Method and system for oil release management

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9598830-B2
Application number	US-201314408241-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 2, 2013
Priority date	Jul 18, 2012
Publication date	Mar 21, 2017
Grant date	Mar 21, 2017

Abstract

Method and system is described for enhanced oil release management system by using one or more booms, one or more skimmers and one or more floating burners. The method and system may include skimmers to capture a fluid that is supplied to the floating burner.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for managing an oil release, comprising:
towing at least one boom, at least one floating burner and at least one oleophilic skimmer from a marine vessel through a body of water;
containing oil in the body of water within the at least one boom;
capturing a fluid within the boom via the at least one oleophilic skimmer;
passing the captured fluid via tubing to the at least one floating burner; and
combusting at least a portion of the captured fluid via the at least one floating burner, wherein the at least one floating burner includes a floatation section and a burner section, the burner section positioned on the floatation section above a surface of the body of water, the burner section including a captured fluid injection line in fluid communication with the tubing.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein capturing the fluid within the boom via the at least one skimmer comprises:
passing an oil-attracting material through the body of water;
moving the oil-attracting material from the body of water into a skimmer body; and
removing the captured fluid from the oil-attracting material.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the captured fluid comprises at least 80 volume percent hydrocarbons.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the captured fluid comprises at least 90 volume percent hydrocarbons.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the captured fluid comprises 99 volume percent hydrocarbons.

6. The method of claim 1 , comprising treating the captured fluid with a demulsifying fluid prior to passing the captured fluid to the at least one floating burner.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein passing the captured fluid to the at least one floating burner comprises heating the captured fluid prior to combusting the captured fluid.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein combusting the captured fluid via the at least one floating burner comprises injecting air from an air compressor into the at least one floating burner.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein combusting the captured fluid via the at least one floating burner comprises injecting a combustible fluid into the at least one floating burner.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the combustible fluid is methane.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the combustible fluid is diesel.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the combustible fluid is gasoline.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the combustible fluid is a marine fuel oil.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein combusting the captured fluid via the at least one floating burner comprises managing a hydrocarbon-to-air ratio of the at least one floating burner.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein managing the hydrocarbon-to-air ratio of the at least one floating burner comprises measuring an oxygen content of the at least one floating burner via an oxygen sensor.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein managing the hydrocarbon-to-air ratio of the at least one floating burner comprises measuring a temperature of the at least one floating burner via a temperature sensor.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein managing the hydrocarbon-to-air ratio of the at least one floating burner comprises measuring a carbon dioxide content of the at least one floating burner via a carbon dioxide sensor.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein managing the hydrocarbon-to-air ratio of the at least one floating burner comprises adjusting an amount of air injected into the at least one floating burner.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein managing the hydrocarbon-to-air ratio of the at least one floating burner comprises adjusting an amount of methane, diesel, gasoline, or marine fuel oil injected into the at least one floating burner.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein marine vessel has a length less than 120 feet in length.

21. The method of claim 1 , wherein towing at least one boom, at least one floating burner and at least one oleophilic skimmer from the marine vessel through the body of water comprises towing a first boom, a first floating burner and a first oleophilic skimmer from a first side of the marine vessel and towing a second boom, a second floating burner and a second oleophilic skimmer from a second side of the marine vessel, wherein the second side is opposite the first side.

22. The method of claim 1 , wherein towing at least one boom, at least one floating burner and at least one oleophilic skimmer from the marine vessel through the body of water comprises:
towing a first boom and a first oleophilic skimmer from a first side of the marine vessel;
towing a second boom and a second oleophilic skimmer from a second side of the marine vessel, wherein the second side is opposite the first side;
towing a floating burner disposed adjacent to the first boom and the second boom.

23. A system for managing an oil release, comprising:
a marine vessel;
at least one boom configured to be towed from the marine vessel and to contain oil within the boom when being towed;
at least one oleophilic skimmer configured to capture fluid; and
at least one floating burner coupled to the at least one oleophilic skimmer and configured to be towed from the marine vessel, receive the captured fluid from the at least one oleophilic skimmer via tubing and combust at least a portion of the captured fluid, the at least one floating burner includes a floatation section and a burner section, the burner section positioned on the floatation section above a surface of a body of water, the burner section including a captured fluid injection line in fluid communication with the tubing.

24. The system of claim 23 , wherein marine vessel has a length less than 120 feet in length.

25. The system of claim 23 , wherein the burner section comprises:
a stack;
a reservoir tank; coupled to the stack with an air gap disposed between the reservoir tank and the stack;
a reservoir cup disposed within the reservoir tank and configured to flow fluids from a rim of the reservoir cup into the reservoir tank;
an air injection line disposed in the reservoir cup and configured to provide air in a direction toward the stack; and
the captured fluid injection line configured to provide captured fluid from the skimmer into the reservoir cup.

26. The system of claim 25 , wherein the air injection line is configured to provide air into the reservoir tank in a direction toward the stack.

27. The system of claim 25 , wherein air injection line is configured to be below the captured fluid level in the reservoir cup.

Assignees

• Exxon-Mobil Upstream Res Company
• Exxonmobil Upstream Res Co

Inventors

• Nedwed Timothy J
• Tidwell Amy C
• Buist Ian A
• Belore Randall C
• Cooper David W

Classifications

• F23G2204/103

  gaseous or liquid fuel · CPC title

• F23G2900/7013

  Incinerating oil shales · CPC title

• E02B15/048

  Oil collectors moved over the water skimming the water surface · CPC title

• E02B15/042 Primary

  Devices for removing the oil by combustion with or without means for picking up the oil · CPC title

• F23G7/05 Primary

  of waste oils · CPC title