Oil Pumping Underwater

Considering the safety of navigation and marine environment, most of the sunken ships need to be salvaged. When salvaging sunken ships, in order to avoid oil pollution accidents, it is necessary to carry out underwater oil extraction in time. For cargo ships, it is mainly to extract light oil and heavy oil for ships. For tankers, in addition to marine light oil and heavy oil, it is more important to extract the oil products loaded. Underwater oil extraction from sunken ships is a highly professional, complex and high-risk work, which requires special equipment, professional technology and skilled divers as support, of which the special equipment for underwater oil extraction is the key. Underwater pumping equipment mainly includes underwater hydraulic drilling machine, underwater hydraulic oil well pump, high-pressure steam boiler, etc.

Introduction of underwater pumping technology

1. Troubleshooting and cleaning of pumping position

According to the requirements of the shipwreck drawing, the exploration report and the overall pumping scheme, the diver shall first remove the sundries near the pumping position, and then remove the rust spots, marine organisms and other substances on the hull at the opening position that affect its flatness.

2. Fixed flange

At the determined and leveled opening position, use an underwater nail gun to shoot rivets to fix the flange plate. A rubber layer shall be placed between the flange plate and the hull to prevent oil leakage. After the flange plate is installed and fixed on the hull, the sealing special watertight adhesive coating shall be used around the flange plate for further anti leakage treatment.

3. Installation of flange external ball valve

The riveted flange is connected with the ball valve with bolts, and a sealing ring is padded between them. The purpose of this is to open and close the steam heating hole and the oil extraction hole baffle at any time according to the actual situation, so as to facilitate the oil extraction operation and avoid the leakage of residual oil during the oil extraction process.

4. Installation of drilling machine and drilling

First, connect the imported special explosion-proof drill with the installed ball valve to make the axis of the drill cutter and the flange. The center line of the ball valve shall coincide as much as possible, so as to prevent the cutter from touching the flange and ball valve during drilling. Then connect the matching hydraulic pipe system to the drill, start the hydraulic device to drill, preliminarily judge whether the cutter has drilled through the hull steel plate according to the change of the hydraulic oil gauge on the hydraulic engine, and finally verify whether the hole has been drilled by the diver turning the handle to feed. After drilling, turn the handle on the drill to retract the cutter, close the ball valve and remove the drill.

5. Connecting the pumping line

Connect the special oil well pump with the ball valve with bolts, and then connect the plastic bellows with the oil well pump with quick connectors. The plastic bellows extend to the oil tank of the wreck. Connect the hydraulic pipe of the matching hydraulic device to the pump, and start the hydraulic device on the water surface to drive the oil well pump for oil pumping operation.

6. Connect steam heating line

Connect the special steam pipe with the ball valve with bolts, and then connect the steam pipe with the steam boiler. The ball valve is closed before delivering high-temperature steam

7. Steam heating pumping

After all preparations are completed, the diving Institute will open the ball valve connecting the steam pipe and start the steam boiler. The fresh water is heated to generate steam, and the high-temperature steam is sent to the heavy oil tank of the sunken ship through the steam pipe to melt the heavy oil into a flowing liquid. Then start the hydraulic system to drive the oil well pump motor to pump the heavy oil in the sunken ship cabin through the oil extraction pipe