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US 8,523,491 B2Granted
Mobile, year-round arctic drilling system
AssigneeExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
InventorsCarl Rhys Brinkmann, George F. Davenport
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A mobile, year-round drilling system (MYADS) for drilling offshore wells and/or performing other offshore activities at multiple, successive locations in an arctic or sub-arctic environment is provided. The present invention combines the ability to move to different locations and the strength to resist ice loading when on location and when ice-covering is present in the arctic or sub-arctic environment. The MYADS applies a multiple leg “jack-up” concept in which supporting legs are lowered through a hull to touch down on the seabed and elevate the hull out of the water.
Claims52
A mobile drilling system comprising:
- a hull;
- a wellhead;
- at least two legs adapted to be lowered through the hull to contact a seabed and elevate the hull out of the water;
- a foundation associated with each leg, each foundation defining a cavity, the foundation is adapted to removably attach to an end of the associated leg, the foundation is adapted to engage the seabed and secure the wellhead positioned within the cavity, wherein the at least two legs and the associated foundations are adapted for use in a sub-arctic offshore environment by resisting local and global loading due to sub-arctic ice;
- and
- a drilling rig located on the hull.
3 more elements
A method of offshore drilling comprising:
- providing a mobile drilling system comprising:
- a hull;
- a wellhead;
- at least two legs adapted to be lowered through the hull to contact a seabed and elevate the hull out of a body of water;
- a foundation associated with each leg, each foundation defining a cavity, the foundation is adapted to removably attach to an end of the associated leg, the foundation is adapted to engage the seabed and secure the wellhead positioned within the cavity, wherein the at least two legs and the associated foundations are adapted for use in a sub-arctic offshore environment by resisting local and global loading due to sub-arctic ice;
- and
- a drilling rig located on the hull;
- and
- drilling through at least one of the at least two legs and the foundation.
6 more elements
A method of producing hydrocarbons comprising:
- providing a mobile drilling system comprising:
- a hull;
- a wellhead communicatively connected to a hydrocarbon well;
- at least two legs adapted to be lowered through the hull to contact a seabed and elevate the hull out of a body of water;
- at least one foundation associated with at least one of the at least two legs, each foundation defining a cavity, the foundation is adapted to removably attach to an end of the associated leg, the foundation is adapted to engage the seabed and secure the wellhead positioned within the cavity, wherein the at least one foundation and the at least two legs are adapted for use in a sub-arctic environment by resisting local and global loading due to sub-arctic ice;
- and
- a drilling rig located on the hull, wherein each of the at least two legs having a closed structure comprising an outer plate and an inner plate forming an annulus, wherein a bonding agent is disposed in the annulus;
- drilling the hydrocarbon well through the leg of the drilling system comprising the foundation;
- and
- producing hydrocarbons through the hydrocarbon well.
7 more elements
A method of installing an offshore drilling system comprising:
- transporting a mobile drilling system to a location in a body of water, wherein the mobile drilling system comprises:
- a hull;
- a wellhead;
- at least two legs adapted to be lowered through the hull to contact a seabed and elevate the hull out of the water, wherein each of the at least two legs is made of an outer plate and an inner plate with a bonding agent filled between the outer plate and the inner plate;
- at least one foundation associated with at least one of the at least two legs, each foundation defining a cavity, each foundation is adapted to removably attach to an end of the associated leg, each foundation is adapted to engage the seabed and secure the wellhead positioned within the cavity, wherein the at least two legs and the associated foundations are adapted for use in a sub-arctic offshore environment by resisting local and global loading due to sub-arctic ice;
- and
- a drilling rig located on the hull;
- lowering the at least two legs to a seabed;
- elevating the hull above a surface of the body of water;
- penetrating the at least one foundation into the seabed;
- and
- positioning the drilling rig over a drilling location.
9 more elements
A method of removing an offshore drilling system comprising:
- providing a mobile drilling system in a first location in a body of water, wherein the mobile drilling system is installed at the first location and the mobile drilling system comprises:
- a hull;
- a wellhead;
- at least two legs resist local and global loading due to sub-arctic ice by comprising an outer plate and an inner plate with a bonding agent filled between the outer plate and the inner plate, each of the at least two legs adapted to be lowered through the hull to contact a seabed and elevate the hull out of the water;
- and
- at least one foundation associated with at least one of the at least two legs, each foundation defining a cavity, the foundation is adapted to removably attach to an end of the associated leg, the foundation is adapted to engage the seabed and secure the wellhead positioned within the cavity;
- lowering the hull into the body of water;
- disengaging a leg from the foundation and raising the at least two legs, leaving the foundation engaged with the seabed and securing the wellhead;
- and
- transporting the mobile drilling system to a second location.
7 more elements
A method of re-installing an offshore drilling system comprising:
- providing a mobile drilling system on a body of water, wherein the mobile drilling system comprises:
- a hull;
- a wellhead;
- at least two legs;
- at least one foundation associated with at least one of the at least two legs, the foundation defining a cavity, the foundation is adapted to removably attach to an end of the associated leg, the foundation is adapted to engage the seabed and secure the wellhead positioned within the cavity, the at least one foundation and associated leg resisting local and global loading due to sub-arctic ice;
- and
- a drilling rig located on the hull, wherein each of the at least two legs resists local and global loading due to sub-arctic ice by comprising an outer plate and an inner plate with a bonding agent filled between the outer plate and the inner plate;
- transporting the mobile drilling system to a drilling location, wherein the drilling location includes a first foundation;
- lowering the at least two legs to a seabed, wherein one of the at least two legs is lowered into the first foundation;
- elevating the hull above a surface of the body of water;
- penetrating the foundation of the remaining legs of the at least two legs into a seabed;
- and
- positioning the drilling rig over a drilling location.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.