US20120213588A1

US20120213588A1 - Fluid leak containment system

Info

Publication number: US20120213588A1
Application number: US13/404,800
Authority: US
Inventors: Tessema Dosho Shifferaw
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2010-08-02
Filing date: 2012-02-24
Publication date: 2012-08-23

Abstract

A fluid leak containment system for containing leaks of fluids, such as, but not limited to fossil fuels, during an underwater extraction process is disclosed. The fluid leak containment system may be configured to capture hydrates from the sea floor. The fluid leak containment system may be formed from a generally extendible, conically shaped containment structure including a plurality of decreasingly sized housing sections extending from an inlet to a smaller sized outlet. The housing sections may be formed from flexible materials that enable easy storage and rapid deployment. The outlet directs fossil fuels into a fluid containment device, such as, but not limited to, a vessel. The extendible containment housing may include an anchoring base configured to retain an inlet of the housing section at a bottom of a water body at a leak site.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/167,183, filed Jun. 23, 2011 that claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/344,477, filed Aug. 2, 2010, and this application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/457,314, filed Feb. 24, 2011, all of which are incorporated herein.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention is directed generally to fluid leak containment systems, and more particularly to containment systems for containing fluids leaking underwater during extraction efforts.

BACKGROUND

The tragic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 has brought awareness to the lack of adequate systems for containing an underwater oil spill. Underwater oil spills pose horrific risks to sea life and marine food sources for human populations in close proximity to the oil spill. In addition, underwater oil spills that occur close to the coast impact commercial fisheries and other maritime activities. The six months that were needed to seal the oil well rupture that caused the Gulf of Mexico underwater oil spill in 2010 has made the need for a fluid leak containment system very apparent.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A fluid leak containment system for containing leaks of fluids, such as, but not limited to, fossil fuels, such as oil and natural gas, during an underwater extraction process is disclosed. The fluid leak containment system may contain fluids leaking from a leaking well having a broken casing or pipe extending from a bottom of a water body, such as an ocean floor. The fluid leak containment system may be formed from an extendible containment housing formed from a plurality of decreasingly sized housing sections extending from an inlet to an outlet that is smaller than the inlet, thereby forming a generally conically shaped containment structure. The housing sections may be formed from flexible materials that enable easy storage and rapid deployment. The outlet may be configured to exhaust captured fossil fuels into a fluid containment device, such as, but not limited to, a vessel. In one embodiment, the series of cylindrical sections of flexible tubing housing sections may be disposed coaxially about the leaking pipe and joined together by conically tapered connectors to form a funnel-like container that extends between the ocean floor and a platform at the surface. Accordingly, there is, for example, sea water both inside and outside the extendible containment housing, and the pressure inside the extendible containment housing is the same as the pressure outside of the extendible containment housing.
In one embodiment, the fluid leak containment system may include an extendible containment housing formed from a plurality of decreasingly sized housing sections extending from an inlet to an outlet and formed from at least one first extendible containment housing section and a second extendible containment housing section. The first extendible containment housing section may have a larger cross-sectional area at an end that is closest to the second extendible containment housing section than an end of the second extendible containment housing section closest to the first extendible containment housing section. As such, the size of the housing sections is reduced moving towards the outlet. The inlet of the extendible containment housing may be configured to receive leaking fluids. A connector coupling may be positioned between the first and second extendible containment housing sections such that the connector coupling is attached to the first and second extendible containment housing sections, thereby placing the first and second extendible containment housing sections in fluid communication with each other. The flexible material forming the housing sections of the extendible containment housing may include, but is not limited to polyester fabric, polyethylene, and canvas.
The fluid leak containment system may also include an anchoring base coupled to an end of the at least one first extendible containment housing section opposite to the second extendible containment housing. The anchoring base may be configured to retain the first extendible containment housing section at a bottom of a water body at a leak site such that the first extendible containment housing section envelopes a leak yet also enables water from outside the first extendible containment housing section to enter the first extendible containment housing section while capturing leaked fluids, thereby providing for pressure stabilization. The fluid leak containment system may include one or more support structures to which a terminal end of the extendible containment housing may be attached. The support structure may be a floating structure. The support structure may include support arms configured to anchor the support structure to the bottom of a water body. The support structure may also be a fossil fuel extractor, such as, but not limited to, an oil rig. The housing sections of the extendible containment housing may be formed from a flexible material.
The fluid leak containment system may include one or more deployment subsystems in communication with the support structure to facilitate movement of the extendible containment housing between a deployed position and a storage position. The deployment subsystem may include a plurality of cables extending between the support structure and the extendible containment housing. The deployment subsystem may also include a plurality of cables extending between each section of the extendible containment housing and the support structure.
The extendible containment housing of the fluid leak containment system may include a plurality of sections coupled together with connector couplings in addition to the first and second extendible containment housing sections. The fluid leak containment system may include a conduit placing the extendible containment housing in fluid communication with a fluid containment device. In one embodiment, the fluid containment device may be a vessel.
The fluid leak containment system may also include one or more pumps in fluid communication with the conduit placing the extendible containment housing in fluid communication with a fluid containment device.
An advantage of this invention is that the fluid leak containment system may be used to effectively capture, contain and recover, oil leaking from an underwater site, such as, but not limited to, a ruptured, underwater extraction site.
Another advantage of this invention is that the fluid leak containment system may be stored in a manner enabling quick deployment beneath an oil rig or on the deck of vessel.
Yet another advantage of this invention is that the fluid leak containment system may be deployed one on top of the other in a repetitive arrangement for additional safety.
These and other embodiments are described in more detail below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the presently disclosed invention and, together with the description, disclose the principles of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a side view of a fluid leak containment system with an extendible containment housing in a deployed position and attached to a fluid containment device, which is shown as a vessel.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the fluid leak containment system with the extendible containment housing in a stored position on board a vessel.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the fluid leak containment system with the extendible containment housing in a stored position on board a vessel.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the fluid leak containment system with the extendible containment housing being deployed from a vessel.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the fluid leak containment system with the extendible containment housing being deployed from a vessel.

FIG. 6 a side view of the fluid leak containment system with the extendible containment housing in a deployed position and is anchored to the bottom with a cable anchoring system.

FIG. 7 is a side view of an alternative embodiment of the fluid leak containment system in a deployed position.

FIG. 8 is a side view of yet another alternative embodiment of the fluid leak containment system in a deployed position.

FIG. 9 is a side view of an alternative embodiment of the fluid leak containment system in a partially deployed position from a fossil fuel extractor.

FIG. 10 is a side view of yet another alternative embodiment of the fluid leak containment system in a stored position from a fossil fuel extractor.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the fluid leak containment system is use to capture fluids leaking from a vessel.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of an alternative fluid leak containment system for containing leaks of fluids in an underwater setting.

FIG. 13 is another perspective view of the alternative fluid leak containment system shown in FIG. 12 for containing fluid leaks in an underwater setting.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the alternative fluid leak containment system shown in FIG. 12 with the extendible containment housing 12 shown in cross-section.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the alternative fluid leak containment system shown in FIG. 12 with a drill shaft.

FIG. 16 is another perspective view of the alternative fluid leak containment system shown in FIG. 15 with a drill shaft.

FIG. 17 is a side view of the inlet of the extendible containment housing of the alternative fluid leak containment system shown in FIG. 12 with a drill shaft.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As shown in FIGS. 1-17, a fluid leak containment system 10 for containing leaks of fluids, such as, but not limited to, fossil fuels, such as oil and natural gas, during an underwater extraction process is disclosed. The fluid leak containment system 10 may contain fluids leaking from a leaking well 80 having a broken casing or pipe extending from a bottom 34 of a water body 36, such as an ocean floor. The fluid leak containment system 10 may be formed from an extendible containment housing 12 formed from a plurality of decreasingly sized housing sections 14 extending from an inlet 16 to an outlet 18 that is smaller than the inlet 16, thereby forming a generally conically shaped containment structure, as shown in FIGS. 1, 7 and 8. The housing sections 14 may be formed from flexible materials that enable easy storage and rapid deployment. The outlet 18 may be configured to exhaust captured fossil fuels into a fluid containment device 20, such as, but not limited to, a vessel. In one embodiment, the series of cylindrical sections of flexible tubing housing sections 14 may be disposed coaxially about the leaking pipe 80 and joined together by conically tapered connectors 18 to form a funnel-like container that extends between the ocean floor 34 and a platform 82 at the surface. Accordingly, there is, for example, sea water both inside and outside the extendible containment housing 12, and the pressure inside the extendible containment housing 12 is the same as the pressure outside of the extendible containment housing 12.
The extendible containment housing 12 of the fluid leak containment system 10 may be formed from a plurality of decreasingly sized housing sections 14 extending from the inlet 16 to the outlet 18 and configured to receive leaking fluids. In at least one embodiment, the housing sections 14 may be formed form at least one first extendible containment housing section 22 and a second extendible containment housing section 24. The extendible containment housing 12 may have a generally conical shape extending from the inlet 16 to the outlet 18. Thus, the extendible containment housing 12 may have the smallest cross-sectional end at the outlet 18 and the largest cross-sectional area at the inlet 16. In addition, the first extendible containment housing section 22 may have a larger cross-sectional area at an end 26 that is closest to the second extendible containment housing section 24 than an end 28 of the second extendible containment housing section 24 closest to the first extendible containment housing section 22.
The housing sections 14 may have any appropriate shape, such as, but not limited to, cylindrical. The housing sections 14 may be fabricated from a strong flexible material such as, but not limited to, a polyester fabric, polyethylene material, or canvas, which can be either waterproof or water-resistant and oil resistant, and tear-resistant under pressure, such as for example and not by way of limitation, tarpaulins. The first extendible containment housing section 22 may have a diameter of at least 30 feet in one embodiment and smaller sizes in other embodiments. The housing sections 14 may each have the same thickness or each different thicknesses and may be formed from the same or different materials. Each housing section 14 may have a length between about 500 feet and about 1000 feet, or longer, to reach a depth of 5000 feet or more. As shown in FIG. 1, the extendible containment housing 12 may be formed from four housing sections 14. In other embodiments, the housing sections 14 may be formed from other numbers of sections.
The first extendible containment housing section 22 may include an anchoring base 30 coupled to an end 32 of the first extendible containment housing section 22 opposite to the second extendible containment housing 24. The anchoring base 30 may be configured to retain the first extendible containment housing section 22 at a bottom 34 of a water body 36, such as, but not limited to an ocean, lake, gulf and bay, at a leak site such that the first extendible containment housing section 22 envelopes a leak yet also enables water from outside the first extendible containment housing section 22 to enter the first extendible containment housing section 22 while capturing leaked fluids, thereby providing pressure stabilization. During use, the anchoring base 30 may be suspended above the bottom 34 a distance of between about six inches and about 10 feet to form a gap 84, and more particularly, about four feet, to allow water to enter the funnel-like structure from the bottom 34. The anchoring base 30 may be sized to include a width or thickness of about two to three inches and a height of about twelve inches. The anchoring base 30 may have any appropriate thickness and may be formed from any appropriate material necessary to secure the anchoring base 30 to the bottom 34 to prevent movement of the inlet 16 despite water currents imposing forces on the housing sections 14. In at least one embodiment, the anchoring base 30 may be formed from steel. In another embodiment, at least a portion of the anchoring base 30 or components positioned in close proximity to the anchoring base 30 are magnetic. The anchoring base 30 may be formed from two sections such that a wall 40 forming the first extendible containment housing section 22 may be folded over a lower half 42 of the anchoring base 30, and an upper half 44 of the anchoring base 30 may clamp the lower half 42 in place, thereby ensuring that a seal is made. The anchoring base 30 may have other appropriate configurations as well.
The housing sections 14 may be coupled together with connector couplings 38 positioned between adjacent housing sections 14. The connector coupling 38 may be positioned between the first and second extendible containment housing sections 22, 24 such that the connector coupling 38 is attached to the first and second extendible containment housing sections 22, 24, thereby placing the first and second extendible containment housing sections 22, 24 in fluid communication with each other. The connector couplings 38 and the anchoring base 30 may be implemented in a variety of ways to ensure keeping the anchoring base 30 in position at the bottom 34 and the inlet 16 at the anchoring base 30. The connector couplings 38 may be formed from a durable material, such as, but not limited to, a plastic, which may be substantially lighter in weight than the anchoring base 30. The connector coupling 38 between the housing section 14 at the outlet 18 may be about eight feet in diameter. However, in other embodiments, the connector coupling 38 may have other sizes.
The extendible containment housing 12 may be supported by a one or more support structures 46 to which a terminal end 48 of the extendible containment housing 12 may be attached. The support structure 46 may have a variety of different configurations. In particular, the support structure 46 may be a floating structure enabling deployment of the extendible containment housing 12 in deep water. At shallower depths, say at depths less than 300 feet, the support structure 46 may include support arms 50 configured to anchor the support structure 46 to a bottom of a water body 36. The support arms 50 may be formed from an engineered structure and formed from materials, such as, but not limited to, steel and galvanized steel. In another embodiment, the support structure 46 may be a fossil fuel extractor 52, which may be, but is not limited to being, an oil drilling rig or a natural gas drilling rig, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. The extendible containment housing 12 may be supported under the fossil fuel extractor 52 such that the fossil fuel extractor 52 is positioned for fast deployment should a leak develop during extraction procedures being carried out by the fossil fuel extractor 52.
The fluid leak containment system 10 may also include one or more deployment subsystem 54 in communication with the support structure 46 to facilitate movement of the extendible containment housing 12 between a deployed position, as shown in FIG. 1, and a storage position, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The deployment subsystem 54 may include a plurality of cables 56 extending between the support structure 46 and the extendible containment housing 12. The cables 56 may extend generally vertically in the water body 36. The deployment subsystem 54 may include a plurality of cables 56 extending between each house section 14 of the extendible containment housing 12 and the support structure 46.
In at least one embodiment, the hydrostatic pressure would not cause a problem because the extendible containment housing 12 is not sealed at the top or the bottom, rather, the inside pressure should be the same or equal to the outside pressure. The fluid leak containment system 10 also accounts for ocean currents especially between the sunlight zone around 600 feet down from the surface of the ocean and the twilight zone roughly 3000 feet down from the surface of the ocean. In particular, the fluid leak containment system 10 may also include an anchoring system 58 configured to anchor the extendible containment housing 12 to the bottom 34. In one embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the anchoring system 58 may be formed from a plurality of cables 60 attached to the support structure 46 or the housing sections 14, or both, and attached to the bottom 34 of the water body 36. The cables 60 may be positioned equidistant from each other at four locations around the extendible containment housing 12. The anchoring system 58 may be attached to the bottom 34 in any appropriate manner.
The cable anchoring system 40 may be anchored from the top platform 82 and one or more of the connectors 18 and may extend in a range of approximately 30 degrees to 45 degrees with respect to the extendible containment housing 12 diagonally down to the bottom 34 of the ocean. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, a series of cables 60 may be anchored to the bottom 34. These anchoring cables 60 can also be repeated at every connector 18 or every other connector 18, if needed, to further secure the extendible containment housing 12. The cables 60 may be concentrated at the top portion of the extendible containment housing 12, since the upper part of the ocean is where most waves and under ocean current takes place. Nevertheless, anchoring cables 60 can also be included at the first extendible containment housing section 22 of the extendible containment housing 12 as shown in FIG. 6. The anchoring cables 60 may be formed of metal cable, chain, rope, or the like. The anchoring cables 60 may be attached to a corresponding connector 18 at four sides equally spaced, e.g., 90 degrees apart. The cable anchoring system 60 will ensure that the extendible containment housing 12 will stay in place during heavy storms. The anchoring cables 60 also addresses the problem of the extendible containment housing 12 being bent out of shape from any deep ocean currents.
The extendible containment housing 12 may be coupled with a fluid containment device 20. In particular, the outlet 18 of the extendible containment housing 12 may be in fluid communication with a fluid containment device 20, which in at least one embodiment, may be a vessel, such as a tanker ship. In at least one embodiment, the outlet 18 may be in fluid communication with the fluid containment device 20 via a conduit 62. The outlet 18 of the extendible housing 12 may be coupled to a collection chamber 64, which may be, but is not limited to being, formed from plastic or steel, and coupled to an airtight chamber 66 on a platform 82 of the support structure 46. A pump 86 may be positioned in fluid communication with the conduit 62 to assist in moving fossil fluids collected in the extendible containment housings 12 to the fluid containment device 20. The pump 86 may be formed from any appropriate pump capable of operating reliably in the harsh operating environment. A gas bleed valve 68 may be included in the conduit for bleeding off gases that pass through the system 10.
The fluid leak containment system 10 can be utilized for containing existing leaks or as a safeguard for preventing the escape of oil from future leaks, such as disasters like the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill. The fluid leak containment system 10 may be required to be used with all oil rigs that operate in the ocean or have a ship nearby ready to deploy the system 10. When the fluid leak containment system 10 is employed as a safety measure, pulleys can be anchored to the ocean floor 34 around the well 80, with cables 60 in place about them for pulling the heavy metal ring down and anchoring it in place.
In another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11, the fluid leak containment system 10 can be utilized for capturing fluids, such as, but not limited to, oil, leaking from a vessel. In particular, the fluid leak containment system 10 can be utilized for containing oil leaking from an oil tanker. In such an embodiment, at least a portion of the anchoring base 30 may be magnetized to easily attached the anchoring base 30 to the hull of a vessel surrounding a breach in a side of the vessel. In one embodiment, the components of the fluid leak containment system 10 other than the housing sections 14, the connector couplings 38 and the anchoring base 30 may reside on a vessel. The fluid leak containment system 10 may be contained on a vessel, such as an oil spill recovery vessel, and extended when needed to attach the anchoring base 30 and housing sections to a hull of a leaking vessel. The anchoring base 30 may be moved into position through any appropriate means, including, but not limited to, a crane attached to the deploying vessel.
Once the fluid leak containment system 10 has been deployed, the fluid leak containment system 10 can be backed up by deploying a second system of larger diameter over the first and connecting the two systems 10 together with the cables 60 that connect the extendible containment housing 12 to the platform 82 preventing the funnel from drifting. In other embodiments, additional fluid leak containment system 12 can be deployed periodically over the existing extendible containment housing 12 for extra safety and/or permanent usage.
In another embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 12-17, the fluid leak containment system 10 may include one or more heating systems 90 with at least one heater unit 92 positioned within the extendible containment housing 12. The heating system 90 may have any appropriate configuration, and, in at least one embodiment, may be powered by solar energy, fossil fuels, and other appropriate fuel sources. One or more heater units 92 may be formed in a circular shape. In one embodiment, the heating system 90 comprises at least one heater unit 82 in each of the first and second extendible containment housing sections 22, 24. As shown in FIGS. 14 and 16, each of the housing sections 14 may include one or more heater units 82.
In another embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 15-17, the one or more drill shafts 94 having at least one drill bit 96. The drill shaft 94 may be positioned concentrically with the housing sections 14 forming the extendible containment housing 12 and held in position with supports 98. In other embodiments, the drill shaft 94 may be positioned in other positions relative to the housing sections 14. The drive shaft 94 may be generally cylindrical or have another appropriate shape. The drill bit 96 may have a diameter as large as about eight feet and in some embodiments, larger. The drill bit 96 may include one or more heater units 92 positioned in the drill bit 96 such that the drill bit 96 may heat the hydrates while the drill bit 96 is being drilled into the ocean floor and in contact with surrounding sea floor materials. The drill shaft 94 may advance the drill bit 96 into the ocean floor a distance of about 10 to 20 feet. The drill shaft 94 may advance or withdraw the drill bit 96. The drill shaft 94 may be positioned within the circular heater units 92. The drill bit 96 may extend distally from the inlet 16 of the extendible containment housing 12. The drill bit 96 may have a generally helical configuration and may have any appropriate length, such as, but not limited to, between four feet and 30 feet.
During use, the extended containment housing 12 may be stored on a vessel, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, or under a fossil fuel extractor 52, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. The extended containment housing 12 may be stored on a vessel in a horizontal position, and may be transported to a site where the extended containment housing 12 is to be deployed in a folded state, with each of the folded sections resting on its side on a wheeled platform 70. Even though the housing sections 14 are folded in an accordion like fashion, the housing sections 14 may still be between about 500 and about 1000 feet in length. The wheeled platforms 70 may have progressively greater heights so that the centerlines of the different sections are aligned generally along a horizontal axis 72. In an alternate embodiment, the housing sections 14 may be folded and placed in vertical sections on the vessel.
The vessel may include a crane arm 74 pivotally connected to the bow of the vessel for movement between an upright position for transport and a horizontal position for use. The crane arm 74 may be supported in its horizontal position by a brace 36, which is pivotally connected to the crane arm 74 and to a bracket 78 on the front of the bow. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the crane arm 74 may be positioned in its horizontal position for deployment of the housing sections 14. The anchoring base 30 and the first extendible containment housing section 22 may be lowered about a ruptured well pipe 80. The platform 82 of the support structure 46 may be in place or positioned into place prior to implementation of the extendible containment housing 12 in order to provide support. While the first extendible containment housing section 22 is being lowered, the next housing section 12 is prepared for deployment, and the connector coupling 38 is attached to the two sections. After the first extendible containment housing section 22 has been fully deployed, its wheeled platform 70 is rolled aside, and the wheeled platform 70 for the next housing section 14 is rolled into position for deployment. The process continues until all of the housing sections 14 have been deployed, and the outlet is connected to the collection chamber 64 and the conduit 62.
Once the first extendible containment housing section 22 is secured, highly pressurized fossil fuels, such as, but not limited to, oil, flows from the leaking well into the lowermost housing section 14, which is the first extendible containment housing section 22, together with water that is drawn in from the sides through the gap 84. The pressure from the well 80 and the buoyancy of the oil and gas cause them to rise within the housing sections 14. The large diameter of the first extendible containment housing section 22 and the gap 84 between the first extendible containment housing section 22 of the extendible containment housing 12 and the ocean floor 34 prevent the pressure from damaging or destroying the extendible containment housing 12. In addition, the relatively large volume of water in the extendible containment housing 12 serves to dissipate some of the pressure from the well 80. The conical shape of the extendible containment housing 12 reduces the volume of oil, gas, and water to a manageable level and also adds pressure where it is needed, specifically, near the top of the extendible containment housing 12 and on the surface. If there is not enough pressure to deliver the oil and water to the fluid containment device 20, which may be a tanker, the pump 86 onboard the tanker may be used to assist in drawing the oil and water up into the tanker. The natural gas may be separated from the oil and water and directed to a storage tank in the tanker 20, and the oil and water may also likewise separated from each other in the tanker 20. The oil may be separated from the water through use of electricity in a self-contained process. Implementation of the fluid leak containment system 10 may be made efficiently in a matter of hours.
Gases may be collected using the fluid leak containment system 10. Hydrates are located at the ocean floor, above the crust. The methane hydrate gas molecules are not chemically bound to water molecules, but are trapped within a crystalline lattice.
During use to collect hydrates and other gases, the extended containment housing 12 be deployed such that a lowermost housing section 14, which is the first extendible containment housing section 22, may be positioned at an extraction site or other such location of hydrate release. The drill shaft 94 and drill bit 96 may be advanced into contact with the ocean floor and the drill bit 96 may be rotated and advanced into the ocean floor a distance of between, but not limited to, 10 and 20 feet. The heating system 90 may be actuated such that the heater units 92 begin to heat that water, hydrates and any other materials contained within the extendible containment housing 12 and surrounding the drill bit 96. Heating the hydrates release the hydrates as a gas contained within the housing sections 14 and surrounding the drill bit 96. The heater units 92 contained within the housing sections 14 continue to keep the materials within the housing sections 14 heated as the materials rise through the housing sections 14 ensure that the hydrates are released as a gas.
When the methane hydrate is heated, it becomes destabilized and turns into liquid water and releases the enclosed methane molecules as a gas via a disassociation process. The fluid leak containment system 10 may be used where methane gas is vaporized and flowing from the ocean floor already, may be used in areas where the gas is extracted via drilling, and may be used in areas where the gas is contained in ice at the ocean floor. Applying the heating system 90 with the heater units 92 to the ice causes the hydrates to be released and funneled through the housing sections 14 to the fluid containment device 20, such as, but not limited to, a vessel. The gases are captured in the fluid containment device 20 and then taken to port or wherever the gas is needed. The fluid containment device 20 could be attached to a pipeline extending from land. The captured gases can be processed to separate the multiple gases from each other.
The foregoing is provided for purposes of illustrating, explaining, and describing embodiments of this invention. Modifications and adaptations to these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art and may be made without departing from the scope or spirit of this invention.

Claims

1. A fluid leak containment system, comprising:

an extendible containment housing formed from a plurality of decreasingly sized housing sections extending from an inlet to an outlet and formed from at least one first extendible containment housing section and a second extendible containment housing section, wherein the first extendible containment housing section has a larger cross-sectional area at an end that is closest to the second extendible containment housing section than an end of the second extendible containment housing section closest to the first extendible containment housing section and wherein in the inlet of the extendible containment housing is configured to receive leaking fluids;

a connector coupling positioned between the first and second extendible containment housing sections such that the connector coupling is attached to the first and second extendible containment housing sections, thereby placing the first and second extendible containment housing sections in fluid communication with each other; and

at least one heating system with at least one heater unit positioned within the extendible containment housing.

2. A fluid leak containment system of claim 1, wherein the at least one heating system comprises at least one heater unit in each of the first and second extendible containment housing sections.

3. The fluid leak containment system of claim 1, further comprising an anchoring base coupled to an end of the at least one first extendible containment housing section opposite to the at least one second extendible containment housing.

4. The fluid leak containment system of claim 1, further comprising at least one support structure to which a terminal end of the extendible containment housing is attached.

5. The fluid leak containment system of claim 4, further comprising at least one deployment subsystem in communication with the at least one support structure to facilitate movement of the extendible containment housing between a deployed position and a storage position.

6. The fluid leak containment system of claim 5, wherein the at least one deployment subsystem comprises a plurality of cables extending between the at least one support structure and the extendible containment housing.

7. The fluid leak containment system of claim 6, wherein the at least one deployment subsystem comprises a plurality of cables extending between each section of the extendible containment housing and the at least one support structure and wherein the support structure is a floating structure.

8. The fluid leak containment system of claim 6, wherein the support structure includes support arms configured to anchor the support structure to a bottom of a water body.

9. The fluid leak containment system of claim 6, wherein the support structure is a fossil fuel extractor.

10. The fluid leak containment system of claim 1, wherein the housing sections of the extendible containment housing are formed from a flexible material.

11. The fluid leak containment system of claim 1, wherein the flexible material forming the housing sections of the extendible containment housing are selected from the group consisting of polyester fabric, polyethylene, and canvas.

12. The fluid leak containment system of claim 1, wherein the extendible containment housing comprises a plurality of sections coupled together with connector couplings in addition to the at least one first and second extendible containment housing sections.

13. A fluid leak containment system of claim 12, wherein each of the sections forming the extendible containment housing includes at least one heater unit.

14. The fluid leak containment system of claim 1, further comprising a conduit placing the extendible containment housing in fluid communication with a fluid containment device.

15. The fluid leak containment system of claim 14, wherein the fluid containment device is a vessel.

16. The fluid leak containment system of claim 1, further comprising at least one drill bit attached to a drill shaft, wherein the at least one drill bit extends axially from the inlet of the first extendible containment housing section, and the drill shaft is contained within the extendible containment housing.

17. The fluid leak containment system of claim 16, wherein the drill bit includes one or more heater units.

18. The fluid leak containment system of claim 1, further comprising

a second extendible containment housing positioned over top of the extendible containment housing, wherein the second extendible containment housing is formed from a plurality of decreasingly sized housing sections extending from an inlet to an outlet and formed from at least one first extendible containment housing section and a second extendible containment housing section, wherein the first extendible containment housing section has a larger cross-sectional area at an end that is closest to the second extendible containment housing section than an end of the second extendible containment housing section closest to the first extendible containment housing section and wherein in the inlet of the extendible containment housing is configured to receive leaking fluids; and

a connector coupling positioned between the first and second extendible containment housing sections such that the connector coupling is attached to the first and second extendible containment housing sections, thereby placing the first and second extendible containment housing sections in fluid communication with each other.

19. The fluid leak containment system of claim 1, further comprising an anchoring system for anchoring at least one of the housing sections to a bottom of a water body.

20. A fluid leak containment system, comprising:

at least one heating system with at least one heater unit positioned within the extendible containment housing;

an anchoring base coupled to an end of the at least one first extendible containment housing section opposite to the at least one second extendible containment housing, wherein the anchoring base is configured to position the at least one first extendible containment housing section at a bottom of a water body;

a connector coupling positioned between the first and second extendible containment housing sections such that the connector coupling is attached to the first and second extendible containment housing sections, thereby placing the first and second extendible containment housing sections in fluid communication with each other;

at least one support structure to which a terminal end of the extendible containment housing is attached;

at least one deployment subsystem in communication with the at least one support structure to facilitate movement of the extendible containment housing between a deployed position and a storage position;

a conduit placing the extendible containment housing in fluid communication with a fluid containment device; and

at least one pump in fluid communication with the at conduit placing the extendible containment housing in fluid communication with a fluid containment device.

21. A fluid leak containment system of claim 20, wherein the at least one heating system comprises at least one heater unit in each of the first and second extendible containment housing sections.

22. The fluid leak containment system of claim 21, wherein the extendible containment housing comprises a plurality of sections coupled together with connector couplings in addition to the at least one first and second extendible containment housing sections and wherein each of the sections forming the extendible containment housing includes at least one heater unit.

23. The fluid leak containment system of claim 20, further comprising at least one drill bit attached to a drill shaft, wherein the at least one drill bit extends axially from the inlet of the first extendible containment housing section, and the drill shaft is contained within the extendible containment housing.

24. The fluid leak containment system of claim 23, wherein the drill bit includes one or more heater units.