Jack-up rig and method of installing the same on location of operation
AssigneeA.P. Møller—Mærsk A/S
InventorMorten NORDERUD-POULSEN
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method for accommodating normal, or larger than normal, support footings for the legs of an offshore jack-up rig, with the support footings now to be known as spud cans, and an improved hull design to accommodate legs with attachable spud cans, along with a method of mounting said spud cans by submerging them, lowering each jack-up leg down on the designated spud can and locking the two units in together.
Claims24
A jack-up rig comprising:
- a main buoyant hull,
- three or more leg wells through said hull,
- a jack-up leg in each of the leg wells, the jack-up legs movably coupled to said hull;
- each of said leg wells surrounding said legs are formed by one or more walls, and
- said walls are substantially vertically straight.
A method of operating a jack-up rig comprising a main buoyant hull, three or more leg wells through said hull, a jack-up leg in each of the leg wells, the jack-up legs movably coupled to said hull, the method comprising:
- submerging a spud can for each leg to a position accessible to the jack-up rig,
- allowing a jack-up leg to be directly attached to said spud can,
- floating the jack-up rig (e.g. on its main buoyant hull) and moving it into position so that the jack-up leg is located directly above the spud can, and
- connecting the leg with the spud can by lowering the leg through the leg wells in the hull and/or hoisting the spud cans up onto the leg.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.