SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING AND STOPPING OIL DRILLING FIRES

SYSTEME POUR COMBATTRE ET ARRETER LES INCENDIES DE PUITS DE PETROLE

English Abstract

System for controlling oil well fires by blocking the production or drilling
pipes. A box incorporating a movable piston is fitted around the pipe. The
piston carries, on its forward end, a drilling cylinder (3), which can be
brought to the pipe by a hydraulic piston-cylinder arrangement. Subsequently,
the drilling cylinder drills through the pipe wall and after that the drilling
cylinder or a separate plugging cylinder (4) is left in the drilled hole and
blocks the fluid flow through the pipe. The process is remote controlled.

French Abstract

Système qui permet de lutter contre les incendies des puits de pétrole en bloquant les tiges de production ou de forage. Une boîte comportant un piston mobile est fixée autour de la tige. Le piston porte, à son extrémité avant, un cylindre de forage (3) qui peut être amené sur la tige par un dispositif piston-cylindre hydraulique. Ensuite, le cylindre de forage perce la paroi de la tige, puis le cylindre de forage ou un cylindre de colmatage séparé (4) est laissé dans le trou percé, bloquant ainsi l'écoulement de fluide par la tige. Le processus est commandé à distance.

Claims

1
CLAIMS
1. Valve equipment for blocking oil and/or
gas drilling pipes, comprising a drilling and blocking
mechanism having a frame (12) mounted on support of
the pipe (7) to be blocked, the frame (12) comprising
a first frame part transversal to the direction of the
pipe and disposed at the first side of the pipe, and a
second frame part disposed at the other side of pipe
opposite to the first side; a hydraulically rotatable
drill (5) for boring through the pipe, the drill being
arranged inside the first frame part to move transversally
in relation to the direction of the pipe; a
plugging cylinder (4) for plugging the hole bored to
the pipe, the plugging cylinder being arranged inside
the first or the second frame part to move transversally
in relation to the direction of the pipe, and
means for moving the plugging cylinder (4) into a
plugging position at the hole bored to the pipe,
characterized in that the drilling and blocking mechanism
comprises stuffing boxes (14) made of hard material
which are disposed inside the first frame part and the
second frame part between said frame part and the
drill and the plugging cylinder for directing the
movement of the drill and the plugging cylinder, the
stuffing boxes having sharp front ends facing the pipe
the front ends being shaped to the form of the outer
wall of the pipe, and the stuffing boxes being movable
in the guidance of said frame part transversally
towards the pipe from opposite sides of the pipe for
sealing of the plugging seam of the pipe; tighteners
(15) for pushing the stuffing boxes against the pipe;
and locking means (16, 19, 20) for locking the tighteners
into a fixed position in relation to the frame
parts.
2. Valve equipment of claim 1, characterized
in that the guide means of the frame (12) is provided
with an inner thread and the tightener (15) is

2
provided with an outer thread for co-operation with said
inner thread.
3. Valve equipment of claim 1 or 2, characterized
in that a plain bearing (17), profitably a chrome
strip, is arranged between the tightener (15) and
the stuffing box (14).
4. Valve equipment of any one of claims
1 - 3, characterized in that the locking means comprise a
frame groove (20) at the cylindical inner surface of
the frame part, spring-biased blocking locks (16) in
the frame groove (20), and a locking groove (19)
around the outer surface of the tightener (15) for
receiving the blocking locks.
5. Valve equipment of any one of claims
1 - 4, characterized in that the drilling and blocking
meachanism comprises a compressed oil packing (18) for
sealing the axle (13) which rotates the drill (15) to
the stuffing box (14).
6. Valve equipment of any one of claims
1 - 5, characterized in that the valve equipment comprises
a plurality of drilling and blocking mechanisms
arranged consecutively along the pipes (7), and that
in each two adjacent drilling and blocking mechanisms
the boring directions of the drills (5) through the
pipe are opposite to each other.
7. Valve equipment of claim 6, characterized
in that in each two adjacent drilling and blocking
mechanisms the blocking directions of the plugging
cylinders (4) are opposite to each other.
8. Valve equipment of any one of claims
1 - 7, characterized in that the valve equipment comprises
three or more drilling and blocking mechanisms.
9. Valve equipment of any one of claims
1 - 8, characterized in that the drilling and blocking
meachanism comprises an axle (13) having a drilling
cylinder (3) provided with a drill (5), a power source
(8) for rotating the axle (13), a piston (2) attached

3
to the axle (13), and a hydraulic cylinder (1) for
moving the piston and the axle in the direction of the
axle: and/or that the valve equipment comprises box
clamps (6), a blocking bolt (9), a pressure battery
(10), a hydraulic container (11) with lines, a mechanism
to utilize hydrostatic water pressure, and/or an
automatic control and surveillance system.
10. Valve equipment of any one of claims
1 - 9, characterized in that the point of the drilling
cylinder (3) is ball-shaped and provided with a blade
which is hydraulically projected and pulled back,
whereby the drilling cylinder (3) also acts as the
plugging cylinder (4).
11. valve equipment of any one of claims
1 - 10, characterized in that the drilling cylinder (3) is
conical and is provided with a dynamic drill size
regulator, and that the plugging cylinder (4) is
conical.
12. Valve equipment of any one of claims
1 - 11, characterized in that the the plugging cylinder
(4) is hollow and lockable by oil pressure or
explosive.
13. Valve equipment of any one of claims
1 - 12, characterized in that the drilling cylinder (3) is
a cylinder with a blade on its point.
14. Valve equipment of any one of claims
1 - 13, characterized in that the drill (5) is disposed
centrally at the point of the drilling cylinder (3).
15. Valve equipment of any one of claims
9 - 14, characterized in that the drilling cylinder (3),
plugging cylinder (4) and the drill (5) are disposed
to receive their forward motion energy from pressure
batteries (10) through the piston (2), the axles (13),
the hydraulic cylinder (1) and the hydraulic container
(11) as well as the lines.
16. Valve equipment of any one of claims
9 - 15, characterized in that the drilling cylinder (3)

4
and the drill (5) are disposed to receive their rotating
motion energy from pressure batteries (1 0)
through the piston (2), the axles (13), the hydraulic
motor used as the power source (8), the hydraulic
container (11) and the lines.
17. Valve equipment of any one of claims
9 - 16, characterized in that the box clamps (6) have a
two-part structure in order to be installed around the
pipe (7) from the sides.
18. Valve equipment of any one of claims
9 - 17, characterized in that the inner side of the box
clamp (6) is conical and provided with a thread.
19. Valve equipment of any one of claims
9 - 18, characterized in that the blocking bolt (9) is
lockable in place with explosive or by hydraulics.
20. Valve equipment of any one of claims
9 - 19, characterized in that the blocking bolt (9) is
wider than the outermost oil and/or gas drilling pipe
(7) and has a tapering V formed point.
21. Valve equipment of any one of claims
1 - 20, characterized in that the drilling cylinder (3)
and the plugging cylinder (4) have an outside diameter
larger than the inner diameter of the oil or gas
drilling pipe (7) to be blocked and smaller than the
outside diameter of the oil or gas drilling pipe (7) to
be blocked.
22. Valve equipment of any one of claims
1 - 21, characterized in that the blade of the drilling
cylinder (3) is disposed to be brought out mechanically
and/or hydraulically when the drilling cylinder (3)
starts to rotate and is pulled back into the drilling
cylinder (3) mechanically and/or hydraulically when
the rotating direction changes.
23. Valve equipment of any one of claims
1 - 22, characterized in that the the outside of the
drilling cylinder (3) has a grinding surface.

5
24. Valve equipment of any one of claims
1 - 23,-characterized in that the drilling cylinder (3) is
disposed to act as a plugging cylinder (4), and that
the expansion of the drilling cylinder is arranged
hydraulically or with explosive.
25. Valve equipment of any one of claims
1 - 24, characterized in that the drilling cylinder (3)
and the plugging cylinder (4) are both situated on the
same side of the oil and/or gas drilling pipes (7) or
on different sides.
26. Valve equipment of any one of claims
1 - 25, characterized in that the drilling units are
placed on opposite sides of the oil and/or gas drilling
pipes so that successive drillings are done starting
from different sides of the oil and/or gas drilling
pipes, as are the pluggings in this case.
27. Valve equipment of any one of claims
1 - 26, characterized in that the valve can be installed
also on to an oil and/or gas drilling system which is
controlled by a so called plate.
28. Valve equipment of any one of claims
1 - 27, characterized in that in underwater conditions
the hydrostatic water pressure is directed by a
separate mechanism into energy to be used within the
system.
29. Valve equipment of any one of claims
1 - 28, characterized in that the valve equipment comprises
means for measuring the changes in the magnetic
field of the system for continuous monitoring of the
oil and/or gas drilling unit as well as the surroundings
and for taking action required by the changes.
30. Valve equipment of claim 29, characterized
in that the changes in the magnetic field are
disposed to be measured electrically, the changes being
caused by changes in the flow rate, direction of the
flow, temperature, pressure, stability or the
surrounding material.

6
31. Valve equipment of claim 30, characterized
in that the electrical observation is arranged
with the help of resistors and changes in them and
transistors, the observations being collected by
computer in an integrated manner.
32. Valve equipment of claim 31, characterized
in that the information collected by these measuring
instruments and collected on the computer is
integrated into coded limiting values, which are
disposed to control the operation of the valve and to be
transferred to the surveillance and control terminal.
33. Valve equipment of any one of claims
1-32, characterized in that the pressure created by
causing an explosion within the massive cylinder is
disposed to be directed through leads into energy to be
used within the system.
34. Valve equipment of claim 33, characterized
in that the air pressure caused by the explosion
is directed either directly into the hydraulic container
(11) or through a separate central container.
35. Valve equipment of claims 33 or 34,
characterized in that the massive cylinder comprises two
axially parallel pistons in the massive cylinder
situated on different sides of the explosive material.
36. Valve equipment of any one of claims
1 - 35, characterized in that the necessary energy is
disposed to be taken from under the oil or gas drilling
pipe, through a separate joint from the negative or
excess pressure created in the drilled hole.
37. Valve equipment of any one of claims
1 - 36, characterized in that the valve equipment is
operated or controlled through computer programmes and by
integrating quantities, such as flow rate, direction
of the flow, temperature, pressure, stability and
material, measured by sensors and other gauges placed in
different parts of the equipment and its surroundings.

7
38. Valve equipment of any one of claims
1 - 37, characterized in that information received through
various sensors and other gauges concerning the
maintenance needs of the equipment and the plugging
process is disposed to be transferred to the control
centre by computer and satellite.
39. Valve equipment of any one of claims
1 - 37, characterized in that at the time of the plugging
or after the plugging to put out the fire a pressurized
fire extinguishing substance, for example liquid
nitrogen, is disposed to be fed through a hole drilled
from above the plugging unit or plugging units,
through a separate joint.
40. Valve equipment of any one of claims
1 - 39, characterized in that drilling the hole and the
feeding of the extinguishing substance is arranged
automatically coupled together, or separately, to the
equipment carrying out the actual plugging.

Description

CA 02273996 1999-OS-31
WO 98127312 PCT/FI97100593
System for controlling and stopping oil drilling fires
The subject of the invention is a system to controIl oil drilling fires or
fires of other corresponding
liquid substances. With this invention the eruption of burning substance is
stopped so that the oil
drilling pipe/ pipes are blocked in a way which makes it possible for the
pipes to be reopened.
Presently there are three different ways to try to put out oil fires:
Water is sprayed on the seat of the fire while the fire fighter at the same
time approaches the fire
behind a protective shield and tries to shut down the valve of the oil pipe
manually. The method is
dangerous and requires a lot of water, which is not always available at the
site of the fire.
By exploding the buying oil well the use of oxygen in the surrouding area is
temporarily increased so
much that the fire is suffocated by lack of sufficient oxygen. After this the
valves and other broken
equipment can be replaced. The method is very dangerous.
By drilling a new hole into the same oil well with the burning oil pipe and by
pumping water into it
the oil eruption is replaced by a water eruption and the fire is put out. This
is an expensive and time
consuming operation and the success of it cannot be guaranteed. Additionally
it is dangerous to carry
out.
The main parts of the equipment of this invention in question are: a hydraulic
cylinder, a piston, a
drilling cylinder, a plugging cylinder, a drill, a box clamp, a hydraulic
motor or other power source,
a blocking bolt, a hydraulic container with leads and a pressure battery and
an automatic control and
surveillance system. The idea is that each oil and /or gas drilling pipe
within each other has its own
drilling unit in accordance with pipe size. By the drilling unit we mean the
drilling and plugging
mechanism needed to close one oil or gas drilling pipe. Several drilling units
can use a mutual energy
source with its hydraulic container. In underwater conditions as on off shore
oil drilling platforms the
water pressure can be directed with its own mechanism to be used in the
system. To create pressure
also an expolsion inside a massive cylinder with pistons at both ends, can be
used and this pressure
is directed through a separate central container or directly into the
hydraulic container. The pressure
can also be taken from the oil or gas drilling pipe under the drilling units,
through a drilled hole and a
joint fixed to it. The necessary number of drilling units can be installed,
which in the example is three.
T'"ne purpose of the system of this invention is to controll oil and /or gas
fires so that the distraction
oli big oil and /or gas drilling equipment can be avoided. The equipment can
be installed either to an
oc~ and /or gas drilling system under construction, an oil and /or gas
drilling system already
constructed or even onto a burning one. Because the equipment is remote-
installed and automatically
controlled the oil fire does not pose a threat to humans, when the equipment
has already been
it..~-talled to the oil drilling system in advance and installing one on an
already burning system does
not necessitate going into the immediate proximity of the fire seat, on the
contrary it is installed
under ground. Thus as advantages of the invention we can mention that the
equipment and method
a.~e safe, they save the environment, money and oil or gas.
T'ae invention is explained in more detail below with references to the
enclosed drawing. Figure 1
si~ows a cross section of the equipment when the first drilling cylinder is in
motion.

CA 02273996 1999-OS-31
WO 98!27312 2 PCT/FI97/00593
Figure 2 shows a cross section of the equipment when the first plugging
cylinder is in place.
Figure 3 shows a cross section of the equipment when all three plugging
cylinders are in place.
Figure 4 shows a cross section of the hemispherical cylinder.
Figure 5 shows a part cross section of the conical cylinder with the grinding
surface.
Figure 6 shows a part cross section of the conical cylinder with protruding
blade.
Figure 7 shows the equipment installed and a part cross section of the
hydraulic container. The figure
does not show the structure of the space constructed under ground, where the
equipment is situated.
Figure 8 is a picture detailing the box clamp and the locked blocking bolt.
Figure 9 shows an application in which the drilling cylinder and the plugging
cylinder (which,
however, are not drawn into the figure) operate beginning from the same side
of the oil and /or gas
drilling pipe and the above mentioned cylinders are directed by and the
cutting seam sealed by means
of a stuffing box. In the figure the stuffing box on the right hand side has
not been tightened into
place.
In figures 1, 2 and 3 the idea is that on the right hand side of the oil and
/or gas drilling pipes and the
plugging cylinder there is a similar pushing and /or rotating mechanism as on
the left side of the oil
and /or gas drilling pipes. It is also appropriate, deviating from the
drawings, that drilling units
operating one after the other are placed on opposite sides of the oil and /or
gas drilling pipes so that
successive drillings as well as pluggings are done starting from the opposite
sides of the pipes. If
there are three or more drilling units around the same oil and /or gas
drilling pipes each can be placed
to be started from completely different directions, thus making it possible to
minimize the resultant
force caused to the pipes by the drilling and plugging.
When the equipment is started the pressure of the pressure batteries 10 is
discharged into the
hydraulic container 11, the pressure of which starts the operation of the
hydraulic motor 8 and the
valve. Oil flows into the hydraulic cylinder 1 which pushes the piston 2 and
the piston pushes the drill
S and the drilling cylinder 3 forward. When the drilling cylinder 3 has
penetrated sufficently far that is
through the oil drilling pipes ?, the mechanical reversing valve gives the
comand for the drill 5 and
the drilling cylinder 3 to return and further gives the order for the plugging
cylinder 4 to carry out
the plugging. The plugging cylinder 4 can be placed also behind the drilling
cylinder 3, in which case
the motion is needed in only one direction. When all the drilling units have
operated also the blocking
bolt can be closed when necessary. This works either hydraulically or by
explosives. The plugging
cylinders can operate either only so they are pushed or they can be equipped
with a rotating motor
for example for grinding. At the time of the plugging or after the plugging a
pressurized fire
extinguishing substance such as liquid nitrogen can additionally be fed into
the gas or oil drilling
pipe. This is fed through a hole cut into the oil or gas drilling pipe by a
device like the drilling
cylinder 3. All this can be done without electricity, by forced control!, in
which case once the
operation is started it cannot be stopped. The equipment is fixed around the
oil pipes with a box
clamp 6 and supported to its base. By plugging pipes of various sizes
separately the pipes on top are
prevented from falling. By installing sleeve pipes in place of the cut ones
and by pulling out the
plugs the oil drilling system can be made operational again.
The following application can be used to block the outer oil or gas drilling
pipe and the explanation
refers mainly to figure 9:
In addition to the parts of the invention mentioned earlier the invention also
includes a stuffing box
14, a tightener 15, blocking locks 16, a plain bearing (for example a chrome
strip) 17, compressed oil
packing 18, a locking groove 19 and a frame groove 20. The end of the stuffing
box 14 which is
facing the oil or gas drilling pipe is shaped in the form of the outside wall
of the pipe in question and
is very sharp, this is tightened into place with a plain bearing 17 and a
tightener 15 with an outside
thread to the inner thread of the frame 12 of the equipment either by hand
during installation or by an

CA 02273996 1999-OS-31
WO 98/27312 " PCT/FI97/00593
automatized mechanism when the equipment is started. A locking groove 19 has
been shaped around
the tightener 15 of the stuffing box, into which the blocking locks 16 drawn
to the frame 12 by
springs/ fluid pressure are pushed, when the tightener of the stufl~ing box
has been pushed to the
required depth. Additionally a frame groove 20 has been shaped into the frame
12 of the equipment,
its purpose being to prevent, in addition to the tightener 15 of the stung
box, the loosening of the
stuffing box 14 when it has reached the fixed depth. The purpose of the
stuffng box 14 which has
been tightened into place and which is very sharp at the oil or gas drilling
pipe 7 end and which is of
a very hard material, is to seal the plugging seam of the oil or gas drilling
pipe 7 being drilled and
plugged and to direct the movement of the drilling-plugging combination 3-4
travelling within it. The
seam between the stuffing box 14 and the axle 13 is sealed with a compressed
oil packing. As the
drilling proceeds the pieces drilled loose from the oil or gas drilling pipe 7
are left in the drilling-
plugging combination 3-4.
The surveillance and control of the valve can operate:
1. By using known methods from the processing and automation technology.
2. By electrically measuring changes with sensors from the magnetic field of
the system, these
changes are caused for example by changes in the following quantities: flow
rate, flow direction,
temperature, pressure, stability. Changes taking place in the magnetic field
are noted electrically by
changes in several resistors, which are transistor directed and integrated by
computer, and the
operation of the valve is controlled by the limiting values coded into the
computer. The underwater
surroundings of the valve and changes in it can also be surveilled throught
this method, and any
observations, for example the threat of terrorism, is passed on to the
surveillance and control
terminal.
3. By analysing and coordinating quantities, such as temperature, pressure,
speed of revolution and
travelling speed, and changes in them measured by sensors in the tip of the
drill and on the axle.
To control the valve we can use:
1. Independent valve controls, electrically connected: closing the valve needs
only one command.
2. Control directly or indirectly from the hydraulic valve.
3. A hydraulic valve operated by pneumatics.
The operations can be connected either manually or automatically, in which
case the system is started
by the safety release of the independently closing system. As measuring
quantities we can use
temperature, gas content, pressure, flow, jolts, mechanics, electrical
techniques or other such
quantities, which give the valve instructions automatically also when it is
not possible to do this by
human power.
Sensors indicating operation can be installed on the valve which will show the
operating status of the
valve.
1. A pressure sensor in the hydraulic container showing the valve has started
operating, indicating
the working pressure of the oil.
2. A gauge showing the amount of oil indicating the distance of motion:
- the amount of oil going into the cylinder indicates the distance of motion
- the pressure sensor on the return side of the cylinder indicates the
operation of the
return motion.
3. The pressure sensor in the plugging cylinder indicates the plugging motion.
4. The sensor indicating the rotating of the drill is situated on the axle of
the drill
5. A sensor situated in the tip of the drill can measure prevailing
quantities.
Automatic data processing uses these quantities to form a picture detailing
the operation of the
valve onto the computer terminal.

Representative Drawing