Systems and Methods for Catastrophe Mitigation for Deep Water Oil Drilling during Blowout Preventer Failure

Abstract

Disclosed herein in example embodiments is a simple Drill-Through-Equipment (DTE) system for deep water drilling of oil, to intervene in the event of Blowout Preventer (BOP) failure, and mitigate spill disaster. Example embodiments of systems and methods of failed BOP intervention, and oil spill disaster mitigation disclosed herein may be used to mount a housing within the existing BOP below the blind shear ram, whereby the failed BOP is made accessible just below the blind shear ram through access ports, opening or closing in the housing. Through these ports blowout is diverted, thus protecting the rig. Through these same ports access is granted to the drill pipe allowing external manipulation or cutting of the drill pipe in effort to render the BOP operational. Once this is accomplished, the access ports are closed, and normal BOP and / or drilling operations are resumed. Example embodiments integrate and make use of existing BOP machinery.

Description

PRIORITY CLAIM TO RELATED US PATENT APPLICATIONS[0001]To the full extent permitted by law, the present U.S. Non-provisional Patent Application is made pursuant to, and hereby claims priority to and the full benefit of, U.S. Provisional Application entitled “Systems and Methods for Catastrophe Mitigation for Deep Water Oil Drilling during Blowout Preventer Failure,” having assigned Ser. No. 61 / 816,405 filed on Apr. 26, 2013, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.TECHNICAL FIELD[0002]The present disclosure is generally related to subsea blowout preventers (BOPs) used in deep water drilling for oil, and, more particularly, mitigating disaster in the event of BOP failure.BACKGROUND[0003]Protocol for any oil drilling effort in deep water requires the use of a blowout preventer (BOP), which is designed to stop oil well gushers occurring due to unanticipated peaks in well pressure. These gushers can reach the rig, causing death, damage to property, and harm to the environment. M...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007]Example embodiments of the present disclosure provide systems and methods of accessing and remedying a failed BOP, diverting blowout flow away from the rig, and minimizing spill duration due to BOP failure during a blowout. Briefly described, in architecture, one example embodiment of the system among others can be implemented as follows: a housing assembly, consisting of upper and lower parts, each having an integrated casing, i.e. boss, on which to mount existing BOP ram systems; an annular sealing ram positioned within the housing and between the ram block systems and able to slide within the housing, the annular ram configured to abut to a surface within one end of the housing, and the annular ram also configured to open and close a side opening in the housing ; A guide pin to keep the annular ram oriented properly for locking position; a locking mechanism configured to lock the annular ram in the closed position; a hydraulic chamber within the housing, the chamber configured for sliding the annular ram within the housing to open it, or seal it shut on the surface of the housing; and a system of seals to contain hydraulic and well pressures within and without the system.

[0008]Example embodiments of the present disclosure can also be viewed as providing methods for systems and methods of accessing and remedying a failed BOP, diverting blowout flow away from the rig, and minimizing duration of spill from a blowout caused by BOP failure. In this regard, one embodiment in such a method, among others, can be broadly described by the following: a housing mounted in the BOP stack system, consisting of upper and lower parts, each consisting of an integrated BOP ram, the upper part having a blind shear ram, and the lower part having a casing shear ram; a sealing annular ram positioned to slide within the housing to open and close the housing, to provide access into the drill column below the blind shear ram, to remedy the failure mechanism, and to provide egress for blowout flow.

Problems solved by technology

But they provide a limited barrier between the rig and workers, and the dangerous hazards of the approaching high pressure flow.

Furthermore, they offer no remedy to the failure mechanisms of the failed BOP.

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