Patent ID: 8173012

Claim:
A device for recovering and containing underwater oil leaks or for mining oil in a marine environment comprising of: a. a collecting element comprising of a vertical flexible oil flow director hose, said vertical flexible oil flow director hose comprising of a lower portion at least having a plurality of gaps to let water filter downwardly out of the said vertical flexible oil flow director hose, and an upper portion at least being watertight for holding accumulated floating oil there within; b. said lower portion of said vertical flexible oil flow director hose which provides means for filtering or displacing water out from the said vertical flexible oil flow director hose while retaining the oil mixture therein, comprising: i. a series of funnel shaped conical walls, each having an upper opening smaller in circumference than its lower opening, and being overlapping and connected to one and another by a plurality of chains on the outside of said lower portion, at equal spaces thereby forming gaps between adjacent cones, or; ii. a helical-coil having a conical, continuous, and overlapping wall, wherein said wall forms an upper opening smaller in width than its lower opening, with a gap between the overlapping wall portions; c. a hollow doughnut-shaped floating device comprising of a built-in oil accumulator well, connected by a lower opening to said upper portion of said vertical flexible oil flow director hose, for holding said upper portion of said vertical flexible oil flow director hose at the surface of the water, and providing a means for containing oil collected by said vertical flexible oil flow director hose, d. a dome cap for recovering and containing escaping gasses from oil contained in said oil accumulator well, fastened to the top of said oil accumulator well, for holding gas above the oil; and a means for compressing and transporting the accumulated gas to storage, e. a toroid sinking weight block being concentrically connected to said lower portion of said vertical oil flow director hose, for holding said lower portion of said vertical oil flow director hose over said oil/gas source, so that an upward flow of oil/gas becomes entrapped at said upper portion of said vertical oil flow director hose, and providing a means for positioning said vertical oil flow director hose over said oil/gas source.