Gulf Oil Spill Timeline
This timeline was compiled from numbers published by Deepwater Horizon Unified Command.
Monday, May 10
Thursday, May 6
What is Plan B? Containing the oil spill
Turning the blowout preventer off has not worked so far (see my previous post).
So, now what? Plan B is a go.
As early as tomorrow, BP is going to try to put a lid over over the largest leak source. The containment chamber is designed to collect the oil so that it can be pumped to a tanker at the surface.
Update on May 13, 2010
Failed, at least so far. However, they released a cool video of the effort today.
So, now what? Plan B is a go.
As early as tomorrow, BP is going to try to put a lid over over the largest leak source. The containment chamber is designed to collect the oil so that it can be pumped to a tanker at the surface.
The system is made up of a 125-ton, 14’ x 24’ x 40’ containment chamber that will be set on top of the largest leak source which is about 600 feet from the wellhead. A 5,000 foot riser will convey the hydrocarbons to the surface ship, the Deepwater Enterprise, which has the ability to separate the oil from the water and gas. The oil can then be offloaded later at a terminal onshore.
Sounds easy, right? Wrong.
This is the first time this system will be used at this water depth. BP says at best this system could divert only 85% of oil rising from the seafloor. After Katrina, these type of structures were lowered over damaged wellheads to allow divers to repair wellheads, but at much shallower depths. There also may be a danger of pressure building in the containment structure as the oil gushes in.
Fingers are crossed.
Update on May 13, 2010
Failed, at least so far. However, they released a cool video of the effort today.
Monday, May 3
Oil Spill's Failure Nexus : the Blowout Preventer
During the wild and early days of oilfield operations, gushers would occur when underground pressures were encountered during drilling. There was no way to stop them until James Smither Abercrombie and Harry S. Cameron in 1922 devised a solution. Two horizontally opposed hydraulic rams were designed to close off a well at the surface of the wellhead. It was the the first blowout preventer or BOP.
To be honest, I never knew out about blowout preventers before this term entered the national lexicon last week with the continuing oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
In actuality there is not just one hydraulic ram on the modern day BOP. It is built to be foolproof with multiple redundancies. There are a series of hydraulic rams and a different valve called an annular preventer. As shown in the diagram below, the annular preventer usually sits on top of the BOP and has a rubber doughnut that is mechanically squeezed inward to seal the pipe.
Lets hope they figure it out.
Section Cuts of Rams:
WorldWide Oilfield Machine Co.
To be honest, I never knew out about blowout preventers before this term entered the national lexicon last week with the continuing oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
In actuality there is not just one hydraulic ram on the modern day BOP. It is built to be foolproof with multiple redundancies. There are a series of hydraulic rams and a different valve called an annular preventer. As shown in the diagram below, the annular preventer usually sits on top of the BOP and has a rubber doughnut that is mechanically squeezed inward to seal the pipe.
Houston we have a problem. Right now, engineers and specialist are gathered in Houston trying to figure out if this blowout preventer can be closed using six remotely operated robotic submersibles. So far attempts at closing this blowout preventer have been unsuccessful.
Lets hope they figure it out.
Section Cuts of Rams:
WorldWide Oilfield Machine Co.
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