A system and method for repairing and reconfiguring an oil containment boom, using end connectors and attached curtain members in various arrangements to form outer booms, inner booms, extending booms, and transverse booms for added safety and protection and for an enhanced ability to contain, collect, and recover spilled oil contaminates.

A floating oil containment boom is comprised of boom sections connected end to end. Each boom section is of a tubular member or pipe section. The pipe or tubular member is buoyant, either closed at its ends and/or filled with foam or other buoyant material. Plates extend above and below the tubular member or pipe section for each section of boom. A specially configured connecter joins each boom section to the other, the connecter extending above and below the pipe or tubular member. An elastomeric block forms an interface between connectors on each boom section while simultaneously sealing the area between boom sections to flow of oil.

Some embodiments relate to a boom for containing floating material spilled in water comprising: an elongate sheet comprising a plurality of spaced apart units, each unit configured to self-expand from a folded state upon deployment; each unit comprising: a plurality of plates forming an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion and the lower portion defined along a vertical axis of the boom unit; and a plurality of stiffening elongate rods, each of the plurality of elongate rods interconnecting at least two plates.