Self-contained offshore platform
AssigneeRaymond International Builders, Inc.
InventorDarrell L. Evans
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A self-contained jack up type drilling and production platform structure comprising a flotatable barge-like hull with support legs which can be jacked up and down to lower and raise the hull with respect to the surface of the sea. A removeable drilling module rests on top of the hull and extends over an opening therein between two of the support legs. Production equipment is arranged in the hull and communicates with the opening. Moveable conductor supports extend between the legs of the platform and serve to brace the drill string and production conduit conductors.
Claims15
An offshore platform structure comprising a barge-like flotatable hull, a plurality of support legs mounted on said hull to move up and down with respect to said hull, jacking mechanisms interconnecting said hull and said legs to lift said legs up from the sea bottom for floating said hull to a desired offshore location, to lower said legs down to the sea bottom at said desired offshore location and to lift the hull up above the sea surface onto the thus lowered legs, said hull being formed with an opening located between two of said legs for accommodating elongated conductors extending down from a drilling tower mounted on said hull over said opening, at least one conductor support extending between said two legs under said hull, said conductor support being formed with guide sleeves in alignment with said opening to guide and give lateral support to said conductors, said conductor support including leg engaging means at each end thereof for holding said conductor support to said two legs, said leg engaging means being formed and constructed to allow said conductor support to move up and down freely along said two legs while being guided thereby, releaseable means for holding the conductor support to the underside of the hull, and selectively lockable means for locking said conductor support against up and down movement on said legs.
An offshore platform structure comprising a barge-like flotatable hull, a plurality of support legs mounted on said hull to move up and down with respect to said hull, jacking mechanisms interconnecting said hull and said legs to lift said legs up from the sea bottom for floating said hull to a desired offshore location, to lower said legs down to the sea bottom at said desired offshore location and to lift the hull up above the sea surface onto the thus lowered legs, said hull being formed with an opening located between two of said legs for accommodating elongated conductors extending down from a drilling tower mounted on said hull over said opening, at least one conductor support extending between said two legs under said hull, said conductor support being formed with guide sleeves in alignment with said opening to guide and give lateral support to said conductors, said conductor support including leg engaging means at each end thereof for holding said conductor support to said two legs, said leg engaging means being formed and constructed to allow said conductor support to move up and down freely along said two legs while being guided thereby, said leg engaging means including selectively lockable brake means for locking said conductor support against up and down movement with respect to said legs, said two legs each being provided with a gear rack extending longitudinally thereof, said conductor support being provided with pinion gears mounted and positioned to mesh with and roll along said gear racks when said conductor support moves up and down with respect to said legs and said brake means being arranged to control rotation of said pinion gears.
An offshore drilling and production rig comprising a flotatable platform hull, a plurality of upright support legs mounted on said platform to move vertically with respect to same, jacking means interconnected between said platform and said legs to move said legs up and down so that said platform can float to a desired location carrying said legs up off the sea bottom and, upon arrival at said location, said legs can be lowered to the sea bottom and the platform can be jacked up on said legs to a position above the surface of the sea, at least one conductor support extending in a generally horizontal direction between two of said legs and having conductor openings through which tubular conductors for containing drlling strings and production tubing can extend and said platform being formed with a drilling and production well between said two legs in alignment with said conductor openings, said platform hull containing oil production equipment including storage tanks in fluid communication with at least some of said conductors.
A method of erecting a jack-up type offshore drilling and production rig comprising a flotatable platform hull, jackable support legs and conductor supports extending between two of said legs, said method comprising the steps of floating said rig to a desired offshore location with its legs elevated and with at least one conductor support extending between the legs and held against the underside of the hull, then lowering the legs a predetermined distance while holding the conductor support to the underside of the hull, thereafter locking said conductor support to said legs and releasing said conductor support from said hull, and then continuing to lower said legs, and after said legs have reached the sea bed, jacking said hull up on said legs and out of the water.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.