US 8,757,077 B2Granted

Spar mooring line sharing method and system

AssigneeTechnip France

InventorsDavid N. Edelson, Jim Wang, Andrew Buck, Peter Sharp, Timothy Arthur Hale

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Abstract

The disclosure provides a method and system of coupling end-to-end at least two existing mooring lines (12A, 12B) that are already deployed from the floating platform (56) to the seabed or other connecting structure to create a single shared line from the two lines. The shared lines then form a single looped line with both ends deployed to the subsea connections. The shared length provides enough payout of line to loosen one line sufficiently, while the other line becomes correspondingly tighter using the catenary length of the tight line. In part, the line can be loosened while the other is tightened because the lines are generally in the same overall direction to the seabed, such as in a same quadrant around the platform. Thus, the lines share their available lengths to provide the necessary payout for the repairs.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A method for sharing of mooring lines, comprising:

providing a first mooring line and a first tightening element for the first mooring line on a floating platform, the first mooring line being deployed from the platform to the seabed or another connecting structure, one end of the first mooring line being connected to the platform;
providing a second mooring line and a second tightening element for the second mooring line on a floating platform, the second mooring line being deployed from the platform to the seabed or another connecting structure, one end of the second mooring line being connected to the platform;
and, while the first mooring line is deployed from the platform to the seabed or another connecting structure and while the second mooring line being deployed from the platform to the seabed or another connecting structure:
disconnecting a first portion of the first mooring line from a remainder of the first mooring line that is coupled to the platform to create an end of the first mooring line not connected to the floating platform, the first portion of the first mooring line being inboard relative to the first tightening element;
disconnecting a first portion of the second mooring line from a remainder of the second mooring line that is coupled to the platform to create an end of the second mooring line not connected to the floating platform the first portion of the second mooring line being inboard relative to the second tightening element;
coupling the first portion of the first mooring line with the first portion of the second mooring line to create a single shared line from the two lines with the ends of the shared line deployed to the seabed or other connecting structure;
tightening the first mooring line through the tightening element to provide payout of line for the second mooring line;
and
loosening the second mooring line.

6 more elements

A system for sharing of mooring lines coupled on a floating platform, comprising:

a first mooring line;
a first tightening element for the first mooring line coupled on the floating platform, the first mooring line being deployed from the platform to the seabed or another connecting structure, one end of the first mooring line being connected to the platform;
a second mooring line;
a second tightening element for the second mooring line on the floating platform, the second mooring line being deployed from the platform to the seabed or another connecting structure, one end of the second mooring line being connected to the platform;
a coupling link configured to be decoupled from a first portion of the first mooring line and from a remainder of the first mooring line that is coupled to the platform to create an end of the first mooring line not connected to the floating platform, the first portion of the first mooring line being inboard relative to the first tightening element while the first mooring line is deployed from the platform to the seabed or another connecting structure;
a coupling link configured to be decoupled from a first portion of the second mooring line and from a remainder of the second mooring line that is coupled to the platform to create an end of the second mooring line not connected to the floating platform the first portion of the second mooring line being inboard relative to the second tightening element, while the second mooring line is deployed from the platform to the seabed or another connecting structure;
a coupling element separate from the tightening elements adapted to couple the ends of the first portions of the two separate mooring lines to create a single shared line from the two separate mooring lines;
and
the first tightening element being adapted to tighten the first mooring line to provide payout of line for the second mooring line to allow loosening of the second mooring line.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/266,481Filed 30 Apr 2010 · us provisional application
Priority: 30 Apr 2009
Published: US 2012/0266800 A125 Oct 2012
Granted: 24 Jun 2014
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

B63B 21/50
Tying-up; Shifting, towing, or pushing equipment; Anchoring: anchoring arrangements or methods for special vessels, e.g. for floating drilling…
A61L 24/001
Surgical adhesives or cements; Adhesives for colostomy devices: use of materials characterised by their function or physical properties
A61L 24/0031
Use of materials characterised by their function or physical properties: hydrogels or hydrocolloids
A61L 24/06
Containing macromolecular materials: obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds