Floating support including a central cavity comprising a plurality of compartments
AssigneeBouygues Offshore
InventorsMichel Baylot, Michel France Gassert, Xavier Rocher
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a floating support of the type having a cavity (1) within which a plurality of risers (2) can be positioned. According to the invention, the cavity (1) has a plurality of compartments (3) at the ends of which said risers (2) are in a production position (4), said compartments communicating with a central channel (5) at the end of which there is situated (6) a drilling derrick (7), said compartments being disposed transversely relative to said central channel (5).
Claims23
A floating support of the type having a cavity within which a plurality of risers can be positioned, wherein the cavity has a plurality of compartments at the ends of which said risers are in a production position, said compartments communicating with a central channel at the end of which there is situated a drilling derrick, said compartments being disposed transversely relative to said central channel, each said compartment comprising no more than one said riser, and said floating support including transfer means for transferring said risers between their production positions at the ends of the compartments and the position of the derrick.
A floating support of the type having a cavity within which a plurality of risers can be positioned, wherein the cavity has a plurality of compartments at the ends of which said risers are in a production position, said compartments communicating with a central channel at the end of which there is situated a drilling derrick, said compartments being disposed transversely relative to said central channel;
- wherein said compartments and said central channel comprise a junction floor between said riser and said floating support on each rim, said junction floor defining a continuous channel of substantially constant width;
- wherein said junction floor is situated on the wall of the cavity at a level intermediate between the deck of the floating support and water level.
A floating support of the type having a cavity within which a plurality of risers can be positioned, wherein the cavity has a plurality of compartments at the ends of which said risers are in a production position, said compartments communicating with a central channel at the end of which there is situated a drilling derrick, said compartments being disposed transversely relative to said central channel;
- and further comprising transfer means for transferring said risers between their production positions at the ends of the compartments and the position of the derrick, said transfer means being fixed and secured to said floating support, and including a set of winches and of cables connecting said winches to said riser.
A floating support of the type having a cavity within which a plurality of risers can be positioned, wherein the cavity has a plurality of compartments at the ends of which said risers are in a production position, said compartments communicating with a central channel at the end of which there is situated a drilling derrick, said compartments being disposed transversely relative to said central channel;
- and further comprising transfer means for transferring said risers between their production positions at the ends of the compartments and the position of the derrick, said transfer means including a carriage that is movable along said compartments and along said central channel.
A floating support of the type having a cavity within which a plurality of risers can be positioned, wherein the cavity has a plurality of compartments at the ends of which said risers are in a production position, said compartments communicating with a central channel at the end of which there is situated a drilling derrick, said compartments being disposed transversely relative to said central channel;
- and wherein said derrick has a second working location situated within the structure of said derrick.
A floating support of the type having a cavity within which a plurality of risers can be positioned, wherein the cavity has a plurality of compartments at the ends of which said risers are in a production position, said compartments communicating with a central channel at the end of which there is situated a drilling derrick, said compartments being disposed transversely relative to said central channel;
- wherein said risers are fitted with floats in the form of cans surrounding each riser coaxially over the upper portion thereof, the buoyancy of the risers being provided essentially by said floats without help from an additional tensioning system installed on the floating support.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.