Deep-water oil well spill controller and container

The present invention provides a deep-water oil well plug apparatus having a plunger member on an elongate shaft and a plurality of inflatable members configured and shapes to seal within the well bore, and a bell-shaped chamber placed on top of the oil well and adapted to be filled with concrete, and a hydraulic mechanism to remove and release the bell-shaped chamber from the oil well.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention is generally directed toward a method and apparatus for plugging an oil well bore, and more particularly, to an apparatus for inserting a plug into the well bore and then creating a cement chamber on the top of the oil well.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Deep-water and deep-water oil wells are positioned in a very harsh environment for divers to reach and work. In order to contain an oil spill from a deep-water well, access to the well is crucial in a timely manner and thereafter the spill will allow the normally used top kill procedure to succeed.

Many prior art oil well plugs and containment systems have been developed in recent years. Although the plugs and systems tend to seal the oil well, the prior art apparatus and systems have shortcomings in containing deep-water oil spills and plugging deep-water wells.

For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,894,912, issued to Otis, discloses a process for inserting tubing in wells with high pressures of the fluid in the wells through a perforated tubing.

Another approach is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,009,944, issued to Gudmestad, which discloses a plug-launching device for cementing operations in of and gas wells with plugs forced into position by cement.

Yet a further recent approach is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,595,289, to Tumlin, in which a method and apparatus for plugging a well bore is disclosed using a radial expander securing the setting tool with lowered assembly with circular charges for perforating casing15and forming perforations with cement pumped in to seal the outside of the wellbore.

One of the disadvantages associated with these prior art well bore sealing plugs and apparatus is the shortcoming of their designs to operate in deep-water environments.

It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a deep-water oil well seal and plug apparatus which can plug the oil pipe bore at first, and at second create a concrete casing for permanently sealing and abandoning the oil well.

Notwithstanding the above, it is presently believed that there may be a significant demand in the marketplace for a deep-water oil well plug and seal having the above-stated features of the present invention that can be used in an environment of deep-water pressure, extreme low temperatures, and extreme oil flow gushing out of a damaged riser.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

These problems and others are addressed by the present invention which comprises a deep-water oil well plug apparatus having a plunger member on an elongate shaft and a plurality of inflatable members configured and shapes to seal within the well bore, and a bell-shaped chamber placed on top of the oil well and adapted to be filled with concrete, and a hydraulic mechanism to remove and release the bell-shaped chamber from the oil well.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

For the purpose of promoting and understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings. Referring now to the drawings, and more specifically toFIGS. 1 through 6, wherein the showings are for the purpose of illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention only and not for the purpose of limiting the same, an oil well plug apparatus is generally illustrated at10having a first main frame12and a complimentary and symmetrical second main frame14, both of which preferably made from material such as, but not limited to, steel or heavy-duty composites, which will be explained herein in greater detail, and will carry other components that will form a bell-shaped concrete chamber block as well supporting a plunger.

The oil well plug apparatus10further includes a plunger member16, which as will be explained in greater detail herein, it is designed to be inserted inside an oil well pipe or pipe riser18to temporarily or permanently block a major portion or all of the oil gushing out of the well, and additionally or alternatively, to allow to create the concrete chamber block.

Referring now more specifically toFIG. 5, the plunger member16includes a hollow elongate shaft20having a distal end22and a proximal end24, and preferably made from material such as, but not limited to, steel. The plunger member16further includes cylindrical member26disposed on the hollow elongate shaft20, and further includes a plurality of hydraulically activated pins28, which as will be explained, can pierce through the cylindrical wall of the pipe riser18when inserted therein. The plurality of outwardly extending pins28are designed to hydraulically extend outwardly and pierce though the rise oil pipe and extend outwardly, thereby providing a greater securing holding measures of the plunger member16inside the oil pipe riser18.

The plunger member16further includes conical member30attached to the proximal end24, and positioned above the conical member30on the hollow elongate shaft20are a first inflatable ring bag32, a frusto-conical inflatable member34, a second inflatable ring bag36, a second frusto-conical inflatable member38having a plurality of seal rings40on an outer periphery thereof, and a third inflatable ring bag42operable placed along the elongate shaft28. The inflatable members are preferably made from, for example, but not limited to, Kevlar®, and are inflatable through an air or through a hydraulic fluid inlet extending along the length of the hollow elongate shaft20. As will be explained in greater detail, when the plunger member16is inserted through the oil well pipe riser18, the inflatable members expand to the desired width corresponding to the diameter of the pipe riser18thereby providing a seal between the inner surface of the pipe riser18and the outer surface of the plurality of inflatable members.

Referring more specifically back toFIGS. 1 and 2, the plunger member16is movably and slidably supported in a vertical direction by a frame having a pair of stabilizing vertical bars44, the first of the pair of stabilizing vertical bars44is attached to the first main frame12at a first end46, and the second of the pair of stabilizing vertical bars44is attached to the second main frame14at a first end48. A first vertical hydraulic arm50has a first end52attached to the first main frame12and a second end54attached to a stabilizer plate56, and a second vertical hydraulic arm58has a first end60attached to the second main frame14and a second end attached to the stabilizer plate56. The stabilizer plate56also centrally supports the hollow elongate shaft20, thereby pushing down the first and the second vertical hydraulic arms50,54, consequently pushes down the plunger member16as a result of hollow elongate shaft20being pushed down. The hollow elongate shaft may be comprised of two separate shafts attached to one another with a coupling means64, which as will be described in greater detail herein, may allow the upper part of the shaft to separate from the lower part of the shaft in one embodiment use of the invention.

In order to lower the plunger member16inside the pipe riser18, the first main frame12and the second main frame14have to be secured around the oil well pipe riser18. The first and the second main frames12,14, in a closed and secured configuration, create a shell that conforms to the shape and configuration of the ultimate resulting concrete casing. The lower part of the first and second main frames12,14is secured around the pipe riser18opening with a pair of first hydraulic arms66and a pair of second hydraulic arms68arranged in a diametrically opposed configuration and each are pivotally attached to the lower frame with respective support links70at opposing pivot points72. Each of the pair of first hydraulic arm66include an interlocking claw74, which as will be explained in greater detail, engage (lock) and disengage (unlock) with a corresponding pair of interlocking claws76each pivotally mounted and operable by the pair of second arms68.

Referring more specifically toFIG. 6, the oil plug apparatus10further comprises a bell-shaped chamber or cap78, preferably made from material such as, but not limited to, steel or other similar material, and comprises a plurality of shells and layers which will be filled with cured and set to dry material such as, but not limited to, micro concrete, heavy liquid rubber, or composites with silicone based material as will be explained in greater detail herein. Another set of plurality of hydraulic arms80is secured to the outer shell82of the bell-shaped chamber78to provide for securing the bell-shaped chamber in place for the initial slow down or stoppage of the oil flow, and then consequent filling of the concrete material therewithin.

The bell-shaped chamber78further includes a plurality of inner shells84separated from one another with a plurality of distant spacers86creating an interconnecting chambers88therebetween, which the interconnecting chambers88are fluidly connected to one another with a plurality of release exhausts or vents90. A holder mechanism92is arranged and configured to hold the bell-shaped chamber78on top of the oil well pipe riser18. A plurality of supply lines94, for supplying the concrete or other suitable material as discussed above, are provided from the outside of the bell-shaped chamber78through the outer shell82and extending through the plurality of shells84and each sealed with sealing rubber washer96or similar components to prevent the leaking the oil or the curing concrete from the bell-shaped chamber78. A plurality of hydraulic shutter valves98and a plurality of vent valves100are also operably provided, which, as will be explained in greater detail, provide for the curing process of the concrete or suitable filling material.

There are several methods of containing the oil flow gushing out of a damaged oil well pipe, which are explained herein. It is understood that these methods contemplate various combinations of the using the plunger member16and the bell-shaped chamber78independently on their own or together using the plunger member16first and the bell-shaped chamber78second. However, the use of each method and related apparatus remains the same in view of the combinations used.

The first method requires the use of the plunger member16and insertion thereof within the oil pipe rise18. The pair of first hydraulic arms66and the pair of second hydraulic arms68are used to engage the interlocking claws74,76, to secure the first main frame12and the second main frame14to the oil pipe riser18. Then, the first and second vertical hydraulic arms50,58are activated to lower the hollow elongate shaft20and cylindrical member26through the oil pipe riser18. Next, hydraulically activated pins28are outwardly activated and extended to pierce through the oil pipe riser18and thereby securing the plunger member16within the oil pipe riser18preventing it from being pushed upwardly out of the pipe riser18. Then, the frusto-conical inflatable member34, second inflatable ring bag36, second frusto-conical inflatable member38, seal rings40, and third inflatable ring bag42are inflated to engage the inner wall of the pipe riser18to act as a sealing mechanism preventing the oil leaking substantially or completely out. If the oil pressure gushing out is of the pressure that the plunger member16and the inflatable members can completely seal and prevent it from gushing out through this first method, then the second step and method of using the bell-shaped chamber78may not be necessary. Otherwise, if the plunger member16cannot prevent and kill the oil flow gushing out completely, then the use of the bell-shaped chamber is necessary as the next step to create a permanent cement or the like cap on the oil well and permanently shutting the oil well from operation.

This second method of using the bell-shaped chamber78is as follows. The oil flow pressure through the shells84and interconnecting chambers88is substantially reduced and slowed down as the oil flows through the plurality of release exhausts or valves90and flows through the interconnecting chambers88. Then a top main valve is closed and the bell-shaped chamber is ready to be filled with concrete. Next, the micro concrete101or heavy liquid rubber is pumped within the interconnecting chambers88through the supply lines94, and concrete101flows within the chambers through release exhausts90until every single one of the interlocking chambers88is filled with the concrete101thereby forming in the shape of the bell-shaped chamber78having multiple layers. Then the concrete101is fully cured, and the curing process is controlled using the hydraulic shutter valves98and the vent valves100. After the concrete is fully cured, the hydraulic arms are released and bell-shaped chamber78is removed and bell-shaped permanent concrete cap102is created on top of the oil well riser18and sealing the oil well permanently, as been seen inFIG. 11.

While preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, various modifications and substitutions may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the present invention has been described by way of illustration only, and this description should not be construed as limiting to the several claims appended hereto. While various spatial and directional terms, such as top, bottom, lower, mid, lateral, horizontal, vertical, front and the like may used to describe embodiments of the present invention, it is understood that such terms are merely used with respect to the orientations shown in the drawings. The orientations may be inverted, rotated, or otherwise changed, such that an upper portion is a lower portion, and vice versa, horizontal becomes vertical, and the like.