OIL WELL IMPROVEMENT SYSTEM
First Claim
1. An integrated underwater oil well disaster prevention subsystem for offshore oil wells to improve the functionality of the well by providing the means to prevent and/or repair well malfunctions and provide improved safety operation of the well. The Multi-Function Well Subsystem (MFWS) comprising modifications and additions to an offshore oil well'"'"'s sea-floor equipment where:
- the addition of a remote controlled gate valve in series to the BOP'"'"'s output, where the valve in the opened position, provides unobstructed vertical assess (equal to the BOP'"'"'s feed through access diameter) from its'"'"' top port to its bottom port and in the closed position prevents well output flow.The addition of an in-well pipe separating means by either cutting or by de-coupling where the said ‘
separated pipe’
can be extracted from the prior mentioned valve operational area.The addition of a remote controlled exterior sidewall flow closing/sealing device in series with the wells output.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Two functionally and physically integrated subsystems form a supplemental disaster preventive system for offshore oil wells. A multi-function well subsystem modifies the sea-floor and in-well equipment to provide maintenance access, tools to cap the well, seal/re-seal the well, drill/re-drill the well, kill the well from the top, improve BOP reliability, add BOP functional redundancy, improve the cementing process, incorporate a sea-floor pressure relief/diversion function and improve the well'"'"'s life cycle safety. A dome top cylindrical sidewall structure encloses the well'"'"'s sea-floor equipment providing improved structural strength as well as passive protection from natural/human induced disasters. An intrusion detection and response subsystem provides sensing, processing and communication devices to detect, track & classify the 3D aspects of air/surface/sub-surface objects around a specific oil well or group of oil wells and provides the means to evaluate and eliminate threats.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An integrated underwater oil well disaster prevention subsystem for offshore oil wells to improve the functionality of the well by providing the means to prevent and/or repair well malfunctions and provide improved safety operation of the well. The Multi-Function Well Subsystem (MFWS) comprising modifications and additions to an offshore oil well'"'"'s sea-floor equipment where:
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the addition of a remote controlled gate valve in series to the BOP'"'"'s output, where the valve in the opened position, provides unobstructed vertical assess (equal to the BOP'"'"'s feed through access diameter) from its'"'"' top port to its bottom port and in the closed position prevents well output flow. The addition of an in-well pipe separating means by either cutting or by de-coupling where the said ‘
separated pipe’
can be extracted from the prior mentioned valve operational area.The addition of a remote controlled exterior sidewall flow closing/sealing device in series with the wells output. - View Dependent Claims (3, 11, 13, 18)
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- 2. Structural modifications and additions to in-well equipment on an offshore oil well'"'"'s sea-floor equipment around the offshore oil well incorporating a top dome and cylindrical sidewall structure enclosing/about the well'"'"'s sea-floor equipment to improve the structural integrity of the well to prevent problems associated with natural and/or human induced malfunctions and/or threats.
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5. An Intrusion Detection and Response Subsystem (ID&
- RS) comprising;
Means for detecting, tracking and classifying the aspects of air objects, surface objects and/or sub-surface objects around a specific oil well and groups of oil wells, Means for evaluating threats &
neutralizing threats, - View Dependent Claims (6, 7)
- RS) comprising;
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8. A remotely controlled expandable gasket and/or plug device imbedded in a pipe/casing/drill bit to provide on-off flow control in the area between a pipe within a pipe/casing/well bore.
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9. A remotely controlled well pipe/casing sidewall gate valve that when remotely commanded will allow flow through the sidewall.
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10. An ‘
- in-well’
interface system to monitor and control ‘
in-well’
equipment and tools comprising;a fiber optic (FO) cable attached to/embedded in the drill pipe sidewall. A modification to the ‘
normal’
pipe to pipe mechanical means where the addition of FO connecting means is provided to insure FO conductivity thru the said joint.where the in-well sensors and controlled elements physically connected to the pipe are directly connected to the fiber optic cable and where the in-well sensors and controlled elements not physically connected to the pipe transfer data via non-physical contact means. - View Dependent Claims (12, 14, 19)
- in-well’
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15. A pressure relief/diversion system comprising:
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a parallel port to the well output connected to a remote controlled valve connected a pipe/tube diverting the said valve output to a safe location, a sea-floor containment and/or separator tank. remote controlled valves at differing elevations and associated pipes/tubes on the said tank diverting the well'"'"'s output to different locations.
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16. An oil well pipe Enclosed Pipe Cutter Assembly compromising a structural means where:
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a the cutter is embedded within the oil well pressured area a wedge pipe/casing holding means supporting the upper pipe during the cutting process to insure the cutting element does not jam/pinch
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17. Coupling/De-Coupling pipes/casings where:
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the upper-most and lower-most ends having standard pipe to pipe connecting means; upper pipe'"'"'s lower and lower pipe'"'"'s upper members includes mating flanges and a sealing gasket; one of the pair'"'"'s pipe to pipe coupling/de-coupling matting end'"'"'s having a pipe member extending beyond its flange where the member'"'"'s diameter is different than its matting pipe end so that they fits inside (or outside) the other matting pipe. one of the pipes matting ends will incorporate at least one spring loaded grabbing device protruding from the sidewall. the grabbing device pivots on a hinge on the pipe member and compress into the sidewall. the other of the pipes matting end including a unique sidewall threaded-stepped grabbing member on its matting surface. the spring grabbing device includes a remote controlled device incorporated to compress the spring member into its sidewall to de-couple the pipes.
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Specification