Blow out preventer transfer platform

In an offshore facility at sea having a support platform, a drilling platform cantilevered to the support platform and extending over the sea, a derrick mounted to the drilling platform, and an opening formed in the drilling platform for the derrick to register with a subsea well, the offshore facility comprising:

• a staging platform for use in loading and unloading of wellhead equipment, the staging platform being mounted to and cantilevered along only one side of the drilling platform, the staging platform being moveable along said side of the drilling platform in directions toward and away from the support platform, the staging platform having a horizontal support assembly for supporting the wellhead equipment, such horizontal support assembly not being located beneath the drilling platform while the drilling platform is in an operational position;
• a first rail connected to said side of the drilling platform, the staging platform being mounted to the first rail;
• and
• a second rail connected to and under the drilling platform and extending along a path that extends from the opening towards and transverse to the first rail for transferring the equipment from the second rail to the staging platform.

A method of conveying wellhead equipment for an offshore well drilling assembly having a support platform, a drilling platform cantilevered from the support platform, and a derrick mounted to the drilling platform, the method comprising:

• (a) mounting a staging platform only to a first rail, the first rail being mounted to and along only one side of the drilling platform, the staging platform not being under the drilling platform while the drilling platform is in an operational position;
• (b) conveying wellhead equipment along a second rail from beneath the drilling platform to the staging platform;
• and
• (c) moving the staging platform with the wellhead equipment thereon along the first rail relative to the drilling platform.