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Engineers build underwater dome to stop oil spill from spreading

By | April 28, 2010, 4:06 AM PDT

If someone doesn’t stop the oil spill leak soon, we could soon be dealing with one of the worst oil spills in history.

After the off shore oil rig Deepwater Horizon went to flames and sank, an alarming 42,000 gallons of oil has been creeping into the Gulf of Mexico everyday. That’s why the major focus has been on stopping the leak.

BP sent robotic submarines to contain the spill, but it hasn’t exactly been working. The remotely operated vehicles haven’t been deployed in waters this deep before. BP expects it will take two months to build a replacement rig.

Some engineers have come up with a more promising idea: They want to plug the leak by placing a giant dome over it. Engineers are currently designing the giant dome, but it could take up to a month to build and is only viable as a short term solution. Ideally, the dome would stop the oil and then pump the oil into tanks on the surface.

But not everyone is so sure the dome will even work. Domes have never been used this deep before.

We know from the past, we must prevent oil form hitting the shore to minimize the amount of damage. Time is limited, as the oil is only 30 miles from the shore.

The spill could endanger wildlife and damage fragile habitats. And the beaches in neighboring states from Mississippi to my home state of Florida could be polluted. Three whales already have been seen with an oily coat.

Perhaps hoping the giant dome is a good solution might just be wishful thinking. Scientists are expecting the worst, saying the oil is likely to hit the coastline within days. The Wall Street Journal reports:

BP is also looking into lowering a dome over the leak to suck up the oil, which company officials think could be in place in two weeks. This was first tried briefly in 1979, about five months after the big spill ever at the Ixtoc well off the coast of Mexico. The dome was abandoned after two months, when it was damaged in rough seas.

Since then, the dome approach has been used more successfully, but at shallow depths. BP officials said engineers were studying how to use a dome in 5,000 feet of water.

Image: United States Coast Guard

Related Post:

Deep trouble for deep sea drilling?

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Boonsri Dickinson

About Boonsri Dickinson

Boonsri Dickinson was a contributing editor for SmartPlanet from 2010 to 2012.

Boonsri Dickinson

Boonsri Dickinson

Contributing Editor, Science

Boonsri Dickinson is a freelance journalist based in San Francisco. She has written for Discover, The Huffington Post, Forbes, Nature Biotech, Technewsdaily.com, Techstartups.com and AOL. She's currently a reporter for Business Insider. She holds degrees from the University of Florida and the University of Colorado at Boulder.

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Boonsri Dickinson

Boonsri Dickinson

In the unlikely event that Boonsri has a professional or financial relationship with a company she writes about, it will be prominently disclosed.

She writes for SmartPlanet and is not an employee of CBS.

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0 Votes
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RE: Engineers build underwater dome to stop oil spill from spreading
You cannot build a rig in two months - it may take two months at best to procure another rig, move it into place, and then have it seal the well.
Posted by RetTech
28th Apr 2010
0 Votes
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BP where is the Backup Plan
they should always have a Plan B, just in case things like this would happen and specially it happened before in 1979. they should learn from other people mistakes and make a backup plan to protect the wildlife and the shores from this evil black liquid.

Thanks
Posted by tha9110
28th Apr 2010
0 Votes
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RE: Engineers build underwater dome to stop oil spill from spreading
Why can't the Navy use the ROV to plant charges at the wellhead and use the explosion to cave in the borehole, plugging it up?
Posted by JTF243@...
28th Apr 2010
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RE: Engineers build underwater dome to stop oil spill from spreading
This is ridiculous. With the current fire fighting and safety requirements on board a drilling rig these disasters should never ever happen. The beneficial owners of this rig should be stoned to death for letting things get out of hand...
Posted by wild_stallion
29th Apr 2010
0 Votes
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Joseph Ferraye Invention
Like the inventor of the wells on fire in Kuwait in 1991 with his dome to stop the fire of hundreds of wells and reduce pollution (which so far he has not gotten any credit and has not gotten one penny from the billions paid by the Kuwait) a same kind of dome should be able to suck all the oil and water and reduce pollution on our coast.

From the Kuwait Gate (Joseph Ferraye and Christina Bassano) to the Mexico Gulf - oil is a big pb and a big pollution factor. I do hope we can manage to control the leak before the marine life around dies.
Posted by Kuwait Gate
29th Apr 2010
0 Votes
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RE: Engineers build underwater dome to stop oil spill from spreading
I do not understand why it is not possiblejust to put for example 100 or more concrete slabs, each 1000kg on the borehole, this should not be so difficult and should not take so much time to find or produce them. This would for sure stop the spilling? Andreas Jaross
Posted by ajaross
1st May 2010
0 Votes
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RE: Engineers build underwater dome to stop oil spill from spreading
I have a solution.. Cut a hole in the bottom of a tanker. Sink a tanker
over the leak. Oil will leak into the tanker displacing water. Pump the
oil out of the tanker into transport ships. ROVs can work inside the
tanker.
Posted by Joey Corbett
1st May 2010
0 Votes
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RE: Engineers build underwater dome to stop oil spill from spreading
I have a solution.. Cut a hole in the bottom of a tanker. Sink a tanker
over the leak. Oil will leak into the tanker displacing water. Pump the
oil out of the tanker into transport ships.
Posted by Joey Corbett
1st May 2010
0 Votes
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RE: Engineers build underwater dome to stop oil spill from spreading
Carry special fast setting cement bags in gunny bags in a wide based submarine with suitably designed base with a layer of explosives below the cement bags.Steer the submarine remotely over the leaking part with its wide base and explode the explosives to let a small mountain of fast setting cement in gunny bags fall over the leak.
Jitendra K Gulia
Posted by jaik
2nd May 2010
0 Votes
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RE: Engineers build underwater dome to stop oil spill from spreading
Want an alternative design ready to use within three days with naval submarines and a couple of ships playing the role to steer the custom made submarine carrying cement (which will take two three days to fabricate) on to leak. Please contact me for comprehensive design, fabrication methodology and and successful operation.
Jitendra k gulia
Posted by jaik
2nd May 2010
0 Votes
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RE: Engineers build underwater dome to stop oil spill from spreading
I have a plan to stop or at least slow down enough to contain most of the oil leaking out!!! please look me up Jpcphelp@yahoo.com "Master plumber" I'm sure you can make this plan work if your willing to take a look at it? Just want to help.Small plumbing company with a heart and a great plan.
Posted by Genaro Galindo III
3rd May 2010
0 Votes
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RE: Engineers build underwater dome to stop oil spill from spreading
My suggestion is to collect the oil as soon as it bubbles to the surface, then use it -- remove the seawater, and take the collected oil to any refinery.
Posted by AlexKovnat
3rd May 2010
0 Votes
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RE: Engineers build underwater dome to stop oil spill from spreading
Isn't there some way the military could torpedo or otherwise detonate a charge at the well-head to seal off this well? The tons of rubble caused might just plug the leak. Or would such an explosion likely make the leak worse? It might be worth a try, and it could be done quickly. Does anyone know where one would submit ideas on how to solve this tragic problem? Too bad BP didn't think about such a scenario in advance! What a disaster.
Posted by sacsound
3rd May 2010
0 Votes
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RE: Engineers build underwater dome to stop oil spill from spreading
I remember the Victorian engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel had to plugged leaks in the Rotherhithe tunnel under the Thames. He dropped bags filled with clay, held together with metal spikes. Still working hundred years latter.
Posted by CDinsley
3rd May 2010
0 Votes
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RE: Engineers build underwater dome to stop oil spill from spreading
We are all desperate about facts what this disaster is about. Some good ideas could be red as well here, some funny, some challenging, but the facts are that the oil is leaking out without knowing how to seal it. All of these drilling operations must have a workout "what if" and It is a big shame that such a huge, well known international company, leader in QHSE, could afford such a mistake??! And they do not have immediate solution to problem?!? Facts are that the BOP (blowout preventer) should seal the well in such a cases with abbility to shear any pipes and tools rig uses to drill or work on the well. Not sure if it is able to shear drill pipe tool joints (together with casing) in case if it is possibly found exactly at that point, as an coincident. Further, to seal the well there should be no pipe at all in the BOP, even after cutting them off..and there is another problem with the pressure. How much pressure is needed to do such a cut off job, knowing that the pressure at 1500m deep sea is cca 150 bar and who knows what is the operational pressure of BOP. There is not much information from the responsible side BP about these facts except how will they heal their shares and how long it will last to regain profit in their business...
Posted by neodoliwi
3rd May 2010
0 Votes
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RE: Engineers build underwater dome to stop oil spill from spreading
I can imagine a plan like this:
1- Fabricate a steel cone with bottom dia of about 12' and top dia of 1' and a height of 10'.
2- Weld a 12' dia ring, 5' long to the bottom of the cone so that it will sink into the ground over the oil outlet.
3- weld a tapered pipe to the top of the cone, 2' long with top inside dia equal to the outside dia of the pipe to be described next and bottom dia equal to the inside dia of the said pipe. this will be a receiving funnel for the said pipe.
4- Fabricate a 50' long steel pipe and weld to the top of it a funnel just like the one described above and to the bottom of it another tapered pipe 2' long so that when lowered on top of the receiving funnel it just snugs in tightly under its own weight.
5- Weld to the top of the pipe 3 tabs spaced 60 degrees around so that cables can be attached to them, purpose will be explained.
6- The above item in step 5 is a unit that can be repeated 106 times thus totaling to 1 mile long when stacked on top of each other.
7- Three barges should be located thru GPS around the center half a mile out and at 60 degrees apart.
8- Cables should extend from each tab on each pipe section to each barge to locate and brace the pipe.
9- A platform with boom should be located directly over the pipe to lower each section in place.
The above procedure will bring the oil to the surface where it can be loaded onto barges.
THE CHALLENGE:
It will require precision to guide each section on top of the other but with the 3 cable attachment the pipe can be guided at will'
Posted by Odie M Kivarkis
5th May 2010
0 Votes
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RE: Engineers build underwater dome to stop oil spill from spreading
Please revise 60 degrees where it occurs to 120 degrees.
Posted by Odie M Kivarkis
5th May 2010
0 Votes
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RE: Engineers build underwater dome to stop oil spill from spreading
drill hole in the side of riser pipe [insert some type of inflatable bag contact muller company[gas and oil drilling equipment] or willamson company .
Posted by edvelez2010@...
5th May 2010
0 Votes
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RE: Engineers build underwater dome to stop oil spill from spreading
Put the funnel above the hole that was stopped, then remove the plug on the first hole. Make the first hole larger. You will then be outputting less oil from the other two (or more) holes, and you can save the oil, save the environment, giving yourself more time to find and put a plug on the other holes.
Posted by kjihdc
6th May 2010
0 Votes
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RE: Engineers build underwater dome to stop oil spill from spreading
what if we could build a vacuum system and send that in a stretched tube close enough to the oil leak and run the tube to an on shore filtering facility to separate the oil and water i know the tube may take a week to make but the facility can be made in that week as well the dome idea would possibly work except that the oil is coming out with quite a high pressure rate and that jet may just shred it though we could ask the military for help as well there are engineering corps with experience on setting up water filtration stations and even ask if the navy could assist with an offshore filter station with the use of an air craft career the ship filters thousands of gallons of water i am sure with enough slight modifications we can clean up the oil and even save a few hundred barrels in the process not to mention the whole ecosystem
Posted by doctor who 11
7th May 2010
0 Votes
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RE: Engineers build underwater dome to stop oil spill from spreading
build a containment sleave in the shape of a clambshell, lower it onto the pipe (not around the leak) but about 20 feet from it. close the clambshell around the pipe and slide it over the leak. Now the leak is contained in the sleave. It can be piped to surface by a connecting pipe. or let it act as a temp plug. some leakage will come out of seams but about 95% contained. Pretty simple call john Brown 763-202-3404
Posted by johnbrown2010
8th May 2010
0 Votes
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RE: Engineers build underwater dome to stop oil spill from spreading
bolt a shut off valve to steel rectangular box. The box would have two halves with a hing attaching them (like a chest) each end of the box has a half round hole with radius slightly larger than dia of pipe that is leaking oil. lower the box around the pipe close to the hole (as mentioned in previouse post. The containment box can be slid over the leak. The pressure can be overcome by sliding over leak instead of lowering onto the leak. The shut off valve would have a hose going to surface it can be opened and oil pumped to tanker above. Or it can be closed to seal off the leak. This is preferable to a dome because it will have a better seal around pipe and two of these can be made, one for each leak. This can replace the dome by simply lowering this device onto pipe next to dome. Lift and remove dome. then slide containment sleave over leak. liquid nitrogen can be piped into the containment sleave to cool the oil and reduce leakage.
Posted by johnbrown2010
8th May 2010
+1 Vote
+ -
RE: Engineers build underwater dome to stop oil spill from spreading
Crimp or Squash the pipe to restrict the flow of oil.
Posted by ecomutt
13th May 2010
+1 Vote
+ -
RE: Engineers build underwater dome to stop oil spill from spreading
Why not just slide a HUGE steel plate over the mouth of the hole? Nothing sophisticated, nothing to engineer or build, just a solid steel plate. Think Harrison Ford and the ninja in the marketplace in Raiders of the Lost Ark 1. Instead of trying to fight the ninja on his terms, he just pulls out his gun and shoots the guy.

Download Excel file with a basic drawing of the concept: http://discretedata.com/A1/PlugTheHole.xls

So it wrecks the pipe ... Who cares at this point?
Posted by johnnyc323
14th May 2010
-1 Votes
+ -
RE: Engineers build underwater dome to stop oil spill from spreading
Now it appears either it is all happening either due to leadership failure or it has become a clandestine political issue that we are not getting results. I hope it is only former otherwise
it will have long lasting polital connotations.
By taking into account all factors of ignorance the quick fix is topple and empty ship loads of cement etc on top of the flow. Let it be one ship load ,two or three. Now tell me is it that big a job?
Can't you modify a vessel for this task within one or two days.
Is it still not downing on you that it is the only solution and a safe at that.
Come on Put your your foot down and DO IT!!!
Or else it will be known as bigger than Titanic failure the new BP failure.
President OBAMA need to kick now and order them to do what has been written above because it is affecting the confidence of people both in the corporate,technical and political leadership.
Jitendra K Gulia
Posted by jaik
23rd May 2010
-1 Votes
+ -
RE: Engineers build underwater dome to stop oil spill from spreading
You have to be kidding me. The saw got stuck cutting the pipe because you cannot cut through the pipe from one direction for several SIMPLE reasons that you obviously DO NOT understand. You have to cut around the periphery penetrating only SLIGHTLY through the surface as you revolve around the pipe. This requires you to follow a line and/or a set distance from an end piece (such as a flange). Are you telling me the greatest minds in the world don't understand the simplest of machining operations, limits, practices, and physical constraints due to fluid flow, force, and mechanical rigidity and alignment? Many among us as absolutely at a loss to fathom the limitless stupidity of those who can talk a load of crap, but do not possess the least particle of common sense or practical experience. You people disgust us.
Posted by misterww225
3rd Jun 2010
-1 Votes
+ -
RE: Engineers build underwater dome to stop oil spill from spreading
a ten ton block of steel with pylons on each corner to sink into the sea bed over the leak,pylons will help keep it in place.the block will have a funnel bottom leading to a valve ontop.slowly lower the block down with the same cranes used to build the rigs,as it is lowerd connect flexible oil piping to it till it reaches the bottom.the oil will take the least path of resistance to the surfaceto the waiting fleet of tankers-use a wye fitting at the top so one tanker can be hooking up while another is filling-you cant close the leak due to pressure so dont try till the relief well is complete,this will buy you the time.---HEY or just drill another well right next to it and suck harder BP.
Posted by stevethomsonfahrenheit
4th Jun 2010
+1 Vote
+ -
RE: Engineers build underwater dome to stop oil spill from spreading
a ten ton block of steel with pylons on each corner to sink into the sea bed over the leak,pylons will help keep it in place.the block will have a funnel bottom leading to a valve ontop.slowly lower the block down with the same cranes used to build the rigs,as it is lowerd connect flexible oil piping to it till it reaches the bottom.the oil will take the least path of resistance to the surface to the waiting fleet of tankers-use a wye fitting at the top so one tanker can be hooking up while another is filling-you cant close the leak due to pressure so dont try till the relief well is complete,this will buy you the time.---HEY or just drill another well right next to it and suck harder BP.
Posted by stevethomsonfahrenheit
4th Jun 2010
+1 Vote
+ -
Solution for the Oil Spill
Planetresource.net has a Eco friendly solution to clean up the tragedy British Petroleum has created, please watch the video animation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60bdQQQ3iVw and pass this along to as many people as you know.

One person can still make a difference in this world, is that simple interactions have a rippling effect. Each time this gets pass along, the hope in cleaning our planet is passed on.
Posted by annphilip
10th Jun 2010
+1 Vote
+ -
RE: Engineers build underwater dome to stop oil spill from spreading
My idea attempts to reduce the long term affects of the oil spill by containing the spread. Additionally, this will allow more time to come up with a permanent solution to stopping the leak.

Approach to contain:

Create a circular floating ring, large enough to complete surround the spill. Large enough to allow 4-5 oil tankers to anchor outside the perimeter of the floating ring. Attached to the ring is some type of netting, something that would allow water to filter through but not the oil. This meeting must be long enough to reach the bottom of the seabed where the spill is located. Weight the bottom of the circular netting. Drop the netting. Since the netting is not rigid, it should sit at the bottom of the sea bed regardless of the different angulations of the seabed. This should allow the oil to rise straight up where the tankers can begin to collect it.
Posted by wtamisin
11th Jun 2010
+1 Vote
+ -
RE: Engineers build underwater dome to stop oil spill from spreading
Construct a concrete steel reinforced cone. I magine it to look like an icecream cone upside down with a section cut off from the pointed end that is now up. We would now have a hollow cone upside down, almost like a funnel. Four holes must be left opposite each other about a meter from the top with connectors for flexible pipes that will eventualy transport quick drying concrete from a ship or barge down into the cone that will be lowered over the broken pipe. The size of this cone depends on how much area we need to cover around the broken pipe, but the walls of the cone should be about a meter thick with the bottom of the walls sharpened so when it gets to the sea bed it will sink in. It may be about four meters tall. About eight thick steel shafts must also be attached into the bottom of the cone at time of construction, these must be pointing down. At the lower end of these shafts there must be sand anchors. These anchors will be pushed into the sea bed by the weight of the concrete cone. The sand anchors should stop any up movement from the pressure of the oil and gas. The cone must now be lowered over the broken pipe and the oil will now gush out the top of the cone. Concrete must now be poured down the pipes from the barge. The concrete will seal off the bottom of the cone and attach itself to the broken pipe stopping any oil lealing out the bottom of the cone. Then continue to pour concrete until the shape of the cone forces the concrete to come together in and over the broken pipe. When the spill is sealed, another concrete ring, taller than the cone with one meter walls and sharpened bottom with the same shafts and anchors, must be lowered over the sealed cone. Once this is in place, concrete must be poured into the ring untill the cone is also compleatly sealed. With all this weight it should now be safe with no leaks out the bottom. When all this is complete, a new rig can be constructed and, the concrete drilled and resume oil production. Just an idea. Tony Boshoff from Malawi Africa.
Posted by boshoff
15th Jun 2010
+1 Vote
+ -
RE: Engineers build underwater dome to stop oil spill from spreading
They better be ready to pay me royalties I have been pitching this idea since day one . I one patent and copy rights sheshhh

http://www.stoptheoilnow.com
Posted by bondo321
16th Jun 2010
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