Tension leg platform system
AssigneeTexaco Development Corporation
InventorRobert B. Burns
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A tension leg platform system for use in drilling wellbores into the floor of an offshore body of water. Included in the system is a buoyancy control vessel having a plurality of pull down cables attached thereto which extend to the ocean floor. A plurality of spaced apart anchors disposed at the ocean floor are positioned to receive the lower ends of the respective pull down cables. A submergible hull slidably engages the respective hold down cables such that the hull can be controllably lowered to the ocean floor whereby a canopy carried on the hull will cover an uncontrollably flowing well to conduct the effluent to the water's surface.
Claims12
A tension leg platform system for use in an offshore body of water to drill wellbores into the ocean floor, and for confining an uncontrolled flow of effluent issuing from an opening at the ocean floor, and which system includes;
- a semi-submersible marine vessel holding wellbore drilling equipment,
- a plurality of positioning anchors resting on the ocean floor and disposed about said opening,
- cable means extending between said semi-submersible marine vessel and said respective positioning anchors, and being adjustable to vary the cable tension whereby to draw the said vessel to a predetermined water depth,
- a submergible hull defining a vertical passage therethrough and being adapted to operably engage the respective cable means,
- a canopy removably positioned on said submergible hull to form a substantial closure across said vertical passage,
- whereby said submersible hull can be guidably pulled down along said respective cable means, and located above said opening which is emitting the uncontrolled effluent flow to thereby receive said effluent flow within said canopy forming said enclosure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.