Blowout Preventer

Abstract

A large open bottomed under water tank having a base, and valves with hoses located on a top cover, so that when the tank is moved over a leaking pipe or oil well, the rising oil from the leak is collected in the tank, and piped through the valves and hoses to a tanker or to land, and prevented from polluting the ocean and beaches.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to the drilling of oil wells, and to the prevention or the saving of ruptured wells that are deep under water.

2. Description of Related Art

There will be more deep sea oil wells drilled and although this leaking may seem to be a rare type of oil well problem, they may be more common later on as we drill more deep sea wells. The possibility of this happening again should be eliminated.

If the oil pipe breaks close to the well, and for some reason the oil can't be shut off near the ocean bed, a real emergency exists. The oil is pouring out at high pressure deep underwater, rising to the top and endangering the ocean life and polluting the beaches.

At the present time there is an existing blowout and the oil, under high pressure, is pouring from a broken pipe deep under water, and all means that have been tried to stop the flow have been unsuccessful. The oil slick now covers many miles and if not stopped will pollute all of the beaches on the Gulf.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Briefly described, in preferred form, the present invention is a means of preventing or reducing the damage from such an accident. The present invention makes no effort to stop the flow of oil, and instead allows the flow to continue, and collect the oil and delivers it to tankers on the surface. The present invention uses a large tank, such a city water tank turned upside down, over the broken water pipe. The tank is floated out to the oil well and then allowed to settle down to the bottom and cover the leaking pipe. The oil, being lighter than water, rises to the water surface in the tank. The cover of the tank has pipe connections for taking off the oil, as the oil collects in the tank, and it is then pumped out and into tankers on the surface.

These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading the following specification in conjunction with the accompanying drawing figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The sole FIGURE is an elevation view of a large tank similar to the ordinary water tank used by many cities to supply water under pressure to the citizens. The tank is turned upside down, and allowed to sink to the bottom over the oil well. The oil, spewed from the broken pipe rises to the top water surface in the tank and is taken out by hoses fastened to valves on the top of the tank.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now in detail to the sole drawing FIGURE, it illustrates various elements of the present invention. The advantages of the present invention is illustrated in the sole FIGURE. The most apparent thing noted is the size of the collector tank 100. It is big for a reason. The oil may e shooting out at an angle from the broken oil well pipe 102, under high pressure, and this may roil the water in the tank, and make a water and oil mixture that given time would separate itself, but there is little time available.

If it is to be separated, it can be done later, but if the mixture exists it cannot be allowed to escape and pollute the ocean. The large volume of the tank allows the oil to rise to the top, and even if it is a mixture of oil and water, to be pumped off as a mixture through the hoses 102. The large size allows men to enter the tank wearing diving suits, and to work, without in any way interfering with the flow of oil to the top. The tank has a door for the men to enter. Also openings are provided near the bottom to allow water to enter. The additional water will be needed if the oil and water mixture is large. Large rings are welded to the outside surface of the tank to tie on weights to anchor the tank.

This tank may be put together on a ship lifted by a ships crane and let down over the leaking well. A lifting ring 104 is fastened to the top of the tank.

This type of leak corrector unit could be used on a temporary basis to prevent pollution problems while repairing leaking pipes that occur off shore.

It would eliminate the worry of another oil well catastrophe to put a tank around the oil well at the beginning and not seal the oil pipe coming through until the drilling is finished.

While the invention has been disclosed in its preferred forms, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many modifications, additions and deletions can be made thereupon without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and its equivalents as set forth in the following claims.

Claims

1. A large open bottomed under water tank comprising a base, and valves with hoses located on a top cover, so that when the tank is moved over a leaking pipe or oil well, the rising oil from the leak is collected in the tank, and piped through the valves and hoses to a tanker or to land, and prevented from polluting the ocean and beaches.

2. The tank of claim 1, where the tank is located at the point of drilling on the ocean bed when the well is drilled, so that if a leak occurs in the oil well pipe, or in the ground around the pipe, the oil will be captured and prevented from polluting the water and beaches.

3. The tank of claim 2, further comprising a water tight door for repairmen, openings for water around the base, and anchoring means for anchoring the tank.