# US 10,870,965 B2 · Mat incorporated pile anchor reinforcement systems > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,870,965 B2 - Document ID: US10870965B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/544,233 - Filed: 2019-08-19 - Published: 2020-03-05 - Granted: 2020-12-22 - Earliest claimed: 2018-08-30 - Assignees: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company - Applicants: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company - Inventors: Osama Abu Safaqah - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10870965B2 ## CPC - E02D 27/52: Submerged foundations {, i.e. submerged in open water (E02D27/12 - E02D27/24 take precedence)} - E02D 27/525: {using elements penetrating the underwater ground (sinking work pieces E02D15/08, sinking caissons E02D23/02)} - B63B 21/26: securing to bed - E02D 27/12: Pile foundations - E02D 27/50: Anchored foundations - B63B 21/50: Anchoring arrangements {or methods} for special vessels, e.g. for floating drilling platforms or dredgers - E02B 2017/0082: {Spudcans, skirts or extended feet} - E02D 7/02: Placing by driving {(E02D7/18 - E02D7/24 take precedence)} - E02D 13/04: Guide devices; Guide frames {(as parts of the driver scaffold E02D7/16)} - E21B 41/08: Underwater guide bases, e.g. drilling templates; Levelling thereof - E02D: FOUNDATIONS; EXCAVATIONS; EMBANKMENTS (specially adapted for hydraulic engineering E02B); UNDERGROUND OR UNDERWATER STRUCTURES {(tunnels, tunnelling, mining E21)} - B63B: SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING (arrangements of vessel ventilation, heating, cooling, or air-conditioning B63J2/00; floating substructures as supports of dredgers or soil-shifting machines E02F9/06) - E02B: HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING (ship-lifting E02C; dredging E02F) - E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS ## Abstract A pile anchor reinforcing system includes a pile anchor having an end penetrating a seafloor, and a mudmat positionable on the seafloor and defining a reinforcing pile aperture or a surface area to receive a gravity anchor or both, and a pile anchor aperture sized to receive the pile anchor. A reinforcing pile is extendable through the reinforcing aperture and penetrates the seafloor. The mudmat and the reinforcing pile and/or the gravity anchor cooperatively reinforce the pile anchor against lateral and vertical loading. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A pile anchor reinforcing system, comprising: a pile anchor having an end penetrating a seafloor; a mudmat positionable on the seafloor and defining a reinforcing aperture and a pile anchor aperture sized to receive the pile anchor; and a reinforcing pile extendable through the reinforcing aperture and penetrating the seafloor, wherein the mudmat and the reinforcing pile cooperatively reinforce the pile anchor against lateral and vertical loading. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The pile anchor reinforcing system of claim 1, wherein the reinforcing aperture is defined laterally adjacent the pile anchor aperture and the reinforcing pile is driven into the seafloor laterally adjacent the pile anchor. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The pile anchor reinforcing system of claim 2, wherein one or more locking elements are positioned within a gap defined between the pile anchor and the reinforcing pile to achieve lateral contact between the pile anchor and the reinforcing pile. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The pile anchor reinforcing system of claim 3, wherein the one or more locking elements are selected from the group consisting of an expandable packer element, a mechanical packer element, a grout bag fillable with grout, and any combination thereof. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The pile anchor reinforcing system of claim 3, wherein the reinforcing aperture is a first reinforcing aperture and the reinforcing pile is a first reinforcing pile, the pile anchor reinforcing system further comprising: one or more second reinforcing apertures defined in the mudmat; and one or more second reinforcing piles extendable through the one or more second reinforcing apertures and penetrating the seafloor, wherein the one or more second reinforcing piles help reinforce the pile anchor against lateral and vertical loading. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The pile anchor reinforcing system of claim 1, further comprising an upper restraining frame operatively coupled to the mudmat and including an extension engageable with a cap of the pile anchor to reinforce the pile anchor against vertical loading. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The pile anchor reinforcing system of claim 1, further comprising an upper restraining frame coupled to the reinforcing pile and engageable with a cap of the pile anchor or the mudmat to reinforce the pile anchor against vertical loading. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The pile anchor reinforcing system of claim 1, further comprising an upper restraining frame operatively coupled to the pile anchor and providing a guide sleeve that guides the reinforcing pile into the seafloor. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The pile anchor reinforcing system of claim 8, further comprising one or more locking elements positioned within a gap defined between the reinforcing pile and an inner circumference of the guide sleeve and a gap defined between the pile anchor and an inner circumference of the pile anchor aperture. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The pile anchor reinforcing system of claim 1, further comprising a gravity anchor positionable atop the mudmat. ### Claim 11 A method of reinforcing a pile anchor, comprising: lowering a mudmat toward a seafloor; receiving the pile anchor within a pile anchor aperture defined in the mudmat, wherein the pile anchor has an end penetrating the seafloor; extending a reinforcing pile through a reinforcing aperture defined in the mudmat; driving the reinforcing pile into the seafloor; and reinforcing the pile anchor against lateral and vertical loading with the mudmat and the reinforcing pile. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the reinforcing aperture is defined laterally adjacent the pile anchor aperture and wherein driving the reinforcing pile into the seafloor comprises driving the reinforcing pile into the seafloor laterally adjacent the pile anchor. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising: positioning one or more locking elements within a gap defined between the pile anchor and the reinforcing pile; and facilitating lateral contact between the pile anchor and the reinforcing pile at depth with the one or more locking elements. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein an upper restraining frame is operatively coupled to the mudmat and includes an extension, and wherein receiving the pile anchor within the pile anchor aperture further comprises engaging the extension on a cap of the pile anchor and thereby reinforcing the pile anchor against vertical loading. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein driving the reinforcing pile into the seafloor further comprises: engaging a cap of the pile anchor with an upper restraining frame coupled to the reinforcing pile; and reinforcing the pile anchor against vertical loading with the upper restraining frame. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising positioning a gravity anchor atop the mudmat. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein driving the reinforcing pile into the seafloor further comprises using at least one of a hammer, one or more clump-weights, and any combination thereof. ### Claim 18 A method of reinforcing a pile anchor, comprising: lowering a mudmat toward a seafloor; receiving the pile anchor within a pile anchor aperture defined in the mudmat, wherein the pile anchor has an end penetrating the seafloor; positioning a gravity anchor atop the mudmat; and reinforcing the pile anchor against lateral loading with the mudmat and the gravity anchor. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, further comprising positioning one or more locking elements within a gap defined between the pile anchor and an inner circumference of the pile anchor aperture. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, further comprising: extending a reinforcing pile through a reinforcing aperture defined in the mudmat; driving the reinforcing pile into the seafloor; and reinforcing the pile anchor against lateral and vertical loading with the reinforcing pile.