Deepwater Horizon Call To Action
Calling all Thingiverse Citizens, MakerBot Operators, and Engineers around the world!
Fact: The Deepwater Horizon Unified Command (DHUC) is inviting alternative technology responses to stop the spill either at the spill or the source level.
Fact: The current oil spill in the Mexican Gulf is threatening or killing thousands of wildlife everyday.
Fact: Many Thingiverse citizens think of creative solutions to problems on a daily basis.
Junior Tan contacted me this last week. He had put together an idea for plugging up the oil flowing into the Gulf and he had submitted it to BP and didn’t get a response. He emailed me willing to give $100 the person who could design something that might get a response with the hope that an idea from the Engineers of the world might just be the right thing to solve the problem. I told him that MakerBot would put in $100 as well and so the total is now $200 for someone who can get a response and, not even joking here, save the world.
This is a two week all-hands-on-deck-ideas-fest call to action! Let us instead focus our minds on saving the world.
We are offering a bounty of US$200 to the following:
1. The first person who actually gets a response from DHUC specifying interest and/or requesting more information, or
2. Even if there is no response from DHUC, we will hold a judging exercise on June 20th when the two weeks are up based on the following criteria:
- simplicity of solution (is it easy to build, deploy and maintain?)
- viability of solution (can the solution be feasible considering the high fluidic pressures, depth of the water column and the extreme low temperatures at depth?)
Call for volunteer judges:
While some of us here are comfortable working with ABS, PLA and M3 socket bolts, we may not be totally familiar with fluid dynamics or Young’s modulus. We would like to open a call for volunteer judges. Catch is, as a judge, you cannot qualify for the bounty even if you win. Please contact MakerBot should you wish to help verify the first response from BP or figure out who to paypal the money to if BP doesn’t respond.
Call for bounty pledges:
The bounty here is a mix of volunteer pledges from Thingiverse citizens as well as Makerbot Industries. So even if you don’t solve the problem of fixing the oil leak, you can throw down and pledge to throw more moolah in the pot to make things more interesting, drop a note in the comments and when it’s all over, we’ll send you the winner’s paypal address and those pledges can be paypalled. Yes, you can still join the Call To Action, and qualify for the same bounty! We can’t be sure everyone who pledges will pony up, but the $200 is real money!
You can start at the DeepWater Horizon response page and you can submit your designs to BP here. Remember to upload them to Thingiverse too! (Tag: deepwaterhorizon). If you want to contribute to the bounty, just drop a note in the comments and we’ll shoot you an email shortly after June 20th.
Update: According to the comments, the bounty is up to $1100!
$100 Junior Tan
$100 MakerBot
$100 Gl33p
$200 Ponoko
$100 Jerri Chou
$200 ifixit
$100 David Ten Have
$100 Frank of Monochrom. (Pledged via twitter)
$100 Matt O’Rourke Pledged via Twitter
Preston Austin
June 5th, 2010 at 10:44 pm #
Hi, I’ll add $100 to the hat, small price to help get good ideas that stop this.
David ten Have
June 5th, 2010 at 10:52 pm #
Ponoko will throw $200 into the pot… this is what we want to see happen!
Jerri Chou
June 5th, 2010 at 11:01 pm #
I’ll put in $100 too (think you should definitely let everyone know though.. or maybe even put this pot on kickstarter?) just a thought!
Bre Pettis
June 5th, 2010 at 11:07 pm #
I agree. As soon as someone comes up with a great idea, submits it, and gets a response, we’ll blog about it right here ASAP.
Yeah, I love kickstarter as a place to support creativity, but kickstarter isn’t really set up for a bounty type situation as far as I can tell, but I’ve got a buddy over there. I’ll ping him.
Jerri Chou
June 5th, 2010 at 11:17 pm #
Sweet. Let me know if you need any backup. (Xprize type model for kickstarter holds a ton of untapped potential worth exploring anyway
alex k
June 5th, 2010 at 11:21 pm #
So it is impossible to weld the hole shut at that depth? If the ship has the welder on it, and the wires go to the bottom of the sea the voltage drop would probably be to big. Does any one know what is the deepest underwater welding that has been done?
Ryan B
June 5th, 2010 at 11:48 pm #
I have had a great idea that should work, even with the tremendous pressure involved. I am just not able to put it into a 3d model(im fairly new to google sketchup), any suggestions? Also, I believe the pipe that is leaking, is 20″ in diamater on the inside and 21″ in diameter on the outside (1/2″ thick)…is that correct?
Kyle Wiens
June 5th, 2010 at 11:49 pm #
Repair is an art best practiced by engineers. iFixit will throw $200 into the pot. We’ve been light-heartedly brainstorming some solutions already, feel free to throw ideas up there and vote on them.
David ten Have
June 6th, 2010 at 12:30 am #
Actually… I’m personally in for $100 as well.
Dave Simmons
June 6th, 2010 at 2:15 am #
OK… I sent them my bright idea, which is, quit trying to stop the leak, since it seems to be basically impossible (and I’m a little surprised at that, but, whatever…). Position another oil drilling rig over the broken pipe and extend an oversize pipe over it, all the way to the sea floor, and recover the rising oil at the drilling rig by skimming or vacuuming it. (The catch is, since you can’t shut off the flow, you *have* to be able to capture *all* the oil coming to the surface *at all times*, of course… surely BP can manage *that* much).
Mike
June 6th, 2010 at 3:23 am #
Submitted my ‘bright idea’, reads as follows:
“Not being funny: An alternative to stop the leak, is to insert, what I can only describe as a cluster of giant ‘tampons’ into the pipe. Ideally, the composite material should tailored to absorb crude oil, and should be designed to expand radially (increase in diameter). In addition the pipe should be deliberately kinked in several places further up, which should help prevent the devices from being ejected due to pressure. (But keep the clean cut pipe opening at top to facilitate a cap. A watertight protective cover for the devices would only be removed once placed in the pipe.”
Expertise Required :
Existing medical device manufactures.
fra
June 6th, 2010 at 4:16 am #
Bre, I urge you to switch this to a fundraising platform. This can get big. And I throw another $100 in the hat (although the Euro is currently sinking like platforms in the Mexican gulf…)
If I have read it right, the problem is that we are dealing with extreme high water pressure there, but the oil pressure must be even higher. And that the oil is mixed with gas that expands when leaving the well.
So maybe it is a bit like preventing a coke light bottle with mentos from exploding? And when we got this right we should try it with a bottle of mousse au chocolat and soda…
greyarea
June 6th, 2010 at 4:37 am #
w̶o̶r̶l̶d̶ South of USA (:
Bre Pettis
June 6th, 2010 at 11:17 am #
Hey Fra, I agree that this would be better seen on a site that specialized in being able to handle crowdsourced xprize type things as Jerri mentioned. Maybe this is the first one? I’ve got an email out to my contact at kickstarter and I’m looking forward to what they say!
KAT
June 6th, 2010 at 11:27 am #
Wonderful idea! Kudos to you and all that are trying to do something not only positive but to end this disaster. Safe Guards need to be put in place before and ready to go at anytime not after like in this case. BP should pay for the entire cleanup, their assets should be frozen and used to pay for the damage. Billions of gallons of oil shooting out of the ocean floor can not be good for stability of the earth substructure. The wildlife destruction is heartbreaking. Lets use our collective thought power and focus to heal.
My Best to You
KAT
KAT TALES TV
Deepwater Horizon Call To Action – MakerBot Industries « 2010 Oil Spill
June 6th, 2010 at 12:21 pm #
[...] Click Here to Read Full Story [...]
Jeff
June 6th, 2010 at 1:03 pm #
I think that the feds should offer a $100 dollar a barrel bounty on recovered oil. Any thing that floats would be out collecting oil.
Krach
June 6th, 2010 at 1:31 pm #
If the pressure down there is so high,
just blocking the channel might not work.
But:
is it possible to insert a pipeline with
an expanding cone-shaped socket clamp?
So the oil could be collected in a tank.
The call for solutions is a great thing,
but I really hope, that BP won’t poison
our oceans for another two weeks…
Dave Durant
June 6th, 2010 at 1:58 pm #
I’ll add another US$100.
A bit in the MBI store which costs $100 but doesn’t ship anything might make it easier to pledge. Or maybe a T-shirt or something that costs $100 or something..
The World Needs a Solution to the Oil Spill Crisis. Do You Have It? « Ponoko – Blog
June 6th, 2010 at 3:34 pm #
[...] MakerBot recently announced their support of the Deepwater Horizon Unified Command (DHUC) call for alternative technology responses to stop the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill either at the spill or the source level. Engineers, makers, and problem solvers of the world are asked to submit their solutions to BP. [...]
VDX
June 6th, 2010 at 4:35 pm #
… i think i have a really good idea which can handle spilling outlets under water generally, regardles how deep they are or if it’s oil or another problematic outflow.
It’s relative simple to realize and don’t need big equipment.
How can i get in contact with the team or the decision makers?
Viktor
Skifter
June 6th, 2010 at 6:58 pm #
Refit the cutter bot that was just used to thread the end, twist on a valve, close the valve. Insert actuators as needed.
Jon
June 6th, 2010 at 7:12 pm #
The only solution is to take the incredible public interest in OIL due to this disaster and using it to push dramatic gains in the alternative energy sector including Nuclear (of course). So far, I haven’t seen this… blaming BP for the disaster is like blaming the local drug dealer for your crack habit.
Most oil actually goes into the production of plastic as well, so this would solve the world’s dependence on this material which is causing an even larger environmental disaster like the “plastic island” floating around in the Pacitic ocean. Plastic also releases a kind of estrogen and isn’t biodegradable making it even WORSE than oil in this regard. As a result, moving into sustainable wood production using locally produced goods (Ponoko & 100KGarages) would go a very long way.
There are so many alternatives it’s rather annoying that the general public at large continues to accept the status-quo for fear of getting out of their comfort zone, trying new manufacturing, distribution and material methods that aren’t as environmentally damaging.
You either get OFF oil or you accept the fact that this will happen, again and again, as it has in the past and will continue to well into the future. BP isn’t the problem, WE are the problem.
Jon @ WoodMarvels.com
Edward Miller
June 7th, 2010 at 2:16 am #
Carbon Labs pledges $100 toward this brilliant project.
Adrian Bowyer
June 7th, 2010 at 7:40 am #
Has anyone thought of freezing it?
At 1.5 km deep, the water must be about 4 C. Seawater freezes at about -2 C, though that point will be depressed slightly by the 150 bar pressure at that depth. So the temperature only has to drop by a bit more than 6 C. A reasonable amount of liquid nitrogen should be able to create a significant-sized block of ice round the leak. You’d have to incorporate weights (rocks?) into it as it froze to stop it floating, but that shouldn’t be too hard.
Just a thought.
Tom Kruer
June 7th, 2010 at 10:18 am #
@ Jon: Cannot disagree with your premise and dire view. Luckily, we are seeing more and more development of fuels and plastics from renewable sources (ex: Biodiesel and corn starch packing peanuts). Biodegradable plastics are making major headway into markets formally dominated by PE and PS. The next trend production from non-food sources. Go Algae!
VDX
June 7th, 2010 at 4:32 pm #
Hi Adrian,
… this was my first idea too
When piercing a tube into the outlet and pumping fluid nitrogen into the oil-spill, you’ll receive a clogging mass of nearly plastic-like behaviour … in the outer area the water will freeze too, so with time you’ll get a stopper from solidified oil with a hull of water-ice …
Viktor
Hugh Thomson
June 8th, 2010 at 8:42 am #
I got a response, does this qualify?
Dear Hugh Thompson,
Thank you so much for taking the time to think about and submit your proposed solution regarding the Horizon incident. Your submission has been reviewed for its technical merits. A similar approach has already been considered or planned for possible implementation. All of us on the Horizon Support Team appreciate your thoughts and efforts.
Sincerely yours,
Horizon Support Team
Greystone1
June 8th, 2010 at 9:15 am #
The drill pipe has a series of centering devices. There is a 3/8 inch gap between the devices and the casing wall. Golf balls cannot get past this gap. Raise the drill pipe until the damaged section is exposed above the BOP and there is a centering device within the flange above the kill tube and close the rams just enough to grip the drill pipe but not crush it. Cut off the damaged section. This gives us two plug points, top centering device and bottom centering device. Shoot golf balls down the drill pipe, followed by shredded rubber to plug the bottom. Do the same through the kill tube to plug the top.
Greystone1
June 8th, 2010 at 11:17 am #
As an added bonus, the bottom plug strategy could be used to help hold down the well during normal mud retrieval operations for all drilling rigs, making blowouts less likely in the future. As the drill is raised, the plug will follow.
Jessica Chapin
June 8th, 2010 at 10:25 pm #
Love it! Keep up the great work – it’s inspiring to see the involvement in coming up with solutions grow as the days pass (especially since we’re at day 50 with no solutions in sight).
http://www.gulfclean.org is gathering the exact ideas you’re looking for – the community has created one working prototype of a centrifugal separator so far. We’ve been pressing BP, but no response yet.
Frank Abernathy
June 10th, 2010 at 10:27 am #
I would suggest welding the top hat shut, but at that depth,the pressure on the oxyacetylene tanks might prevent them from working.
Plan B: Use a common hose clamp or have one made to fit. Make it wider than the top hat so it can be inserted over the pipe at the surface and dropped down below the top hat.
Attach a doughnut-shaped tubular piece of oil-resistant neoprene to the inside of the clamp so it won’t come loose. Drop this over the pipe at the surface and guide it down until it is encircling the remaining leak. Have the robots screw it tight until the leak is fixed. If there is still slight leakage, fill this in with epoxy or cement and cover with a second larger clamp.
Frank Abernathy
June 10th, 2010 at 10:33 am #
Oops! I forgot the first step. First of all, get your head out of your ass, then, proceed to the next step.
Carl Johnson
June 11th, 2010 at 6:32 am #
I have just been looking at all the ideas here, and thought of an idea of my own. BUT ! Its wether BP will take any notice, as ive read elsewhere that it will cost BP too much money to shut the pipe down. I dont pretend to even understand it, but my Idea is, to get a pipe-laying ship, raise the pipe to the surface, the boom that these ships have to lift the pipe, should be able to position the end of the pipe (thats leaking) over an open oil-tanker, surely that would enable the oil to be contained, and enable the engineers to sort the pipe out – on the surface.
Does that make sense ?
Greystone1
June 11th, 2010 at 10:05 am #
Install a chain mail screen under the cap. Shoot in golf balls until the top half of the BOP is filled with golf balls, then follow it with shredded rubber to seal it, then mud to hold down the well.
Greystone1
June 11th, 2010 at 10:25 am #
Actually, the cap isn’t needed. Just put a chain mail bag over the end and secure it under the flange.
Mike Deau
June 11th, 2010 at 1:40 pm #
How do I submit an Idea to you? I would love to have it peer reviewed by other engineers.
Mike Deau
June 11th, 2010 at 1:57 pm #
On further review, I decided just to write the idea down instead of waiting for response:
Insert a smaller pipe (“suction pipe”) into the main pipe (“oil pipe”), where the outer diameter of the suction pipe has a securely fastened kevlar reinforced neoprene bladder filled with ferrofluid. Afix a series of electromagnets along the circumference of the outside of the oil pipe corresponding to the same relative axial position of ferrofluid bladder.
Upon electrification, the magnets will produce and EMF that will attract the ferrofluid, pulling the reinforced bladder tight to the inner wall of the oil pipe. The force created on the inner wall of the oil pipe will have have a corresponding friction component (varies with the static coefficient of friction(unknown)) which will act axially to resist the flow of oil. Friction force can be increased by 1) increasing the electricity to the magnets [greater emf,will only work until saturation of the ferrofluid is reached] 2) adding more sections of bladders and magnets.
This solution will require an eminence amount of electricity and thus is by no means meant for a permanent fix. However, it will allow for the other solutions to set such as epoxy, cement and various other forms of mechanical fastening.
Mike Deau
6.11.10
Lyle
June 12th, 2010 at 6:24 pm #
I got a email back regarding my design! I am awaiting for more information soon. I am Civil Engineer – URI Graduate Licensee in MA. Since I got emailed back do I get money to help with design?
Greystone1
June 12th, 2010 at 7:04 pm #
Did you get the “already considered that” form letter like the rest of us?
Joel Nogueira Pacheco
June 13th, 2010 at 9:50 am #
Oi
Minha idéia é bem simples.
Considere três estágios: um sistema que resista a pressão, uma válvula mecânica para fechar o poço de petróleo e o fazer o aproveitamento econômico do poço.
O sistema de pressão tem como referencia o vulcão, na sua estrutura geral a altura do vulcão deve ser igual ao raio da base, para não permitir vazamentos periféricos do óleo. No detalhe ele é construindo em três modulos com chapas de material muito resistente e flexível.
Exemplo de construção dos modulos: duas chapa de 1 metro quadrado cada na pressão atmosférica normal, presas nos seus centros e sem fixa-las com parafusos e usando um produto para tirar o ar de entre as chapas elas resistirão a um peso de 10 toneladas.
A válvula mecânica tem como referência a válvula do coração, essa válvula é bem simples de se construir e seu gatilho é de fácil ativação, basta colocar um cano um pouco mais fino do que o diâmetro da válvula para permitir a passagem do óleo enquanto se monta os modulos no poço. Depois da estrutura está montada é só puxar o cano para ativar as válvula mecânica.
O aproveitamento econômico do poço é feito colocando uma válvula com acionamento eletrônico entre a válvula mecânica e o vazamento. Para que depois de fechado o poço, usar ela para destravar a válvula mecânica.
Esses modulos podem ser montados em qualquer terreno por causa das chapas flexíveis.E para montar os modulos no fundo do mar basta usar robôs que saibam usar parafusos e furar.
Bill Jamieson
June 13th, 2010 at 10:13 am #
RemoveBill Jamieson This comes with a disclamer in that all this is based on PSIG, rather than absolute and also common sense. The first priority should be slowing down the leak with the simpliest of ideas. The pressure on the sea bottom is about 2500 psig. The pressure of oil and gas coming out the blow is really hard to gauge as the oil… and gas coming out are hitting a low pressure even though it is 2500 psig is a big number at atmospheric pressure. The oil/gas mixture is leaving a high pressure enviroment and entering a low pressure area in a relative sense.
The simpliest idea, even though something similar has been used and failed because it was not simple enough.My idea is to use an inverted funnel with the funnels weight and outlet must be sized correctly. Even though we are loosing alot of oil, it is nothing that this industry have not seen before.
The steel funnels bottom diameter should be big enough to cover the blow out area, but I believe the bigger the better, as you want a large surface area for that 2500 psig to work on.
My guess it must be around 100 foot in diameter and think 50 foot would work also, as you the bigger it is, that surface area will give that 2500 psig make a better seal on the bottom. The outlet should be 6 inch drilling pipe and from this junction, you let the oil drilling industry take over and get this oil to vessels waiting on surface. I think they might try something like this, but its to small.
Patrick Arsenault
June 13th, 2010 at 4:23 pm #
“We appreciate you submitting your Alternative Response Technology (ART)
P
proposal to the Horizon Support Team. This note is to inform you that
we do have your information on record and will be processing it as soon
as possible. You will be informed of the disposition of your
recommendation following technical review.
Thank you!
Horizon
Support Team”
Greystone1
June 13th, 2010 at 9:23 pm #
Ahhh… the “we have a backlog” form letter.
Joel Nogueira Pacheco
June 14th, 2010 at 7:31 am #
Oi,
Se uma pessoa disser que a larva de um vulcão não sai de um ambiente de alta pressão que é o centro da terra para um ambiente de baixa pressão onde tem o ar que é a pressão atmosférica, consulte um físico que ele explica.
Porque usar uma válvula semelhante a uma válvula do coração?
Pergunte a um cardiologista se a válvula cardíaca não é uma válvula que resiste a altas pressões, ela é composta por três meios funis que permite a passagem do sangue de um lado e evita o retorno do sangue sobre pressão do outro lado.Por isso é mais fácil a pessoa ter um derrame na cabeça do que um problema na válvula por causa de pressão.
Pressão
Um modelo que resiste a pressão embaixo d’agua não resiste a pressão no ar e vise-versa, o modelo de vulcão não é uma estrutura compacta nem apresenta bolhas de ar embaixo d’agua. É esquelético como de uma ponte e suas linhas de resistência se baseia nas linhas da bandeira da inglaterra, porque contem triângulos que faz com que a estrutura fique resistente ao movimento.Pode ser verificado com os engenheiros que constroem pontes. Por isso a utilização de três modulos, que devem ser presos usando o principios da chapas.
Tente juntar duas chapas de 1(um) metro quadrado cada tirando o ar que fica entre elas, prenda com parafusos e puxe nos seus lados opostos. Na pressão atmosférica que é menor do que a pressão embaixo d’agua, tente separar as chapas, a força mínima que você vai fazer é o equivalente a 10(dez) toneladas. Eu tour dizendo que quanto maior a pressão nas chapas maior vai ser a resistência.
Greystone1
June 14th, 2010 at 7:10 pm #
I have no connections to the oil industry or sources of inside information, but here are a few bits and pieces I have garnered along the way:
There are any number of ways to plug the flow. That’s the easy part. The oil industry routinely uses an inflatable device called a packer. The question is not how to plug it. The question is where to plug it… and if.
The pressure at any given point is the source (oil reservoir) pressure minus the pressure to lift the oil minus pressure drops through restrictions along the way. When you plug the flow, the pressure drops through the restrictions are gradually eliminated and the pressure upstream from the plug ends up being source minus liquid lift. If methane bubbles its way up eliminating the liquid, then it is just source pressure. Estimates start at 9000 psi and up. That’s the problem.
For example, if the riser had been plugged while it was lying on the sea floor, given its relatively low burst pressure (1400 psi + 2400 psi water pressure on the outside = 3800 psi), even if it were in pristine condition, it probably would have burst. With it bent and cracked, there is no doubt about it.
I have heard that the BOP, which is designed to handle very heavy pressures, is showing signs of stress cracks, so plugging it at the top, or anywhere within, may in fact burst it.
We can move the plug point to the wellhead under the BOP, but here comes the really bad news:
The well is made up of concentric concrete casings. It is strongly suspected that the oil is coming up between the casings and leaking between the top of the inner casing and the heavy concrete slab which is holding it all down.
If sufficient pressure is allowed to build up under that top slab, the entire well structure could be launched, leaving a gushing crater that makes the current leak look like a dripping faucet by comparison. Or as one oil field worker put it, “You ain’t seen nothin yet”.
The safest bet at this point may be to produce as much oil as possible to hold down the wellhead pressures and wait for the relief wells… and this seems to be what they are doing.
Once they get all of their production piping in place and working, I would hope their next step would be entomb it all under a mountain of concrete, to hold down that top slab while they wait for the relief wells.
Greystone1
June 14th, 2010 at 11:43 pm #
In light of the above, I have been putting some thought into an improved tophat design:
I would unbolt the top flange on the LMRP and bolt on a 100 foot length of riser. About 50 foot up, I would install an open circular framework on the riser, whose diameter is considerably larger than the riser. Up another 25 foot would be a another circular, albeit closed frame with bouyant doors which open downwards. These would act as a check valve.
I would install a rubberized canvas tube between the frames. Then a much longer rubberized tube from the check valve frame to a bouyant distribution box near the surface. Being tethered to the riser, this box would simply float above it.
The distribution box would have several valved outlet pipes through which flexible pipes could carry oil to production vessels. This box would also have a relief valve to vent sudden pressure spikes, such as the methane spike which destroyed the drilling rig.
Ideally, the oil production would match the well output, resulting in no movement of the oil in the gap between the canvas sleeve and the riser pipe. If the output exceeds the production, the gap flow will be downward, pushing the check doors open, and oil will be pushed out the bottom. At this point the bottom 25 foot of gap will be filled with oil. When the production exceeds the output, the gap flow will be upwards, closing the check doors. No seawater will enter because of the oil contained in the 25 foot section below the check doors.
Hmmm… possible a ball check design would be better than door check, but you get the idea.
Dan McElrea
June 15th, 2010 at 1:04 am #
Hi are a specialist helical connection company from New Zealand. We have a solution for getting a good connection to the BOP, which obviously we are having trouble getting to BP like everyone else.
We have been filmed for a spot on National News here in NZ, but we need to prove our solution mathematically. Is there anyone out there who could help at all with constants like pressure, friction coefficients etc.
Thanks
Dan
Simon Moore
June 15th, 2010 at 2:28 am #
Hi
We have a helical approach – see 3 video links following http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpWg4L6rmow – which seems to have merit because:
1 It is self-locking and self-sealing
2 Creates a distributed load on the inside of the pipe (jagged top is irrelevant)
3 Is easily fabricated
4 Is somewhat inherently dimension tolerant
5 Initial testing with a ridiculously fragile helix suggests that if scaled up will easily withstand the pressure (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jr-8X0DEyLY )
6 Can be slender so inserted against the high psi down the sides of the flow
7 Has a servo locking character where the oil pressure will increase the lock and seal
You really need to look at all three videos – total play time is about 13min
Basic idea is
1 Oversize a spring to inside pipe bore (slender _ see latest video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5L4l2uADlW8 )
2 Reduce its diameter, by winding and or stretching
3 Take to seabed – reduced in diameter
4 Release spring so it unwinds to the pipe inner surface
5 Gradually close off attached valve – or take oil and gas to surface if worried about blowing BOP apart
6 Drink champers
Suggestions and comments welcome simon@puku.co.nz S or kype pukugolf or +64 21 471147
Cheers Simon
Tom Kruer
June 15th, 2010 at 2:48 pm #
@ Greystone, thanks for the excellent summary.
The only thing I would add is… there is unconfirmed suspicion that the cement intended to seal the casing to the rock side walls of the well is defective, leading to leaks through the seafloor that the public is not seeing. The bottom plug through the relief wells would also fix these seafloor leaks.
Paul Kane
June 15th, 2010 at 8:10 pm #
The basic idea is to use a laser guided torpedo with a titanium case and full of lead or depleted uranium if more density is required. The tip would be tapered to aid in centering in the pipe.
The torpedo would have radio controlled fins to work with the guidence system, and could even be used to cause the torpedo to spin for the last few hundered feet before entering the pipe.
Lower the torpedo to the right depth(one or two thousand feet) or from the surface if the math works out and it can then be steered to the target. Have carbon steel ridges along the outside in slight swirl patern like a drill bit. Start spin far enough from target to acheive needed rpm and then the torpedo will lodge into the pipe dramatically reducing flow. The steering fins could be designed to sheer off as it enters the pipe.
I would love to discuss this more if you feel it sounds workable.
Regards,
Paul Kane
Stephen
June 15th, 2010 at 9:34 pm #
I don’t know if this is a dangerous mixture chemically, but I’m curious if you could use liquid nitrogen to freeze the leaking oil and gas at the source, then if it’s cold enough to sustain it at that depth, you have a temporary fix long enough to make a permanent repair. Maybe just flood the whole location with concrete?
Probably a stupid idea, but one that came to mind.
Greystone1
June 16th, 2010 at 3:10 pm #
Is there a way to add jpeg’s to these posts?
Joel Nogueira Pacheco
June 17th, 2010 at 1:58 pm #
Oi
Os vazamentos periféricos no fundo do mar ao redor do poço, a minha ideia corrige facilmente porque o raio da base é igual a altura o que faz com que se cubra uma grande área, com o uso apenas de chapas do modelo, parafusos para fixa-las e da lama que a BP usou na tentativa de tampar o poço.
A chapa deve ser colocada sobre qualquer superfície e se injeta a lama para tampar os espaços internos fazendo com que fique parecido com uma ventosa, depois é só garantir fixando os parafusos.
Greystone1
June 18th, 2010 at 2:03 pm #
Here’s a way to prevent future blowouts:
Install a bypass line around the BOP. There would be a pressure relief valve in the side port of a tee just below the BOP which relieves into a methane separator, whenever the wellhead pressure is excessive. The separated methane portion is blown out into the sea (through a check valve), while the oil portion flows into a tee just above the BOP (through a check valve). No methane, no explosion, no excessive pressure buildup at the wellhead.
Greystone1
June 18th, 2010 at 3:24 pm #
As i understand it, the relief wells drill straight down and then turn towards the well. When they reach the outside of the well casing at the proper depth, they inject mud for a bottom kill.
Why not instead lower an angle drill into the well to that same depth, drill a hole through the side of the casing and inject the mud through the drill pipe for a bottom kill?
Greystone1
June 18th, 2010 at 3:33 pm #
Thinking BP should add a few zeroes to the bounty… and the government should make it tax-free… lol
BTW, my email address is shown wrong here… there is an “n” where there should be an “m”. How do I change that?
Greystone1
June 19th, 2010 at 10:47 am #
Hopefully corrected email addy.
Jeff
June 19th, 2010 at 11:24 am #
Could someone make a drawing of what the well head looks like. I know that the pipe is 21″ dia. with 1″ walls and has a 6 5/8 X.5 wall drill rod down the middle. I don’t know what the concrete below it looks like or what condition it is in. I assume that the lower structure is suspected to be faulty otherwise they would be working on capping methods instead of capturing methods. Therefore any successful design must be a surround and vent concept or must stop the flow at a considerably deeper depth.
Question:
How deep is the well?
Is the bottom open?
Is the tube perferated?
How deep is the drill rod?
What is this this saltwater methane gel and why can’t you push salt water down the drill rod to make the gel deep in the well?
A couple of things to remember.
At 2500 PSI not many things are a gas. If the liquid can’t expand into a gas then it won’t cool anything. CO2 is a liquid at 800 PSI
Ignition sources and methane are probably a bad idea when mixed.
Capping is probably not an option.
Jeff
Dan B
June 19th, 2010 at 8:34 pm #
I received an e-mail rejecting my design Sat 19 Jun 2010 12:08:43 PM CDT:
Dear Dan Beavers,
Thank you for your submission to the Alternative Response Technology (ART) process for the Deepwater Horizon MC252 incident. Your submission has been reviewed for its technical merits.
It has been determined that your idea falls into one of the following ART categories: Already Considered/Planned, Not Feasible, or Not Possible, and therefore will not be advanced for further evaluation. To date, we have received over 80,000 submissions with each submission receiving individual consideration and priority based on merit and need.
BP and Horizon Deepwater Unified Command appreciate your contribution and interest in responding to this incident.
Michael J. Cortez
Technical Manager
Alternative Response Technology Team
Deepwater Horizon Call Center – Houston, TX
Dan B
June 19th, 2010 at 8:46 pm #
My idea was to inject oxygen into the oil near the BOP and burn it there.
Anyone else have a response yet?
Greystone1
June 19th, 2010 at 11:58 pm #
I got this one 5/28:
Dear Gary Lloyd,
Thank you so much for taking the time to think about and submit your proposed solution regarding the Horizon incident. Your submission has been reviewed for its technical merits. A similar approach has already been considered or planned for possible implementation. All of us on the Horizon Support Team appreciate your thoughts and efforts.
Sincerely yours,
Horizon Support Team
The idea was (since they had a leak at the pushing end of the hydraulics) to lower a vacuum tank to suck the BOP hydraulics shut from the opposite end.
Greystone1
June 20th, 2010 at 10:54 am #
BOP design change:
Rather than trying to shear the drill pipe inside the BOP by brute force, why not set up stationary saw blades? When problems are encountered, spin the drill pipe and bring in two saw blades from opposite sides to cut through the spinning pipe. When the drill pipe is cut and drops down into the well, the BOP can be easily closed.
Two of these dual saw assemblies could be set up with the distance between them exceeding the length of the pipe coupling, so that if one is cutting a coupling, the other is cutting a pipe.
macnz
June 20th, 2010 at 9:23 pm #
l put 2 proposals to BP. They have come back to me on both of them. One a thank you for your concern etc. The 2nd email was a request for more information on my 2nd proposal which l have been designing and model mocked and sent 3 days ago.
Jack
June 21st, 2010 at 10:54 am #
I came across other efforts to design a solution for the oil spill at this website:
https://forum.solidworks.com/message/163279#163279
If anyone wants more information or to tune into the efforts of other people, its well worth the visit.
Sam Shepherd
June 21st, 2010 at 3:30 pm #
I have submitted the following and received the response by Horizon Deepwater Support attached at the end: THIS WILL CAP THE WELL OR SO REDUCE THE FLOW AS TO ALLOW CEMENTING.
Title Page:
This White Paper is being proposed as a
COMPLETE OR PARTIAL CUT OFF THE WELL
WITHIN 1 WEEK
(patent pending)
and is presented by:
Ms. Tommie Merimon, C.E.O
Missing Link Technology, LLC
13121 Louetta Rd, #1155
Cypress, Texas 77429
in response to the:
Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) HSCG32-10-R-R00019 as it specifically relates to item (2) Oil Wellhead Control and Submerged Oil Response request by the United States Coast Guard.
All Technical contact inquiries shall be directed to:
Mr. Samuel Shepherd
Missing Link Technology, LLC
13121 Louetta Rd, #1155
Cypress, Texas 77429
281-797-2501
Email: shepherd.sam@comcast.net
All Contracting inquiries shall be directed to:
Mr. James Hooper
Missing Link Technology, LLC
13121 Louetta Rd, #1155
Cypress, Texas 77429
714-501-8374
Email: jahooper@cox.net
SECTION A: Technical Approach:
The Proposed Solution to “killing the well” is as follows:
Input data:
The Well flow rate is estimated at 1620gpm through the 21 inch riser.
The velocity is calculated to be 1.5 ft/sec.
Based on this information, the kill would be accomplished by flooding the well with 30mm depleted U238 projectiles (Specific gravity=19.1g/cm3; having a settling velocity in crude oil of over 8ft/sec) similar to those used by the A-10 Wart Hog aircraft Gatling gun. It will take approximately 2-3 million projectiles to fill the riser tube to a depth of 5000ft for complete “kill”. The bottom pressure will not exceed 15,000 psi. The flow of oil will be directly proportional to amount of projectiles used.
To date, no other similar technology has even been considered. The depleted U238 is the most common isotope of uranium found in nature. It is not fissile and cannot support a chain reaction because inelastic scattering reduces neutron energy below the range where fast fission is probable. The U238 is less radioactive the crude oil coming from the well.
Around 99.284% of natural uranium is uranium-238, which has a half-life of 1.41 × 1017 seconds (4.468 × 109 years, or 4.468 billion years). Depleted uranium has an even higher concentration of the U-238 isotope, and even low-enriched uranium, while having a higher proportion of the uranium-235 isotope, is still mostly U-238. U238 is readily available from current DoD inventory (estimated at 480,000 metric tonnes) and production sources in the proper configuration and will result in a complete “bottom Kill” cutoff of the well. This cutoff will require about 1000 tonnes and will eliminate the oil flow or so reduce the oil flow and pressure as to then allow for the complete “top kill” using conventional cementing practices. These projectiles when dropped down the riser will assume a “free fall” configuration conducive to a positive well shutoff.
SECTION B: Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) Cost:
The total cost will be the cost of the 2-3million projectiles purchased from the DoD suppliers. The delivery will be through the discharging of the projectiles at the rate of 1000 per min using “off the shelf” automatic feed systems. The total cost of the well shutoff is detailed below:
Quantity unit cost Description Cost
3,000,000 $8 U238 DoD projectiles $24,000,000
300 manhrs $50/manhrs labor 24 hour operation $ 15,000
10 conveyors $560,000 conveyors for well entry $ 5,600,000
600 manhrs $200/manhrsTechnical personnel $ 120,000
License fees $5,000,000 Fees for Inte. Property $ 5,000,000
Total cost $34,735,000
Additional costs may include supply ships and personnel and setup time not allocated in this analysis.
Tommie Merimon
Ms. Tommie Merimon, C.E.O.
Missing Link Technology, LLC
Dear Samuel Shepherd,
Thank you for your submission to the Alternative Response Technology (ART) process for the Deepwater Horizon MC252 incident. Your submission has been reviewed for its technical merits.
It has been determined that your idea falls into one of the following ART categories: Already Considered/Planned, Not Feasible, or Not Possible, and therefore will not be advanced for further evaluation. To date, we have received over 80,000 submissions with each submission receiving individual consideration and priority based on merit and need.
BP and Horizon Deepwater Unified Command appreciate your contribution and interest in responding to this incident.
Thank you very much,
Horizon Response Team
Mac Baker
June 22nd, 2010 at 12:45 am #
I looked at it and then it hit me ….A Very large scaled Under sea Vehicle which acts as a screw pile with a hollowed core.
The model decends overtop of and encompasses the existing stucture. Post activation, the motors convert into self adjusting pressure check valves.which will all need to be tapped..
.I think this idea will fly.
I’m going to the above mentioned website to post my best guess
Mac Baker
Group Leader, Solidworks Richmond User’s Group
Tom Kruer
June 25th, 2010 at 10:21 am #
@MACMZ… Do you have a copy of the original e-mail that requested the additional information? If so, you may have satisfied the requirement to collect the bounty!i,e, 1. The first person who actually gets a response from DHUC specifying interest and/or requesting more information .
James Kelso
June 25th, 2010 at 1:23 pm #
First I have plugged blowouts in my time, not of this magnatude. Second has anyone contacted Baker Hughes tools in Houston. Third if that hole is open and if drawworks are over the blow out or can be stationed over the hole, Baker Hughes makes bridges, plugs , packers . Their engineers I know can design a tool that can be pushed down the hole with drill pipe with the tool attached to the pipe. Set the tool at that blow out and with openings cut into the drill pipe , start pumping cement directly into the well bore and out the openings in the drill pipe and up the casing walls. Set the drill pipe and leasve it in the hole to hold the bridge in place . You will have to cement at the well bore first because the casing has probably already been damaged. High gas pressures will cut that casing and if made in China or Brazile who knows? James in Tulsa
Greystone1
June 28th, 2010 at 2:22 pm #
Consider the humble junk shot. This is generally golf balls and shredded rubber. Why not combine the two by giving the golf balls a rubber coating? Let’s call them “plugballs”.
These could have a variety of uses beyond just the junk shot.
At the bottom of each concrete casing there is a seal. There could also be a stash of plugballs at these points which would join the upward flow stream in the event of a leak, to form a plug below the next seal up. There could be a chain mail screen under each seal to catch plugballs coming up from below.
A chain mail disk could be installed above the drill head. Before raising the drill. plugballs could be injected down the drill pipe to form a plug in the chain mail disk. As the drill is raised, the plug will follow, helping to hold down the well as well as pushing the mud upward for retrieval.
I’m sure there could be many more uses for plugballs… such as sealing leaking tophats.
Greystone1
July 1st, 2010 at 10:05 am #
If I could add only one safety device to oil wells everywhere it would be a tee fitting between the wellhead and the BOP with a pressure relief valve off to the side. Would this prevent spills? No… it would keep the wellhead pressure down to a level that protects the integrity of the well structure and the BOP and expel the oil/methane spill off to the side, giving the drillship workers a fighting chance for survival. All manner of recovery devices could then be quickly attached to this.
Frankly, I’m surprised this hasn’t been done.
James Kelso
July 1st, 2010 at 8:09 pm #
That well can be plugged!! But why would BP want to plug it? It has been blowing for 80 days and has not backed off. It must have a resevoir the size of earth. If it is making up to or more than 100,000 barrels a day,thats 5,500,000 gallons a day earning about 8,000,000 dollars, that is daily. They will stall untill they can find a way to produce that sucker. Maybe this fall , maybe and by then that part of the world will be polluted maybe forever. If they have proof that the hole is damaged , not open, so as you can’t get drill pipe or casing down the hole to the blowout, then I will shut up,but if it is open then they can get the pipe to the blowout, set a bridge and leave the pipe in the hole to hold the bridge and start high pressure pumping concrete into the well bore and up the casing walls, a space between the outer wall of the inserted pipe or casing to allow some of the oil pressure relieved to escape up the hole while concrete is being pumped. An engineer from maybe Baker Hughs that make bridges, plugs calculate that, and it would not take any longer to plug than it took to cement the casing to produce the well in the beginning. James 918-512-8809
J. L. Jones
July 2nd, 2010 at 12:18 pm #
I received the same response as Hugh Thomson, word for word. Sounds like a form letter. Wonder how many others out there got the same response.
Mario
July 2nd, 2010 at 6:05 pm #
I’m spanish, I received the same response too. (in fact, 7 weeks ago). My patented idea is about a pneumatic system to anchor and seal it. My e-mail: anclajesneumaticos@gmail.com
Greystone1
July 4th, 2010 at 11:42 am #
As I understand it, there are two flow paths at the top of the casing, one upwards through the BOP and the other downwards through the casing (then upwards through the drill pipe).
I would install a chain mail bag over the top of the BOP, whose links are just small enough to catch a golf ball, securing it under the top flange. Then pump in enough golf balls to completely fill the BOP. This builds mass without substantially building pressure.
Then pump in shredded rubber to seal the bottom of the BOP, thus eliminating the upwards flow.
Then pump in mud, which the downward flow will propel to the bottom of the casing, gradually reducing and stopping the downward flow.
If in fact there are leaks below the top of the casing… all the better as the mud will then flow outside the casing, too.
Islandbound
July 5th, 2010 at 10:14 am #
I have an idea that could focus wildlife recovery efforts for land and water based species. Its simple to create and implement and would cost under $100k to develop. Trying to look into patenting it now. Any advice?
James Kelso
July 7th, 2010 at 5:05 pm #
I told you all that BP will not plug the well, last night on MSNBC Olberman talked of a Canadian Co that produces peat moss that will absorb the oil, however BP stated if the oil was absorbed they could not recover the oil which would translate , they do not want the well plugged, they want to produce that cash cow. Why would BP and their investors plug a 8,000,000 dollar daily income well? The well can be plugged and if you don’t believe me why doesn’t someone call the engineers at Baker Hughes tools in Houston and ask them?
J. Gaines
July 9th, 2010 at 10:46 am #
SCORA System (Self-Contained Oil Retrieval and Anchoring System)
I’ve read estimates of the pressure from the well-head ranging from 3,000 psi to 50,000 psi. The bottom line is, pressure of that magnitude from a large diameter pipe is nearly impossible to stop, even temporarily, and more difficult to cap efficiently. The only way to fully contain the oil is to utilize and make the pressure the primary driver of a system. This system does exactly that.
My SCORA System design is basically a pipe with a funnel/bell-shaped flange at the base of the riser, used to catch oil from the well-head. The other end of the riser will have the umbilical tubes to connect to the semi-submersible rigs and tankers already in place. Inside the pipe is an impeller which is connected to a shaft, driving a gearbox/transmission that provides rotation to 3 compressors. These compressors are the “air pumps” used to create a vacuum anchor system to hold the makeshift riser to the sea floor. In essence, the stronger the pressure from the well, the stronger the system holds. Blow-off valves may be connected to the compressors to maintain consistent pressure in order to prevent collapse of the anchor pipes. The blow-off valves are controlled by a pressure regulator, which also engages/disengages a clutch allowing each individual compressor’s turbine shaft to engage the compressor, or spin freely. The hydrates formed could possibly hinder the system, but should be easily counter-acted with a large heating mechanism inside the bell. The heating mechanism could be from a series of peltiers and powered by the rotation of the impeller or turbine shafts.
I sent this idea to the response effort, which informed me that a similar idea is being planned for implementation. If that is the case, I’m amazed that someone else has thought of it, but I’m sure it’s a template letter used to make me quit sending them the same idea.
علام عبده محمد
July 10th, 2010 at 11:05 pm #
الى من يهمة الامر لقد أصبح الامر كارثة حقيقية بكل المقايس فى خليج المكسيك ولديكم الحل لانستسنى احد من المسؤلية فقد أرسلت اليكم فى 4/28 وعرضت عليكم وقف تسرب النفط فى غضون عشرين يوماً وأبتكار صناديق لجمع النفط المتسرب فى المياه وكان وقتها قيمة الاموال المصروفة على وقف التسرب لاتتعدى النصف مليار وكان النفط لم يبلغ الشواطىء وأكررها عليكم ثانياً حفر بئر أخر لن يمنع ولن يخفف التسرب ولكم مطلق الحرية أذا كنتم ترغبون فى الانتظار شهرين وثلاثة وأربعة والى ما ترغبون فى الحل ولكم حرية أتخاذ القرار وأذا ما وصلتم الى حل ستزداد الخسائر ولايعلم النهاية الأ الله
جمهورية مصر العربية /الاسكندرية /ت/0187049378 /014605721
Lance Richards
July 11th, 2010 at 1:49 pm #
Closing off a high pressure pipe is difficult because the fluid velocity increases as the orifice gets smaller. This is the major problem that prevents reliable closure. given that the pipe is 20 inches in diameter, the area is 314.16 square inches. The pressure may be 5000 PSI or 2,650 LBS over the 2350 ambient pressure at a mile down. This gives a total thrust of about 830,000 LBS.
A concrete cylinder of 5737 cu ft( 8′dia x 114′) weighs 830,000 LBS.
If a tapered cylinder could be made of about this mass, resembling a large ground glass perfume stopper, it could be set into a recepticle that could be dropped over the pipe. The recepticle would have to be of sufficient mass to prevent being blown out by the pressure, perhaps 20 to 30 feet in diameter. The plug could have plumbing preinstalled. the 6′minimum diameter of the recepticle would allow it to be lowered over the pipe without interfering with the flow from the pipeline. It’s mass would provide adequite sealing with the seabed. dropping the plug into the recepticle would be the easy part. Yeah, it’s expensive and time consuming,but it will work.
Greystone1
July 12th, 2010 at 10:12 am #
In all of the construction drawings, there are gaps between the casings. These gaps could be filled with bridging material and there could be screens placed under each seal designed to catch any material coming up from below.
Not only could this make the structure self-sealing, but it would tend to act as a shock absorber to prevent a methane surge from slamming up against the top of the structure.
علام عبده محمد
July 12th, 2010 at 11:00 am #
لقد طالت ازمة خلييج المكسيك فقد ارسلت اليكم بأنى على استعداد تام لمنع التسرب كلياً فى خليج المكسيك وفى أقل من شهر وارسلت ايضاً بأنى صممت صناديق لجمع النفط المتسرب فى المياه والان ارسل اليكم بثالث ابتكار وهو تصميم حاجز لحماية الشواطىء وجمع النفط وعدم وصولة الى الشواطىء وتوفير عدد العمالة وما أظن بأن تقدم أحد بحل متكامل مثل ما تقدمة به فأذا كنتم جادين ومهتمين فعلاً بأنهاء هذه الكارثة فتعجلوا بسفرى الى خليج المكسيك ونباشر اعمالنا وذالك بعد التعاقد وليس لدى اى استفسارات قبل التعاقد لان الحل هو مجموعة افكار فأذا بحت بها ذهبت هبائاً وما الاختراعات الا مجموعة أفكارمع تحياتى اليكم
علام عبده محمد
جمهورية مصر العربية /الاسكندرية
ت/ 0187049378 / 0146057421 /الرمز البريدى /21923
Greystone1
July 13th, 2010 at 10:42 am #
At any point where the methane pressure is below bubble point a hot tap could be installed and seawater could be injected to form a hydrate plug. This could have been done on the broken riser above the BOP.
Also, a heating jacket could have been installed on the riser through which hot fluid could have been pumped if the plug needs to be melted, thus having a way to both close and open the hydrate plug.
thomas
July 14th, 2010 at 5:23 pm #
the problem is the integrety of the pipe below the sea floor, has was compromised in the inital explosion (its broken under the sea floor).
when BP puts the cap on the well head it forces oil out of all the crack in the pipe under the surface of the sea floor which then erodes the rock and mud from around the well pipe. if enough material erodes away then the entire pipe will shoot out of the ocean floor and the leak will be essentially unstoppable at that point the oil will blast out of the hole in the seafloor (instead of the pipe now) and it will erode the rock and mud away until its a giant chasm instead of a 24″ gusher.
this is the reason that BP so far has not tried to cap the well. all the attempts they have made to date are to tap it and try to siphon as much oil to the top as possible. the more they try to cap the well the more the rock integrety down where they are trying to drill relief wells is compromised from iol leaking from the ruptured pipe 10000′ below the ocean floor.
basically what BP is trying to do is plug a garden hose that is on full blast that also has a TON of holes in the hose all the way down to the source. when you cap the end of it, the oil blasts out from the holes along the pipe causing a VERY serious problem. if you open the end up there is very little to no leaking down below.
t
Brian
July 18th, 2010 at 3:00 pm #
What was the outcome of this contest, did anyone ever win?
James Kelso
July 19th, 2010 at 4:51 pm #
Thomas you are right. Take an old water hose and open up the water full turn and then shut it in , it will leak or explode. If you have ever have pulled pipe from a once producing gas well, take a mirror and look inside the pipe you will see that the gas has cut the pipe whereas it is worthless, you can make fence posts out of it and that is what is happening to the casing in that well.They could run a long string slighty smaller that the existing casing down the hole to the well bore, cement the casing up the back side from the well bore to the ocean floor. The oil flow will then go up the new pipe and not out into formations and problems. The well can be produced and the income could be attached by our government to pay damage, lost income. The income from that well could be 8,000,000 dollars daily or more.
Greystone1
July 21st, 2010 at 5:09 am #
I would tend to agree if it weren’t for the obvious fact that the story keeps changing.
From the start it seemed fairly obvious that nobody wanted to plug the broken riser for fear of putting excess pressure on the wellhead.
But then they tried to plug it with a junk shot… and then they tried a top kill which raised the wellhead pressure to about 9000 psi… several times, punctuated by more junk shots.
Then they went back to saying it was too delicate to plug, therefore they needed to produce it.
Then they finally put the new cap on and closed (plugged) it, maximizing the wellhead pressure and were disappointed that it didn’t reach 9000 psi.
Now they tell us that going back to producing it would require opening up the gusher for three days.
BP should change their initials to BS. I don’t believe them anymore.
Greystone1
July 21st, 2010 at 5:19 am #
My favorite is the saw jam.
Some “expert” decided to shear the riser before sawing it, not only risking a sudden pressure slam to the wellhead and BOP, but virtually guaranteeing the saw would jam. The riser was rock steady until they sheared it so that it could bounce all over the place. An apprentice pipefitter would not have made that mistake.
Brendan Cusack
July 22nd, 2010 at 1:03 pm #
Capping the well is no longer the problem anymore, they are not responding because they don’t need to cap it and already know how to. They figured something out from the top kill method, and that is why top kill was halted for almost a day before anyone was informed. Top kill or any viable option they could have tried by now, should have worked, unless their was a leak further down. Its not being publicized yet but oil has been found leaking from the sea floor, this would mean that stopping the oil leaking from the pipe would increase the amplitude of the oil leaking in through the seafloor which would begin to erode away quite quickly, causing a much bigger problem. Its sad to say but the oil leaking from the pipe, is only minor in comparison to the real problem.
Greystone1
July 25th, 2010 at 11:48 am #
We are told there is natural “seepage” points all over the Gulf. I wonder if anyone has considered producing these, thus leaving the Gulf cleaner than nature intended? What I had in mind is a rubberized canvas tube with a concrete donut on the bottom and a sub-surface bouyant collection box at the top. The canvas tube could be unrolled from the surface like a fireman’s hose, with the donut lowered in a vertical position to minimize the introduction of hydrates. At the seafloor, the donut would be turned horizontal, covering the seepage point. The collection box would be drained/produced periodically. Any leaks from this system should not be considered spillage since this is oil that would have been in the water anyway.
Greystone1
July 25th, 2010 at 12:33 pm #
In fact, each barrel of oil collected from seepage could offset the oil company’s spillage elsewhere for purposes of fines. This in itself could make the whole scheme cost-effective. A win/win deal. I could envision small start-up companies dropping donuts to collect seepage oil and selling the offsets (spillage insurance) to the big oil companies.
Mike
August 5th, 2010 at 7:12 am #
received the following on Jun 23rd:
Dear xxxxxxxxx,
Thank you so much for taking the time to think about and submit your proposed solution regarding the Horizon incident. Your submission has been reviewed for its technical merits. A similar approach has already been considered or planned for possible implementation. All of us on the Horizon Support Team appreciate your thoughts and efforts.
Sincerely yours,
Horizon Support Team