Subsea collection and containment system for hydrocarbon emissions

摘要

A rapidly deployable flexible enclosure system for the collection, containment and presentation of hydrocarbon emissions from compromised shallow or deepwater oil and gas well systems, pipelines, other structures, including subsea fissures. The flexible containment enclosure can accommodate various depths and collection terminator configurations. The flexible containment enclosure system is connected to a floating platform and supported by positive offset neutral buoyancy attachment devices. The floating platform with the flexible containment enclosure separates liquid and gaseous materials and directs them to separate ports for removal from a rigid enclosure cavity integrated within the floating platform. Gaseous emissions may optionally be directed to a tethered floating flare system. The system has the ability to partially or fully submerge for extended durations and resurface on demand manually or by transmitted signal. The system provides for operation by a combined tele-supervisory and autonomous control system.

主权项

1. Apparatus for collecting, separating, and delivering a combination of gaseous product and liquid product emitted into a liquid environment beneath the apparatus, the apparatus comprising:
a self-supporting flexible containment enclosure (SSFCE) forming a tube having a lower end disposed at the source of the gaseous product and liquid product and an upper end; and including—
segments formed as elongated tubes, anda loop material flap formed at one end of each segment, and a hook material flap formed at the other end of each segmentwherein the hook material flap on a segment engages with the loop material flap on an adjacent segment, forming a continuous tube; subsea buoys attached to the segments for creating neutral or near-neutral buoyancy, a separator for separating the gaseous product and liquid product, the separator including—
a separator enclosure comprising a rigid enclosure attached to the upper end of the SSFCE,a liquid product conduit for delivering liquid product to a liquid product destination,a gaseous product conduit for delivering gaseous product to a gaseous product destination, anda concave diverter having a closed bottom and an opening at its top disposed within the separator enclosure for diverting gaseous product away from the liquid conduit; wherein the apparatus is constructed and arranged such that the gaseous product and liquid product enter the SSFCE lower end, rise within the SSFCE, and reach the SSFCE upper end and the diverter; wherein the liquid product conduit includes a first end disposed within the diverter to collect the liquid product and a second end spaced apart from the separator enclosure to deliver the liquid product; and wherein the gaseous product conduit includes a first end spaced apart from and above the diverter and the liquid product conduit first end to collect the gaseous product and a second end spaced apart from the separator enclosure to deliver the gaseous product.