Protective shroud for offshore oil wells
First Claim
1. An oil rig instrumentality comprising a protective shroud member comprising a generally cylindrically shaped structure of a length sufficient to extend from the bottom of a body of water and out of the water at the surface, and of sufficient diameter to encompass an oil wellhead and attendant rigging servicing an underwater well, said structure having near its bottom in a position assuming an underwater location above and near the bottom of said body of water a plurality of pumping means distributed about the circumference of said structure for pumping liquids with said pumps coupled to water jet structure outside the cylinder, and including control means individually controlling operation of each of said pumping means, thereby to provide controlled water jet motive forces for moving said structure relative to said bottom of the body of water.
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Abstract
This invention provides means and methods for servicing offshore oil wells under routine and emergency conditions. Thus, a protective shroud surrounding the well site and provided with pumping means can be used to recover spilled oil, store oil, extinguish blowouts and fires, and protect rigs, platforms and personnel.
A hollow shroud structure, preferably of circular cross section surrounding an oil well and its rigging therefore by means of underwater pumps can be positioned, filled, emptied or otherwise manipulated in servicing the well. It serves to protect the well from heavy seas and floating objects.
Servo controlled valves, jets and pumps can locate the structure precisely in place even during blowout conditions for normal or emergency collection of oil and control of the well conditions.
The shroud structure may be erected before or after drilling and can be moved and reused at different sites. It may have a closed top or open top, and a closed top version may be disposed entirely under water.
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Citations
27 Claims
- 1. An oil rig instrumentality comprising a protective shroud member comprising a generally cylindrically shaped structure of a length sufficient to extend from the bottom of a body of water and out of the water at the surface, and of sufficient diameter to encompass an oil wellhead and attendant rigging servicing an underwater well, said structure having near its bottom in a position assuming an underwater location above and near the bottom of said body of water a plurality of pumping means distributed about the circumference of said structure for pumping liquids with said pumps coupled to water jet structure outside the cylinder, and including control means individually controlling operation of each of said pumping means, thereby to provide controlled water jet motive forces for moving said structure relative to said bottom of the body of water.
- 3. An oil rig instrumentality comprising a protective shroud member comprising a generally cylindrically shaped structure of a length sufficient to extend from the bottom of a body of water and out of the water at the surface, and of sufficient diameter to encompass an oil wellhead and attendant rigging servicing an underwater well, said structure having near its bottom in a position assuming an underwater location above and near the bottom of said body of water a plurality of pumping means distributed about the circumference of said structure for pumping liquids wherein said pumping means comprise pumps for pumping liquids outwardly from the structure located at two different levels respectively at significantly different heights from the bottom of said body of water and separate pump control means to independently pump liquids out from within said structure at the two different levels.
- 5. An instrumentality for servicing an underwater oil well comprising in combination, an open bottomed hollow structure of sufficient size to surround the wellhead of said oil well and any rigging connected with said oil well and having sufficient weight to rest and seal with a substantially water flow free joint on the bottom of a body of water about said open bottom in a position surrounding said wellhead thereby to confine the well site within its hollow structure, and liquid pumping means distributed about the structure including jets for positioning the structure on the bottom of said body of water to register in position with said wellhead by means of liquids pumped from said structure through said jets.
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12. The method of servicing an underwater oil well comprising the steps of,
positioning at an oil well site a hollow structure having an underwater opening adapted to engage the bottom of a body of water and of such weight that it resides firmly on the bottom of said body of water to make a seal substantially preventing flow of water from the body into the structure, and manipulating the position of the structure at the oil well site to position the structure in place on the bottom surrounding the oil well site by passing liquid jets through said structure.
Specification