Arctic Telescoping Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit
AssigneeExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
InventorsAdel H. Younan, Jed M. Hamilton, Jean M. Audibert, Yew Choong Patrick Lee
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and method of drilling oil and gas wells in arctic or other environments having adverse conditions. A marine hydrocarbon operations structure may comprise a caisson body having a top surface which defines an opening and a shaft positioned within the opening. The shaft has an engagement member positioned on the external surface of the shaft. A lower jack house system is constructed and arranged to change the vertical position of the shaft through interaction with the engagement member. An operations platform supported by the shaft.
Claims31
A marine hydrocarbon operations structure comprising:
- a caisson body having a top surface which defines an opening;
- a shaft positioned within the opening, the shaft has an external surface and an interior, the shaft having an engagement member positioned on the external surface of the shaft;
- a lower jack house system constructed and arranged to change the vertical position of the shaft through interaction with the engagement member;
- and
- an operations platform supported by the shaft.
A method for installing mobile drilling structure comprising:
- providing the mobile drilling structure which comprises a caisson body having a top surface which defines an opening, the caisson body houses a plurality of ballast tanks, a shaft positioned within the opening, the shaft having an engagement member positioned on the external surface of the shaft, a lower jack house system constructed and arranged to change the vertical position of the shaft through interaction with the engagement member, and a drilling platform supported by the shaft;
- delivering the mobile drilling structure to a drill site;
- adding water to the ballast tank;
- operating the lower jack house system to raise the shaft;
- engaging a bottom of the caisson body to a seabed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.