Deep draft drilling platform
OwnerKenneth C. Rule, Frank W. Michaelinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A deep draft oil well drilling platform having a large hollow body is shaped, designed, and ballasted to have a substantial portion thereof submerged under the surface of the ocean a sufficient distance to be substantially unaffected by surface waves and weather. The body contains an oil well drilling rig and all supplies, equipment, and materials normally necessary to drill an oil well, with such rig, equipment, and the like positioned well below the surface of the water.
Claims9
An offshore drilling platform, comprised of a submersible body that includes a sufficiently large bottom portion and narrower elongated top portion to have a center of buoyancy nearer its bottom than its top and weighted disproportionately at its bottom to have a center of gravity of the platform a sufficient distance below the center of buoyancy to stabilize the platform in a submerged condition, wherein said platform includes a main hull enclosing an interior drilling room chamber with well drilling equipment and working environment therein positioned a sufficient depth below the surface of the ocean as to be in substantially quiet water unaffected by surface wave action and adverse weather conditions, said interior drilling room chamber being in the center of said bottom portion, and said platform including annular ballast chambers in the bottom portion around the periphery of said drilling room chamber for containing heavy materials to weight said platform to provide a center of gravity substantially below the center of bouyancy, and additional pressure isolated chambers within said main hull above said ballast and drilling room chambers for operational and system control and human support, said additional chambers being designatd for uses according to descending weight and density requirements for such uses as the altitudes of such chambers ascend upwardly, with heavy supplies of drilling chemicals, cement, oil based mud, and other fluids as well as heavy equipment are positioned in the chambers just above the ballast chambers, and less dense personnel service and support facilities are positioned in the upper chambers of the platform.
An offshore drilling platform, comprised of a submersible body that includes a sufficiently large bottom portion and narrower elongated top portion to have a center of buoyancy nearer its bottom than its top and weighted disproportionately at its bottom to have a center of gravity of the platform a sufficient distance below the center of bouyancy to stabilize the platform in a submerged condition, wherein said submersible body is in the form of two truncated conical sections having a common base, the upper one of said conical sections having an altitude at least two-thirds as large as the diameter of the common base, and the lower one of said conical sections having an altitude of not more than one-third the altitude of the upper conical section.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.