US 6,332,500 B1Granted

Anchor system for the transfer of fluids

AssigneeDen Norske Stats Oljeselskap A/S

InventorsOlav Vaage Ellefsen, Kåre Syvertsen

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

An anchoring system for the production of hydrocarbons at sea by employing a moored production vessel or ship in which the ship is equipped with a mooring apparatus, preferably at the bow portion, and with at least one connection unit for a production riser from the seabed. Included is an anchor located at the seabed, as well as at least one anchor line adapted to connect the anchor to the mooring apparatus on the ship. There being provided a permanent anchor, preferably in the form of a suction anchor, gravitation anchor, or pile anchor. The anchor being provided with a swivel mechanism for the anchoring line, preferably with a buoyant body attached at a middle portion of the anchoring line, and whereby the riser is in the form of at least one flexible hose, the lower end of which is connected to said swivel mechanism. The flexible hose contains at least two passages for hydrocarbons and possibly other fluids.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A system for the transfer of fluids at sea comprising:

a moored production vessel or ship, said ship or production vessel including a mooring apparatus and a connection unit for a production riser;
an anchoring device located at the seabed, said anchoring device including a permanent anchor part affixed to the seabed, a swiveling mechanism and at least two passages suitable for transporting fluids;
at least one anchoring line attached to said swiveling mechanism for rotating said swiveling mechanism and connecting said anchoring device to said mooring apparatus, said anchoring line comprising at least one buoyant body disposed during anchoring to be normally immersed in the sea, wherein the anchoring line is connected to said swiveling mechanism with a yoke comprising two parallel legs and a cross bar, the outer ends of said legs being pivotably attached on different sides of said swiveling mechanism;
and
the production riser connected to said swiveling mechanism, said production riser comprising at least one flexible hose;
and
journals for said swiveling mechanism which are adapted to transfer bending forces from said connected production riser and said anchoring line to the permanent anchor part without stressing internal elements of said swiveling mechanism.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.