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US 4,478,586 AGranted
Buoyed moonpool plug for disconnecting a flexible flowline from a process vessel
AssigneeMobil Oil Corporation
InventorsLarry L. Gentry, Herbert H. Moss, Narayana N. Panicker, William T. Wada
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A marine riser system is connected through flowlines and a moonpool plug assembly to a marine vessel. The moonpool plug assembly, when removed from the marine vessel, maintains a fully submerged position due to its having a buoyancy which is less than the net weight of the flowlines to which it is connected.
Claims5
A buoyant moonpool plug for connecting a subsea flowline to a surface vessel comprising:
- a cylindrical plug shell adapted for being drawn into a vessel moonpool;
- central support column means for releasably attaching the moonpool plug to the turret of said vessel moonpool for rotation therewith;
- internal plug support structure for attaching the support column to the plug shell at an upper portion of the plug shell;
- a plurality of guide tubes connecting to the internal plug support structure and disposed in radial array around the central support column, said guide tubes extending downwardly to the bottom end of the plug shell for housing said subsea flowline;
- a plurality of elongated buoyant tanks located inside the plug shell between guide tubes;
- and
- a plurality of transverse diaphragm plates for securing the guide tubes and tanks to the plug shell.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.