A membrane system isolates environment volume, contains hazards, enables detoxification, hazard removal, infrastructure restoration, and substance recovery. The flexible membrane system adjusts to advantageously shape its isolated volume and integrate existing infrastructure. Pollution and hazardous energy, including crude oil, toxic-gas, radioactive fallout, fire, and other hazards are isolated, while concurrently enabling access within the isolated volume. Pod encapsulated and readily deployed, the membrane system operates semi-autonomously, uses selective-filtering, specific gravity and substance differences to channel matter, mitigate hazards, protect the biosphere, preserve infrastructure and capture substances.

A passive detection system is used for monitoring the integrity of abandoned, suspended, and/or decommissioned subsea wells or carbon dioxide sequestration reservoirs, where the system utilises a passive detector that reacts to the presence of a predetermined chemical to release a buoyant beacon. The beacon travels under buoyancy to the sea surface, where it transmits signals to an operator to alert the operator to a potential loss of integrity at the site. The system can include a trigger that initially restrains the beacon, but degrades in response to contact with the predetermined chemical. The system can include gathering and concentrating devices that collect the leaking chemical and direct the collected chemical towards the trigger, facilitating contact between the chemical and trigger and resulting degradation. Once the trigger has degraded sufficiently, it loses structural integrity and fails, releasing the beacon.

A sealable pipe adaptor is mounted directly on a hydrocarbon well head. A central branch is used for a drilling operation. The central branch has a first valve that is normally open and controllable during the drilling operation. The first valve contains a first sensor that is a shut-off sensor that shuts the first valve when a gush of oil or gas flow above a first preset safety threshold is detected. A first side branch has a second valve that is controllable during the drilling operation and during a production mode. The first side branch valve has a second sensor that opens the second valve when detecting a rogue hydrocarbon flow so that the rogue hydrocarbon flow is directed through the first side branch. The first side branch is connected to storage. A second side branch is connected to a production pipe. The first side branch has a third valve controllable from a production collection terminal. The third valve is normally closed during the drilling operation and is normally open during the production mode. The third valve contains a third sensor that is a shut-off sensor that shuts the third valve when a gush of oil or gas flow that is above a second preset safety threshold is detected.

Disclosed is a subsea live hydrocarbon fluid retrieval system and method. The system and method include the ability to depressurize the fluid while enacting controlled venting of the gas entrained in the fluid during a controlled ascent to the surface from the seabed. The system and method do not require ancillary equipment at surface for management of gas or pressure. The fluid arrives at surface with minimal gas and pressure.

An automated process and accompanying apparatus simultaneously separates and measures the flow rate of any multiphase mixture of immiscible fluids. Such separation and measurement can occur in a single vessel, or multiple vessels. Liquid levels, together with a material balance analysis, are utilized to determine constituent liquid flow rates. The vessel(s) can be remotely operated and monitored in real time, while also allowing for automated or manual calibration.

A method of containing a spill in an aqueous environment, comprises the steps of: placing a polymeric pipe under the surface level of the aqueous environment in the vicinity of a site of potential spillage; and raising the pipe from under the surface level to a containment level; wherein the pipe forms, when raised, at least a partial boundary around the spill for containing the spill.

A safe and effective method for remediation and removal of trapped oil, since oil spills trapped under ice present a significant environmental problem. Injector wells are placed around a periphery of trapped oil to inject fluids beneath the ice. A producer well is placed within the periphery and the hydrostatic pressure from the injector wells urges the oil toward and up through the producer well.

An apparatus for containing leaks from a stuffing box on a wellhead production assembly, the apparatus comprises a containment vessel consisting of two half shells that are joined below the stuffing box. Additionally, the apparatus comprises a transparent lid having an upper opening to receive a polished rod extending from the stuffing box. The lid is secured to the containment vessel in a liquid tight manner such that the stuffing box is substantially isolated from the environment so that any leaks originating from the stuffing box will be contained in the apparatus.

A system for enhancing well safety comprises a pipe equipped with a one-way check valve preventing hydrocarbon up flow through the well casing pipe. The one-way check valve opens in response to encountering downward pressure from downward insertion of fluid or objects moving downward towards a well reservoir. The one-way check valve closes in response to encountering upward pressure from fluid from the well reservoir.

Apparatus for containing oil and/or gas leakage from a drilling operation (off-shore or on-shore) comprised of an expandable membrane surrounding a central spline, an apparatus adapted to the removal of the captured oil or gas, and a blowout-handling fuse capability. The bottom section of the off-shore version includes operator-controlled extension members to expand the membrane to fully surround the drill site. Any further leakage from the well site will further expand the membrane from the spline sections as it moves upward. When the leaked material reaches the top an extraction apparatus included allows it to be extracted safely.