By Ralph C. Whitley, Sr.
June 9, 2010
Let me tell everyone that what you see on CNN is only a fraction of what is needed to confirm or reject these Vertical 8 story items are DANGEROUS as the power is in two modules on top at 5,000 feet below the surface of the GULF plus the riser piping seems minus a check valve to keep the critical hydraulic oil inside the unit. My request for a diagram and possibly ability to get a top flange in the hands of the USCG, PRESIDENT AND BP for completely stopping this leak is CRITICAL DUE TO THE FAILURE OF BP to design a TOP HAT to fit precisely over the flange due to cuts just above flange on right side of riser plus top of riser is bent and damaged so immediate fit is impossible.
Brad Wehde had an idea using the REAMER to cut out the bad riser and ream deep into the flange then submit a formed plug which would grab the sides of the flange which is PERFECTLY ROUND and seal same forever. BP desires to keep drawing OIL so 49 DAYS STALLING resulted in Top Hat 4 only getting perhaps 20 per cent of the MILLIONS OF GALLONS OF OIL going into the Gulf. Such is unacceptable as for less perhaps than $20,000.00 and EIGHT HOURS TOPS a Branko R. Babic SLEEVE WITH WEIGHTS PLUS 21 INCH RISER PIPE WITH PRESSURE RATED GATE VALVE AND CIRCULAR WHEEL FOR ROV USE PLUS PIPE ON THE OUTGOING SIDE OF THE SHUTOFF TO A FLANGE would have allowed placing the item SECURELY on the flange machined surfaces with super heavy weights and special clearance on the OUTSIDE DIAMETER OF FLANGE ONE and more opening for the special clearance of OUTSIDE DIAMETER OF FLANGE TWO NEAREST TO BOP with the item super thick machined with super bolt holes drilled and tapped allowing locking down the unit over the second flange with threads and super bolts perhaps 2 inches or more solid steel or even stainless with enough clearance to pull into the flange and hold everything tight.
COMPLETE SAVE WOULD INVOLVE A NEW FLANGE, NEW RISER AND NEW SHUTOFF DIRECTLY ATTACHED TO THE TOP OF BOP WHEN THE TOP FLANGE WAS REMOVED. THEN ATTACHING THE NEW FLANGE WITH PIPE FLOW THROUGH AND SHUTOFF THEN PIPE THEN FLANGE WOULD ALLOW ATTACHMENT TO A FEMALE FLANGE RISER GE FLOTATION, AND THAT FIRST CONNECTION FROM THE SURFACE WOULD HAVE A FEMALE FLANGE WITH SHUTOFF THEN GO UP TO THE NEXT SECTION. SUCH WOULD ALLOW THE MAIN DUMP OF OIL, GAS TO THE FLANGE UP RISER PAST SHUTOFF TO FLANGE, AND WHEN SHUTOFF WAS CLOSED PARTIALLY THE FLOW OF OIL WOULD BE LESS BUT STILL THE RISER TO SURFACE WITH A WATERPROOF COVER COULD HAVE COVER REMOVED AND ALL FROM THE SURFACE WOULD HAVE NOTHING INSIDE PIPE….THEN ATTACHMENT SLOWLY TO RISER FEMALE FLANGE OVER THE SHUTOFF WOULD WASH ANY WATER OR OIL RESIDUE OFF OF THE MALE FLANGE THEN ONCE CONNECTED ALL WOULD BE NECESSARY IS TURNING OPEN THE RISER SHUTOFF AND OPENING THE BOP TOP FLANGE SHUTOFF TO PUSH ALL OIL AND GAS TO THE SURFACE WITHOUT ONE DROP GOING INTO THE GULF, AND THAT RISER WOULD BE FLOTATION GE TYPE RISER ALL THE WAY TO THE SURFACE WITH ANOTHER SHUTOFF SOME 300 FEET BEFORE SURFACE AS A BACKUP PROTECTION DEVICE WHICH COULD BE SHUT OFF BY A ROV IMMEDIATELY IN AN EMERGENCY, AND THE ENTIRE RISER WOULD STAND UP WITH FLOTATION. ALL would be possible with the new Cameron BOP top flange and a new riser package with care to insure a check valve on the hydraulic lines at BOP and top at surface 200 feet or so down from the sea bed. BP would have saved $750 MILLION using the Branko R. Babic Counter Pressure Plug or Counter Pressure Plug with sleeve, shutoff and flange OR replacing the BOP top flange and connections to flotation RISER GE PIPE once a shutoff was in place to slow down the flow then leave it open full going up to the top vessel.
Such replacement of the TOP FLANGE ON BOP would allow temporary shutdown for months if necessary to move more equipment and recover items on the bottom including the 11 men dead resting on the sea bed of the Gulf because then the ROV lights could find those bodies and remove the men to the surface using special slings with 55 gallon drums with covers added once they reached the surface to be transferred to crafts to be taken to a CORONER then buried with the family finally having closure while the Investigation continues retrieving all RISER PIPING, RIG and other items on the sea floor. A full investigation would reveal many things and some may even go to JAIL!
http://dailyhurricane.com/2010/05/acoustic-switch-would-not-have-saved-bp-well.html
Here many will see exactly and precisely what these monster BOP’s are all about and remember the power is usually in a MODULE down 5,000 feet and if memory serves me correctly the CAMERON BOP ON THE DEEPWATER HORIZON was a 2001 installation having two modules with batteries plus some other items such as a super large 36 inch match up flange with something on the bottom perhaps attached to the casing. Casing could have a rupture from the intense stress placed upon same when the rig went off course uncontrollably loosing thruster correction motors and pull from Gulf Waves and other stress pulling on the Riser not only could have damaged the UNDERSEA CASING but also damaged the riser at the TOP FLANGE which was considered critical to stop the flow in the GULF right now and since 04/26/10.
FOR THOSE CAPABLE OF MAKING DRAWINGS AND REQUESTING PICTURES OF A BOP, FLANGED TEE, FLANGED HIGH PRESSURE GATE VALVES WITH WHEEL SHUTOFF, 90 DEGREE ELL FLANGED AND BOP LYING ON THE SEA BED WITH CONNECTIONS TO SPOOL PIECES OR WHATEVER WOULD MAKE IT SAFE CAN REVIEW THE FOLLOWING PHOTOS THEN MAKE UP SOMETHING:
1.
An 8 story BOP (Blowout Preventer).
2. Adapter Spool Between Tee and Shutoff or Shutoff and BOP Bottom Flanges.
3. Flanged 90 degree Elbow Mitter
4. Flange For Drawing Tee and 90 Degree Elbow
5. High-Pressure-Gate-Valve
Now see if you can follow. 8 Story BOP is laid down on steel “I” beams Standard painted or dipped maybe 100 feet wide.
Perhaps 20 “I” Beams are placed on the ocean floor near the casing which has a TEE with ALL GATE VALVES ON EACH THREE FLANGES. FLOW THROUGH TO TOP OF GULF WITH SIDE OUTLET HORIZONTAL WITH GATE VALVE THEN SPACER OR SPOOL TO BOTTOM OF BOP CASING MATCH UP SEALED ON BOTTOM OF BOP. OUT OF TOP OF BOP THERE IS A FLANGED 90 DEGREE ELL AFTER ANOTHER SPACER OR SPOOL TURNING UP TOWARD SURFACE WITH A SHUTOFF VALVE THEN FLANGE TO JOIN SURFACE RISER WHICH ALSO HAS A SECOND FLANGED SHUTOFF AND FLANGE MALE TO FIT PERFECTLY WITH BOP OUTGOING ITEMS.
Purpose….get the 178 TONS off of the Casing and insure the BOP cannot be pulled out of line or fracture the casing itself. Multiple shutoffs allow BOP to be removed if necessary for repairs. TOP FLOW ON THE TEE would have a super flange sealing the top shutoff area and having special welded flanges of perhaps 10 inch pipe X 2 for MUD and CEMENT to be pumped under super pressure forcing the oil and gas back and sealing the well casing then closing the supply side shutoff will allow the concrete to set up without blocking the shutoff globe valve seals. One could ARGUE for a WYE FITTING OR TWO WYE FITTINGS ON THE CASING RISER BEFORE SHUTOFF WITH THEIR OWN SHUTOFFS TO ALLOW MUD OR CONCRETE TO BE PUMPED IN BEFORE SHUTOFF IS OPENED AS ONCE CLOSED YOU COULD PUMP ANY AMOUNT OF CONCRETE MIXED WITH FRESH WATER OR MUD MIXED WITH FRESH WATER INTO THE WELL CASING HOWEVER DEEP DESIRED TO SEAL A WELL OR STOP PRESSURE PROBLEMS SHOULD A CASING BE DAMAGED.
I am not an artist but surely Brad or even Steve can take the written ideas, look at the flanged items and place them in a drawing to show WHY A BOP must be lying down on the sea floor with I beams under same.