Oil/gas collector/separator for underwater oil leaks

Patent · 01 January 1993

OSTI ID:868791

Henning, Carl D ^[1]

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1. Livermore, CA

An oil/gas collector/separator for recovery of oil leaking, for example, from an offshore or underwater oil well. The separator is floated over the point of the leak and tethered in place so as to receive oil/gas floating, or forced under pressure, toward the water surface from either a broken or leaking oil well casing, line, or sunken ship. The separator is provided with a downwardly extending skirt to contain the oil/gas which floats or is forced upward into a dome wherein the gas is separated from the oil/water, with the gas being flared (burned) at the top of the dome, and the oil is separated from water and pumped to a point of use. Since the density of oil is less than that of water it can be easily separated from any water entering the dome.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• Assignee: United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
• Patent Number(s): US 5213444
• OSTI ID: 868791
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/405/
broken
burned
casing
collector
contain
density
dome
downwardly
downwardly extending
easily
easily separated
entering
example
extending
flared
floated
floating
floats
forced
gas
gas collector
leak
leaking
leaks
line
offshore
oil
pressure
provided
pumped
receive
recovery
separated
separator
ship
skirt
sunken
surface
tethered
top
underwater
underwater oil
upward
water
water entering
water oil
water surface