Construction Video - Oil Capture From Ruptured Undersea Pipeline

The video shows just one rupture; however I see no problem with using the same measures for multiple ruptures, current and future.
This method should be seen as a quick response method and temporary solution only.

The first step is lowering steel cages full of stones around the immediate vicinity of the ruptured pipeline.
This will provide a fairly stable structure on the sea bed around the ruptured pipe and provide a secure anchor point for the new extraction pipe.
Not shown in the construction video is a series of floats and stabilising cables. The floats, attached to the extraction pipe, are used to give the new extraction pipe a buoyant vertical loading to pull against the stabilising cables. The cables anchor the pipe in position to the sea bed ~ very much like a radio tower adorned with balloons. The method used to provide cable anchorage can be again use of steel cages filled with stones, ie they would be sufficiently weighted rather than long-term pegging down.
Once the new extraction pipe has been anchored in place the whole area can be covered with a suitable sheeting material of sufficient strength to provide a skin over the mouth of the extraction pipe and over the ruptured area of the existing pipeline.
The next task is to pile on and around, bags of dry concrete mix. This is done in such a manner so to achieve the best possible seal of the sheeting against the ruptured pipe.
Using a dry mix will allow longest workability times, once in-situ the bags should be able to absorb water enabling the concrete to set.
Further cages of stones can then be placed on top to increase stability of the work area.

It is envisaged that deep sea robotics will be required to 1. Provide visual capability and 2. Provide nudging etc of construction materials that are being lowered to and dropped at the work site.
Pre-Anchoring of the new extraction pipe to a cage while on the surface (ie before lowering) may be the easiest option.
The steel cages I envisage are those used to stabilise road/railway embankments or similar. Or they can be quickly constructed using a suitable steel mesh.
The sheeting is merely to provide a better seal than would be achievable with the bags of concrete alone.
Once the concrete bags have been placed in-situ and topped off with more steel cages of stones, it should be approximately 7 hours before the structure has sufficient strength to allow possible injection of grouting material if the structure leaks.
However, extraction could begin straight away after the sheeting has been placed. The rate of extraction can be determined on site at the time. The structure should not leak if the extraction rate matches the discharge rate.
The submerged mouth of the extraction pipe should be caged to prevent inadvertently sucking in the sheeting.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• gilf
• oil
• spill
• disaster
• capture
• ruptured
• pipe
• gulf
• of
• mexico
• BP
• rig
• concept
• ideas
• quick
• response
• solution
• environment
• emergency

[WolfgreenFang]

its not that easy its kindo of hard to build with a robot at the bottom of the ocean

[PoPs42]

I admit dropping weights over the side of a boat and nudging into position has to be the most complex of engineering solutions anyone has suggested to-date! I guess lowering top-hats or inserting tubes is far easier. Even boring a second hole to hit a 7" target must be really easy. Stopping a second hole from leaking in the case of another accident _ childs play!

If "easy" is the requirement then would it not be easiest to let the oil run free?

[OPDCSV]

Hey, Like your idea, can you check out my idea to solve the oil leak.

Thanks