It will cost several million dollars to build quickly.
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The key element is the extremely-heavy-guage all-thread bolt with the spring-loaded barb on the end. The barb has to be extremely sharp and extremely strong, so that when it is set by the pulling-up motion of the electric anchoring motor it will cut through the pipe into the bedrock.
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The bell to be anchored over the wellhead has teeth at the bottom to prevent sympathetic rotation with the motor along the all-thread.
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It's simple. It will work.
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Send me my check.
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I should add that one of the reasons why the barb gets set into the pipe at bedrock level is to avoid creating a new escape point for the oil.
ReplyDeleteOne more thing: If it doesn't look like that cement BP is pumping down the hole is going to work, they should stop it immediately. They're going to put so much slop into the pipe it will foul up the works for a solution like the one I suggest here.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking of something a lot more fast. I don't know how much manipulation they can do at these depths, but I'd think this would be simple enough. I assume they don't have a straight line to work with. IT seems like a piple laying on the floor, looking at the live feed. I don't know how much pressure that can take. BUT, lets try this. INsert a tough canvas baloon into it (deflated). The baloon would have a doughnut hole in center with a pipe going thru it. That will prevent too much pressure build up too quickly.
ReplyDeletefill this tough canvas (or other tough substance with gas (possibly a gas cartridge in the baloon itself so they don't have to come up with some complex contraption to pump air down into the bag. Once inflated, the pipe in the middle allows oil to escape, avoiding large overload of pressure. Now, fill with concrete. That puts a big concrete plut there (above the level of the baloon). Make it several feet thick.
Now they have a concrete plug with a pipe coming out of it. Once they are sure the concrete is set, then plug the pipe, allowing pressure to build up and see if it can take it.
If other holes open up, move the operation up to next area . . . till all the holes plugged up. Like you said, the closer you get to its bedrock entrance, the better, less likely a leak will form.
Please reroute that check to my address
Hi, Tom. There are many questions associated with your proposed solution, but it's probably still good thinking in the proper direction.
ReplyDeleteI know that they SAID that they had some kind of "concrete" to put down the well, but how good is their concrete (1) under water and (2) at the temperatures and (3) pressures a mile down?
I would modify your device as follows...
Instead of relying on concrete, I would modify your pipe so that there is a reliable valve on top and then surround the opposite end of the pipe with a set of three donut-style inflatable bags, in series. Lower the contraption into the well, inflate the bags explosively with inflatable bag chemicals, and hope that the three donuts are enough to generate a good seal between the pipe and the well walls.
So, I'll share the check with you -- 90% to me, 10% to you.
The problem with air bag style donuts is precisely gauging the amount of compound needed to fill and keep it filled at the expected temperature and pressure. Air bags are HOT when that gas is emitted. That means that the pressure inside the bag when the unit is COLD has to be high enough to beat 2000 pounds per square inch ambient water pressure probably at 32 degrees Farenheit plus the pressure coming up out of that well.
ReplyDeleteSo, those bags have to be able to survive incredible pressures when the gas is cold, as well as MUCH MORE incredible pressures when the gas is hot.
I'm not sure that that kind of technology can be developed in a few weeks.
Do you know what work better? A SOCK! Run an enormous SOCK down that tube, and fill THAT with mud.
ReplyDeleteYou just lost your 10%.
BP's method, using a non-pressurized fitting, had to fail.
ReplyDelete