of this application, I have not heard of any changes to the preparedness of the oil industry since last summer's disaster. An emergency disaster plan for any future oil spills in the Gulf or any other offshore oil field in the world is a must. This is the answer!

On Jan. 26, 1969, a major oil spill disaster occurred near Santa Barbara, Calif. A Union Oil Company deepwater well blew out and began leaking oil into the Pacific Ocean not far offshore. Although, this spill only amounted to some 200,000 barrels of crude and only took eleven-and-a-half days to be plugged with heavy mud and concrete, it began a serious look at man's impact on the environment. This spill in fact was the origin of the Environmental Protection Agency we have to this day.

Since this date, the offshore oil industry has suffered numerous problem spills big and small. After the disastrous Mexico spill in 1990, the offshore oil industry was mandated by Congress to come up with an emergency disaster plan to solve the problem of these spills. As of this date the oil industry, as a whole, has failed to do so as evidenced by the DEEPWATER HORIZON Gulf of Mexico disaster.

It is my contention if the Emergency Disaster Temporary Rapid Deployment Oil Spill Pyramid and/or the Pyramid with Chute and Flotation Collar, as described by the drawings and specifications contained herein, had been pre-fabricated before the DEEPWATER HORIZON disaster took place, it could have been transported and deployed within 48 hours or less and the irreversible impact on the environment, the fish and wildlife, the local and national economy, and the health and welfare of the citizens of the United States would have been minimized to a spill of much less than one-hundred-thousand barrels.

It has been reported that when the spill in the Gulf was finally plugged, the total amount of crude oil spilled was over 5,000,000 barrels. This could have been averted had the Emergency Disaster Temporary Rapid Deployment Oil Spill Reclamation Pyramid or the Pyramid with Chute and Flotation Collar been available for immediate deployment.

I filed for a provisional patent on May 4, 2010 for the Emergency Disaster Temporary Rapid Deployment Oil Spill Reclamation Pyramid and received provisional patent No. 61/343,937 from the USPTO on May 6, 2010 and for a provisional patent for the Emergency Disaster Temporary Rapid Deployment Oil Spill Reclamation Pyramid and Pyramid with Chute and Flotation Collar on Jun. 1, 2010 and received provisional patent No. 61/396,783 from the USPTO on Jun. 3, 2010. This application for a utility patent is submitted to consolidate the two provisional patents into one utility patent. My desire is, with this patent to finally prompt the offshore oil industry and/or the United States government to prepare for the next disaster which will happen! It is my contention that although the various geometric configurations shown on the attached drawings are completely different looking in plan and section, they all are of the identical concept of restraining the leaking oil inside a flexible chamber thus allowing the oil to be reclaimed before it has the chance to escape into the marine environment and subsequently to the shoreline. Each of the various configurations shown has a specific use primarily governed by the depth of the water at the leak-site and the size of the leak area and debris field on the sea bed. Some of the more obvious considerations are:

• (a) The pyramid as shown in FIG. 2 of 15 is intended for leaks occurring in shallow water.
• (b) The pyramid as shown in FIG. 3 of 15 is intended for leaks in depths of from 200 to 5,000 feet or more. The dimensions of the base of the pyramid must be large enough to cover the leak site debris field.
• (c) The pyramid with chute and flotation collar as shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 of 15 is intended for use at leaks of any depth and leaks with large debris fields.
• (d) The chute only as shown in FIG. 7 of 15 is intended for leaks at any depth with small debris fields.

I would contend that the concept of the open chute as shown on FIGS. 5, 6, and 7, for the transfer of oil to the surface, is simply a large conduit as opposed to a pipe as shown on FIG. 3. It is a more sensible method of allowing the oil to flow naturally and unrestricted to the surface rather than suctioning the oil from the pyramid through a pipe. It is my further contention that one utility patent for the two provisional patents previously granted is appropriate.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The Emergency Disaster Temporary Rapid Deployment Oil Spill Reclamation Pyramid and Pyramid with Chute and Flotation Collar is a concept to contain oil leaking from the bottom of the ocean regardless of the cause. The concept is to contain the oil inside the chamber, (i.e., the pyramid as shown in FIG. 2 or 3 if only the pyramid configuration is used or inside the pyramid and/or chute as shown in FIG. 5, 6, or 7 if the pyramid with chute and collar configuration is used.) This allows for an oil container ship equipped with suction and other oil reclamation equipment to be stationed alongside and remove the contained oil before it escapes and becomes a disaster to the environment, wildlife, local and national economy, and health and welfare of the local residents.

The Emergency Disaster Temporary Rapid Deployment Oil Spill Reclamation Pyramid and Pyramid with Chute and Flotation Collar is constructed using the following ordinary and easily obtainable materials as shown on the attached drawings:

• (a) Kevlar-reinforced plastic sheeting, or any other suitable sheeting, cloth, rubber, metal-reinforced, or plastic sheeting to construct the outer walls of the pyramid.
• (b) Hemp, nylon, polyolefin, polypropylene, or other suitable hawser or rope sewn in or other suitable method of fastening to the Kevlar or other suitable sheeting used to reinforce the pyramid and chute and used to hold in position when deployed.
• (c) Multi-stranded steel cable and accessories, or other suitable towing and ballast sewn in or otherwise fastened to the Kevlar or other suitable material.
• (d) Towing rings, accessories, and anchors specifically designed for the size pyramid and chute to be used.
• (e) The flotation collars fabricated of metal, rubber, plastic, cloth (either reinforced or not), or other suitable material filled with either air, plastic or rubber foam, kapok, or any other material having a specific gravity less than water to achieve the desired flotation.

NOTE

• (a) The phrase Kevlar reinforced plastic sheeting is used for brevity on the attached drawings to describe the exterior skin of all of the structures. This patent application is for the overall concept regardless of materials used in the final design and construction as restated in the claims section of this application.
• (b) Provision should be made to allow for differential stretching or shrinkage between the Kevlar sheeting and the hawser or rope.
• (c) The use of work boats or ships with GPS guidance and position-hold capabilities are required to transport, prepare for deployment, deploy, and hold the Emergency Disaster Temporary Rapid Deployment Oil Spill Reclamation Pyramid or Pyramid with Chute and Flotation Collar over the spill site.
• (d) A submerged or surface flotation device or buoy may be required to assist the work boats or ships in holding the Emergency Disaster Temporary Rapid Deployment Oil Spill Reclamation Pyramid or Pyramid with Chute and Flotation Collar in position over the spill site.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the Emergency Disaster Temporary Rapid Deployment Oil Spill Reclamation Pyramid.

FIG. 2 is an elevation of the Emergency Disaster Temporary Rapid Deployment Oil Spill Reclamation Pyramid in place over the oil spill.

FIG. 3 is an elevation showing the Emergency Disaster Temporary Rapid Deployment Oil Spill Reclamation Pyramid in place at a relatively deep oil spill location.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the Emergency Disaster Temporary Rapid Deployment Oil Spill Reclamation Pyramid with Chute and Flotation Collar.

FIG. 5 is an elevation of the Emergency Disaster Temporary Rapid Deployment Oil Spill Reclamation Pyramid with Chute and Flotation Collar. This configuration could be used in water depths from very shallow to depths of 5,000 feet or more. This allows the oil to be reclaimed without the need of a sub-surface riser as shown in FIG. 3. It also allows gasses to escape into the atmosphere without the problems of containment.

FIG. 6 is a perspective schematic of the Emergency Disaster Temporary Rapid Deployment Oil Spill Reclamation Pyramid with Chute and Flotation Collar.

FIG. 7 is a schematic of the Emergency Disaster Temporary Rapid Deployment Oil Spill Reclamation Pyramid with Chute and Flotation Collar using the chute only. This configuration would be particularly useful at a leak site in shallow water with a small debris field.

FIG. 8 is a cross-section of the corner reinforcing and lifting hawser at the corner of the pyramid and the corner of the chute.

FIG. 9 is a cross-section of the center panel towing and lifting hawser.

FIG. 10 is a cross-section of the perimeter towing and ballast cable or hawser.

FIG. 11 is a detail showing the corners of the Emergency Disaster Temporary Rapid Deployment Oil Spill Reclamation Pyramid, the Pyramid with Chute and Flotation Collar, and the corners of the Temporary Rapid Deployment Oil Spill Reclamation Chute only.

FIG. 12 is a detail showing the center panel cable and/or hawser, towing splice.

FIG. 13 is a detail showing the plan view of the flat top of the Emergency Disaster Temporary Rapid Deployment Oil Spill Reclamation Pyramid.

FIG. 14 is an elevation drawing of the pressure release flap. This flap allows for the release of head pressure due to the volume of oil entering the pyramid and chute from the leak location. This flap is to be located as near the bottom of the pyramid as possible and as far away from the leak point as possible. This minimizes the amount of oil which may escape through the hole in the sheeting

FIG. 15 is a plan view of the pyramid folded flat, ready to be deployed over the leak site, anchors attached, and lowered to the sea bed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

NOTE: In the interest of brevity, the word “Kevlar” is used, (in the drawings and specifications and throughout this application for the Emergency Disaster Temporary Rapid Deployment Oil Spill Reclamation Pyramid and Pyramid with Chute and Flotation Collar) to mean Kevlar reinforced plastic sheeting or other sheeting, suitable cloth or plastic sheeting or any other material used to achieve the desired results as shown or indicated herein.

The Emergency Disaster Temporary Rapid Deployment Oil Spill Reclamation Pyramid and Pyramid with Chute and Flotation Collar is an oil containment device that is intended for use in cases involving off-shore oil leaks either due to mechanical malfunction, accidental explosion, terrorism, or any other conceivable reason. It is simple to construct using readily available materials such as:

• (a) Kevlar reinforced plastic sheeting, oil proof cloth, plastic fabric, rubberized fabric, or any other suitable material that will achieve the desired results of capturing the spilling oil and providing an enclosed conduit or chute to contain the oil. This allows the oil to be suctioned off below the surface as shown or indicated in FIGS. 2 and 3. Or, it allows the oil to float to the surface and be further contained within the area surrounded by the flotation collar and chute and suctioned off at the surface as shown or indicated in FIGS. 5, 6, and 7.
• (b) Cable, rope, hawser, steel rods, netting, or any other suitable woven or solid strand that will achieve the desired results as stated in (a) above or as shown or indicated herein.
• (c) Anchors, hold-down devices, or any other suitable object or device that will hold the base of the Emergency Disaster Temporary Rapid Deployment Oil Spill Reclamation Pyramid or Pyramid with Chute and Flotation Collar to the ocean floor and achieve the desired results as stated in (a) above or as shown or indicated herein.
• (d) Miscellaneous chemical or mechanical fasteners or stitching or any other suitable material or device that will achieve the desired results as stated in (a) above or as shown or indicated herein.
• (e) Lifting rings, clevis, choker, or any other method or device that can be used for lifting and holding the Emergency Disaster Temporary Rapid Deployment Oil Spill Reclamation Pyramid and Pyramid with Chute and Flotation Collar in place to achieve the desired results as stated in (a) above or as shown or indicated herein.
• (f) Spreader bands made of plastic, aluminum, steel or other metal or any other suitable material used at the chute as shown on FIGS. 5, 6, and 7.
• (g) A flotation collar fabricated of metal, rubber, plastic, cloth (either reinforced or not), and filled with air, foam rubber, foam plastic, kapok, or any other suitable material used to achieve the desired results as stated in (a) above or as shown or indicated herein.

The Emergency Disaster Temporary Rapid Deployment Oil Spill Reclamation Pyramid and Pyramid with Chute and Flotation Collar is an oil spill containment concept using simple construction methods to construct the containment device. The materials used are lightweight and easily foldable. This allows the Emergency Disaster Temporary Rapid Deployment Oil Spill Reclamation Pyramid or Pyramid with Chute and Flotation Collar to be rapidly transported to the leak site and easily deployed. These simple materials are:

• (a) Oil compatible sheeting such as Kevlar reinforced plastic or rubber coated sheeting, coated canvas, or any other suitable sheeting is used to construct the outer skin of the containment device.
• (b) Steel cable, hawser, or rope, or any other strand type material of sufficient size and strength to achieve the desired results is attached as shown or indicated herein.
• (c) Metal or concrete or any other suitable material anchors to hold the base of the pyramid on the ocean floor as shown or indicated herein.
• (d) Metal, plastic, or other man-made structural components such as angles, beams, pipe, or other shapes used for the spreaders and lifting device to achieve the desired results as shown or indicated herein.
• (e) Flotation collars constructed of rubber, plastic, cloth, metal, or any other material filled with air, kapok, foam rubber, foam plastic, or any other floatable material used to achieve the desired results as shown or indicated herein.
• (f) Miscellaneous fasteners, rings, stitching, gluing, chemical welding, or any other method of completing the concept to achieve the desired results as shown or indicated herein.

The sheeting is fabricated to the required dimensions dictated by the spill site and the debris field area and height as shown on FIG. 1 through FIG. 15 or as shown or indicated herein.

The cables, hawser, ropes, and so on are fastened to the sheeting as indicated on FIG. 8, FIG. 9, FIG. 10, FIG. 11, and FIG. 12 to complete the concept as shown on FIG. 1 through FIG. 15 or as shown or indicated herein.

NOTE: The use of floating rope or hawser (such as polyolefin or polypropylene) should be considered.

The spreaders are fastened to the sheeting to complete the concept as shown on FIG. 5, FIG. 6, and FIG. 7.

The flotation collars and anchors are attached to complete the concept as shown on FIG. 5, FIG. 6, and FIG. 7.

The pressure relief flap is installed as shown or indicated on FIG. 14.

It should also be noted that the final design for all of the reclamation structures shown or implied should strongly consider the following:

• (a) The base of the reclamation structure should be large enough to allow the corner anchors to be simultaneously deployed and positioned over the leak site without jeopardizing the work boats or ships safety.
• (b)The base of the reclamation structure should be large enough to entirely cover the leak site and debris field plus room to allow divers or remote-operated vehicles (ROV's) access.
• (c) NOTE: The pressure relief flap is not necessary if the base of the reclamation structure is raised above the sea bed.
• (d) The use of large diameter PVC pipe to construct the spreaders as shown on FIG. 5 and FIG. 7. The watertight spreader band would aid in stabilizing the chute with flotation provided by the PVC pipe spreader bands.
• (e) NOTE: The phrase Kevlar-reinforced plastic sheeting is used for brevity on the attached drawings to describe the exterior skin of all of the structures. This patent application is for the overall concept regardless of materials used in the final design and construction as restated in the claims section of this application.
• (f) The advantage of an Emergency Disaster Temporary Rapid Deployment Oil Spill Reclamation Pyramid and Pyramid with Chute and Flotation Collar with a large area base is the ability to cover more than one leak point with a single structure such as in the case of the DEEPWATER HORIZON. Also a large base pyramid could be necessary to cover debris in the vicinity of the actual oil leak without compromising the pyramid's ability to function properly.
• (g) It should also be realized that a single leak site in very deep water could be covered with a small base pyramid as shown in FIG. 3. A small base pyramid would be easier and faster to deploy. A small base pyramid could even be stored onboard every oil platform allowing for immediate deployment as shown in FIG. 3 while waiting for a large base pyramid to be delivered to the leak site.

It is extremely important to note that the final design of the anchors at the base of all reclamation pyramids and/or chutes should include the ability to lift the base at the sea bed above the anchors a sufficient distance to allow for remote-operated vehicles (ROV's) to pass under the reclamation pyramid or chute and freely work to provide a permanent solution to the spill.

In summary, the Emergency Disaster Temporary Rapid Deployment Oil Spill Reclamation Pyramid and Pyramid with Chute and Flotation Collar can be easily fabricated from ordinary existing components. It can be easily stored at strategic locations near offshore oil fields. It can rapidly be transported and deployed at oil spill sites. Various sizes can be prefabricated and stored awaiting the need for rapid deployment. Once deployed, the pyramid stops the ecological and environmental damage, the economical disaster, the decimation of fish and wildlife, and the degradation of the health and welfare of the local citizens. The cost of these containment and reclamation devices is negligible as compared to the astronomical costs of the DEEPWATER HORIZON oil spill.

Claims

1. The purpose of this application for a utility patent is to claim the patent right to the Emergency Disaster Temporary Rapid Deployment Oil Spill Reclamation Pyramid and Pyramid with Chute and Flotation Collar as shown or represented by the drawings and specifications whether specifically defined or detailed or generally implied by the drawings and description contained herein. The claim is on the total concept as shown or implied and not restricted in any way to dimensions, geometric shape, specific materials, details or methods of manufacture, use, transportation, or methods of deployment.