This invention pertains to apparatus and a method by which petroleum slicks or spills floating upon or contained in bodies of water may be recovered for further processing into commercial materials, such as gasoline, fuel oil, lubricating oils and many other related products. The petroleum may be floating on sea water, for example, or coating the bed of a body of water or the shore of such body, and recovered therefrom.
Other materials and methods have been developed previously and over which the present invention represents a meritorious improvement. The following patents are submitted as representative of the pertinent prior art in this field of operation:
U.S. Pat. No. 3,657,125--Strickmen Apr. 18, 1972 PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 3,739,913--Bogosian Jun. 19, 1973 PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 3,763,621--Klein et al Oct. 9, 1973 PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 3,886,067--Miranda May 27, 1975 PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 3,888,766--De Young Jun. 10, 1972 PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 3,976,570--McCray Aug. 24, 1976 PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 4,096,700--Muramatsu Jun. 27, 1978 PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 4,120,788--Ellis Oct. 17, 1978 PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 4,188,155--Langermann Feb. 12, 1980 PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 4,234,420--Turbeville Nov. 18, 1980 PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 4,366,067--Golding et al Dec. 28, 1982 PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 4,389,357--Chu et al Jun. 21, 1983 PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 4,567,820--Munsell Feb. 4, 1986 PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 4,645,376--Simpson Feb. 24, 1987 PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 5,009,790--Bustamante. Apr. 23, 1991
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