Back to results
US 6,854,411 B2Granted
Semi-submersible offshore platform and methods for positioning operation modules on said platform
AssigneeGVA Consultants AB
InventorPeter Ankarsward
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Loading patent…
Loading patent…
AssigneeGVA Consultants AB
InventorPeter Ankarsward
Estimating the term…
A semi-submersible offshore platform (1) comprising: a substantially ring-shaped lower pontoon (2); at least three columns (4) extending upwardly from said lower pontoon (2), and an upper beam structure (5) connecting upper portions (6) of the columns (4) with each other. According to the invention, said upper beam structure (5) forms a system of lateral beams (7), arranged in such a way as to allow one or more operation modules (8) to be placed upon or adjacent to the columns (4) next to the lateral beams (7), either directly on the columns (4), on brackets (10) connected to the columns (4) or on a deck (9) arranged between upper ends (6) of the columns (4) and said operation modules (8), the lateral beams (7) protruding vertically upwards above a bottom plane (11) of the operation modules, said operation modules (8) containing, for example, hydrocarbon processing equipment and/or accommodation quarters.
A semi-submersible offshore platform (1) comprising:
A semi-submersible offshore platform (1) according one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the offshore platform (1) has four or six columns (4) and a substantially rectangular pontoon (2), and wherein a forward column pair is located on the pontoon with one column thereof on each side of a longitudinal center-line (CL), and an aft column pair is located on the pontoon (2) with one column (4) thereof on each side of said center-line (CL), characterized in that said system of lateral beams (7) is substantially H-shaped—when observed from above—in such a way that the vertical posts of the “H” correspond to two or more longitudinal beams (7a, 7b) extending on each side of said center-line (CL) from the aft column pair to the forward column pair, whilst the horizontal mid-post of the “H” corresponds to one or more transversal beams (7c, 7d, 7e).
A semi-submersible offshore platform (1) according one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that one or more of the lateral beams (7) are formed as a torsion box (15), said torsion box (15) being wider than a typical beam (7) in the system of lateral beams (7).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.