Oil well fire suppression device

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6666278
  • Patent Number
    6,666,278
  • Date Filed
    Tuesday, January 22, 2002
    23 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, December 23, 2003
    21 years ago
  • Inventors
  • Examiners
    • Hwu; Davis D
    Agents
    • Lukasik; Frank A.
Abstract
The present invention relates to oil well fire suppression devices, a self contained fire suppression device serving the dual purposes of extinguishing an oil fire and thereafter sealing the well against further leakage and re-ignition. The containment vessel physicaly contains and extinguishes the fire within seconds, channels and controls escaping oil and gas, and plugs the well with a removable bladder. Heat activated valves release liquid nitrogen into the fire column to use the force of the fire to suck nitrogen into the flame and thereby assisting in extinguishing the fire.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




1. Field of the Invention




The present invention relates to oil well fire suppression devices and more particularly to a portable, self contained fire suppression device serving the dual purposes of extinguishing an oil well fire and thereafter sealing the well against further leakage and re-ignition.




2. Background




In the recent Gulf war, Iraqi forces ignited over 600 oil wells in an effort to eliminate Kuwait's oil infrastructure. The conflagration lasted from February 1991 until Nov. 6, 1991. During this period it is estimated that the daily loss of oil and natural gas was between 4-6 million barrels and 100 million cubic meters respectively.




The two major problems encountered by firefighters in Kuwait were lack of equipment and lack of water. Cranes to lift the wellheads, backhoes to dig around the wellheads, dozers to build roads and move debris and equipment to fight the fires were in short supply and desperately needed for the firefighting to begin in earnest. Existing pipelines used to carry oil from gathering stations in the oilfields to the Persian Gulf were reversed to carry saltwater from the Gulf back to the oilfields to fight the fires. The logistical problems involved in pumping the 1.5 billion gallons of water that was eventually used to fight the fires slowed the flow of water to a trickle.




It was discovered that extinguishing the fire was not the most difficult part of well control. It's what is done after the fire is out that is dangerous. As long as the well is blowing, there is a possibility the well could flash and re-ignite, injuring or killing everyone on location. This dangerous potential is why one can't wait for water, or to borrow equipment from the next location. Everything has to be in place to cap the well once the fire is out. The less time spent capping the well after the fire is out, the less likely someone gets hurt.




Prior art methods for extinguishing well fires utilized vast quantities of water or explosive charges to snuff out the fire after which the well had to be approached for capping. Approaching the well was often complicated by the build-up of coke around the site which required excavation to be carried out in dangerous proximity to the gushing well. The risks are obvious.




The present invention is deployed using a large bulldozer such as a Caterpillar D11. The unit is attached to a hydraulically controlled frame mounted to the front of the bulldozer. The unit can be raised and lowered in order to position it over the well fire.




The unit operator is protected within a protective cab equipped with air conditioning, window cleaning systems, two-way radio communications, and an emergency escape plan/egress system.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




In a preferred embodiment the present invention provides a portable, self contained containment device for extinguishing oil well fires. It is a primary objective of the device to be able to rapidly deploy to a well fire site and, with a minimum of logistical preparation consisting simply of filling tanks within the containment device, and positioning it over the fire.




It is a further object of the invention to construct the containment vessel in a manner which utilizes well known principles of science to physically contain and extinguish the fire within seconds, channel and control escaping oil and gas, and plug the well with a removable bladder. The bladder being capable of withstanding well head pressures up to 800 psi. such as those found in wells in the Middle East




It is a further object of the invention to use escaping oil to cool the containment vessel and well head environment.




It is a further object of the invention to use heat activated valves to release liquid nitrogen into the fire column to use the force of the fire to suck the nitrogen into the flame thereby assisting to extinguish it.




In Operation




It is a further object of the invention to follow a sequence of deployment as follows;




1. Fill a water containment cylinder




2. Fill Nitrogen tanks




3. Open oil and gas escapement valves




4. Add sand to the leveling box to equalize weight




5. Approach vessel with lifting equipment




6. Raise containment vessel to 12″ above well head keeping the bottom of the vessel below the flames.




7. (If necessary) Proceed to the well at the direction of two spotters




8. Lowering the vessel in place once it is over the well casing. (It need not be perfectly centered)




9. Using the deployment vehicle as additional ballast to keep the vessel in place adds a further 203,000 pounds to the initial weight of the vessel (38,000 pounds.)




It is a further object of the invention to follow the above deployment sequence to initialize the extinguishment/containment sequence;




1. Cessation of oxygen to the flame




2. Heat activated nozzles release nitrogen




3. Perforated internal baffles break oil down




4. Flame is extinguished in 5-8 seconds




5. Vessel begins to fill with oil aiding cooling of the vessel




6. Gas release valve is slowly closed forcing remaining energy and flow of oil through the oil release valve




7. Once oil temperature is reduced sufficiently, oil release valves are slowly closed. Oil is now contained.




8. Expandable bladder is inserted into the well casing to restrict the flow of oil and gas.




9. With the bladder in place approximately 10′ to 20′ into the casing, the top of the bladder shaft can be removed, the oil drained from the vessel which can then be removed.




10. A “Christmas tree” manifold is fitted to the well casing providing a second valve containment means




11. Pressure is released from the bladder which is then raised above the level of the Christmas tree valve. Once it is above the level of the lower valve, it can be closed to complete the containment process.




Vessel Deployment




Utilizing a vehicle such as a Caterpillar D11, a continuous lifting beam is attached to each side. The lifting beam extends 30′ from the center pin to the front or lifting section. The beam extends 24′ to the rear of the center pin. Attached to the rear section are a pair of hydraulic cylinders. As the vessel approaches the well, the operator places the containment vessel in place as described. The rear cylinders are then activated and pressed into the ground lifting the bulldozer off the ground thus transferring its weight to the base of the containment vessel.




General Specifications




The following are the general specifications for a first embodiment of the invention;




1. (

FIG. 1-12

) Water containment Cylinder (


1


) 10′ diameter, 10′1″ high with a wall thickness of ½″ steel. Approximate weight 6,444 lbs. Purpose: to provide ballast, will contain approximately 13,000 lbs of water which will also serve as coolant.




2. (

FIG. 1-21

) Oil containment Vessel (


1


) 15′ high, 5′ diameter, wall thickness 1″ steel, approximate weight 9,525 lbs. Purpose: When placed over the well, it will penetrate the sand, sealing off the oxygen from the bottom. It will then fill with oil becoming as temporary of permanent containment vessel.




3. (FIG.


1


-


22


,


22


′) Steam relief vents (


2


) Size—6″ pipe 5′ long. Will release steam from the water containment cylinder.




4. (

FIG. 1-41

) Primary baffle (


1


) Size, 5′ diameter cone with flat top plate that has 36 2″ holes. Thickness—1″ plate. Purpose: To reduce the oil from one solid cylinder (column) to 32 individual cylinders thus reducing pressure.




5. (

FIG. 1-42

) Secondary Baffle (


1


). Size 5′ diameter 30 degree cone. Thickness ½″ plate with 1″ holes. Purpose: The further reduce oil particle size and thus oil pressure.




6. (

FIG. 1-43

) Third baffle (


1


) Size 5′ diameter 15 degree cone. Thickness, ½″ plate with ¾″ holes. Purpose: Same as second baffle.




7. (

FIG. 1-21



a


) Fourth baffle (


1


) 5′ diameter plate. Thickness ½″ plate with ½″ holes. Purpose: Same as other baffles.




8. (

FIG. 1-18



a


) Drain for water containment cylinder (


4


) Size, 4″ pipe with ball valve. Purpose: To drain hot water from the cylinder to allow for cool water to be pumped in.




9. (

FIG. 1-24

) Gate Valve (


1


) Size—12″. Purpose: To control energy being released from fire and well head.




10. (

FIG. 1-18



a


) Horizontal relief and control pipe. Size—8″ pipe. Purpose: Primary purpose is to release pressure in the vessel, the secondary purpose is to control the flow of oil.




11. (

FIG. 1-19

one only shown) Gate valves (


2


) Size—8″. Purpose: To control the flow of oil.




12. (

FIG. 1-18



b


) Check valve (


1


) Size—8″. Purpose: To prevent the flow of oxygen to the vessel. Will also allow for the flow of oil when required to so do.




13. (

FIG. 1



22


,


22


′) Water Pipe Connection (


4


) Size—4″ pipe with quick connects. Purpose: To allow the flow of water into the water containment cylinder.




14. (FIG.


1


-


50


,


50


′) Liquid Nitrogen Cylinder (


4


) Size 10″-48″. Purpose: To immediately cool the oil vessel while simultaneously extinguishing the fire.




15. (

FIG. 1-50



a


,


50




a


′) Insulation packs (


4


) Size—4″ mineral wool batt with protective covering. Purpose: To prevent overheating of the nitrogen tanks.




16. (

FIG. 1



21




c


) Spray foam insulation. Thickness—1½″. Purpose: To protect the oil vessel wall during flame suppression. Possible products—Fendolite M-11, Albi clad #800, Pyrocrete 241 or Kaowal Firemaster board.




17. (

FIG. 1



16


) Ballast Box. (


1


) Size 2′×10′×3″. Wall thickness—½″ steel. Purpose: To equalize weight and balance the unit. Can be filled with sand as required.




18. (

FIG. 1



51


,


52


) Nitrogen Piping and Heat controlled nozzles. (


4


) Size—4″ pipe. Purpose: To transfer Nitrogen from the tank to the vessel, with the nozzles releasing nitrogen at a specified temperature.




20. Ladder for maintenance purposes.




21. (

FIG. 3



30


) Motor unit to lower the shaft and bladder into the well casing.




22. (

FIG. 3



92


,


47


) Shaft and bladder.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS




FIG.


1


. is an isometric view partially in section of the oil well fire containment unit.




FIG.


2


. is a diagrammatic illustration of the oil well fire containment unit as it operates.





FIG. 3

is an elevational view partially in section of the oil well sealing unit.





FIG. 4

is an elevational view of the deployment means for the oil well fire containment unit.





FIGS. 5-8

are plan views of the baffles showing their differing screen sizes.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION




Referring now to the drawings wherein like numerals designate like and corresponding parts throughout the several views, in

FIG. 1

the unit is designated overall by the numeral


10


. water containment vessel


12


is filled through fill pipes


22


and


22


′. Ballast box


16


can be filled with sand. Oil containment vessel


21


encases baffles


41


,


41




a


,


42


and


43


. Well head


40


is covered by oil containment vessel


21


. Oil gushing from well head opening


48


is forced up toward lower baffle


41




a


then to baffles


41


,


42


and on up to baffle


43


. Holes


43




a


(shown only in baffle


43


) permit oil to fill container


21


. As oil enters container


21


, heat activates nitrogen release valves


52




b


and


52




c


and nitrogen is released from tanks


50


and


50


′ down pipes


51


and


52


. Gas is released through vent pipe


20


through control valves


24


and


26


. Valve


24


is controlled by wheel


24




a


which can be turned using chain


24




b


. Oil can be released through pipe


18


controlled by valve


19


. Oil containment vessel


21


can be drained through outlet pipe


18




a


. Center pipe


46


houses the shaft


92


(

FIG. 3

) which moves bladder


47


down into well head


40


. Motor controls for shaft


92


are contained in motor unit


30


. Lights


60


illuminate the scene for night operation.




Referring now to FIG.


2


. burning oil and gas


82


go up through oil containment vessel


21


. Gas


84


vents through pipe


20


and oil


83


vents through pipe


18


. Nitrogen vents through pipes


51


and


52


in the direction of arrow


80


. Bladder


47


is lowered into well head


40


through opening


48


.




Referring now to

FIG. 3

in which motor unit


30


is illustrated. Screw thread


91


connected to shaft


92


is turned by gear


97


and


97




a


driven by motor


98


. Thrust bearings


95


and


96


in housing


94


in casing


93


allow shaft


92


to rotate while under pressure. Mounting bracket


99


keeps the rotating components from binding while the unit is operating. Bladder


47


is lowered into well head


40


as shaft


92


is screwed downward.




Referring now to deployment of the unit as illustrated in FIG.


4


. Bulldozer


110


is fitted with cab


105


, rams


101


and


104


, and lift unit


100


. Fire suppression unit


10


is supported by front mount


103


of lift unit


100


and positioned over well head


40


as bulldozer


110


moves in the direction of arrow


108


. Once in position, ram


101


presses foot pad


106


down in the direction of arrow


107


. This causes bulldozer


110


to lift at the rear and by pivoting around pivot point


102


, transfers its weight to the containment unit


10


thereby increasing its stability over the well head


40


. Bracket


12


′ denotes scope of travel of fire suppression unit


10


.



Claims
  • 1. An oil well fire suppression and containment vessel, said vessel comprising:a water containment vessel having a top end and a bottom end, said water containment vessel having a lifting bar affixed on both sides of said top end, and an oil containment vessel having a top end and a bottom end, said oil containment vessel being contained within and axially aligned to said water containment vessel said second containment vessel forming a water containment vessel with said first containment vessel, a center pipe extending through and axially aligned to said first containment vessel and said second containment vessel, a plurality of perforated baffle plates mounted within said first containment vessel, each of said baffle plates being sequentially positioned on said center pipe, a cone shaped guide affixed to said first containment vessel aligned with said center pipe, said guide having an aperture formed therein, a plurality of liquid nitrogen tanks mounted on said top end of said water containment vessel, a plurality of connecting pipes and a plurality of heat activated valves, said connecting pipes running from said liquid nitrogen tanks and through said water containment vessel and connecting to said oil containment vessel, said heat activated valves for controlling the flow of liquid nitrogen into said oil containment vessel upon exposure to the heat of a burning oil well, and a plurality or vent pipes mounted on said oil containment vessel for conducting oil and gases from said oil containment vessel to a secure storage area.
  • 2. An oil well fire suppression and containment vessel of claim 1 wherein a motor unit having a mechanical screw means is mounted above said center pipe and a rotatable shaft being extended through said center pipe and driven by said motor unit, said screw means having an expandable bladder mounted at a lower end for mechanically sealing the opening of an oil well.
  • 3. An oil well fire suppression and containment vessel of claim 1 wherein a ballast box is attached to the outer surface of said water containment cylinder for weighting down said fire suppression and containment vessel to counter the force of the gushing oil and gas.
  • 4. The combination of an oil well fire suppression and containment vessel of claim 1 and a bulldozer having a lift unit at a front end, and a foot pad at a back end; said lift unit for engaging said lifting bars and carrying said fire suppression and containment vessel to the oil well fire and lowering said suppression and containment vessel, said foot pad for lifting said bulldozer and adding the weight of said bulldozer to overcome the pressure of the oil and gases emitted by the oil well.
US Referenced Citations (5)
Number Name Date Kind
4972904 Godare Nov 1990 A
5115869 Flavio May 1992 A
5121797 DeCuir, Sr. Jun 1992 A
5131474 Hunter, III Jul 1992 A
5158138 DeCuir, Sr. Oct 1992 A