A Lincolnshire based inventor whose environmental solutions
company received the Queen's Award for Enterprise in 2006 believes
he may have the answer to stopping the flow of oil gushing from
BP's damaged riser pipe in the Gulf of Mexico.
John Rinfret, managing director of Balcan Engineering Limited
based in Horncastle has put forward his idea to BP but has been
appalled to learn that his plan would, according to the BP website,
take too long to evaluate along with 7,800 suggestions they have
already received as to how to stop the disastrous flow of oil
gushing into the Gulf of Mexico from the broken pipe on the
seabed.
"In view of the enormity of the disaster and the lack of success
of BP to stop the flow, it is appalling that BP is not treating
this matter with any obvious urgency. Quite obviously some of
the 7,800 ideas will be very good but will be too late for use when
finally evaluated," said John Rinfret.
Now in a new attempt to get his plan across to receptive ears
with a quicker response he has contacted the White House, the
governors of Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida and the British
Embassy in Washington.
What he sees as a simple cost-effective design proposal would
involve the construction of a 10ft diameter chimney gradually
reducing to 2 ft diameter on the final of 5 barges placed over the
gushing pipe and weighted down on the sea bed by the 5 readily
available Mississippi barges each filled with 1,000 tonnes of
reinforced concrete and stacked vertically on top of each other.
When completed these will be towed would be towed, positioned and
assembled over the gushing pipe. Only at the top of the
chimney when the diameter is reduced to 2ft would any control valve
or pipe be connected that would cause a build up of pressure.
Whilst under construction oil would be allowed to continue to
gush from the pipe so no pressure would build up to cause any sort
of problem. His concept is so simple that it can be integrated
immediately within days he believes.
Rinfret explains he does not know the actual dimensions of the
gusher and has suggested the 10ft diameter pipe to ensure it fits
over it.
"I am very concerned that my own concept which is very cheap and
quick to produce will be ignored when I believe it could prove to
be very successful if adopted in stopping the oil from the gusher,"
said John Rinfret.