Ice-breaking off-shore drilling and production structure

Patent · Tue Sep 02 04:00:00 EDT 1986

OSTI ID:5248007

Loire, R

An ice-breaking drilling and production structure is described for use with an off-shore vertically disposed well shaft and the like having one end extending downwardly toward a sea floor and having an opposite end extending upwardly to a point above sea level. The structure consists of: (a) a platform member having outer edges and a generally downwardly facing lower surface which slopes upwardly toward at least one outer edge thereof and adapted to be positioned on a shaft so that the sloping surface extends both above and below sea level; and (b) means for flexibly connecting the platform to a shaft in a manner which will allow the platform to lift and/or to tilt with respect to the shaft as ice moves under the sloping generally downwardly facing lower surface to transfer part of the weight of the platform to the ice and thereby break the same.

• Assignee: Morrison Knudson Co., Inc., Boise, ID
• Patent Number(s): US 4609306
• OSTI ID: 5248007
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
03 NATURAL GAS
030300 -- Natural Gas-- Drilling
Production
& Processing
42 ENGINEERING
420206 -- Engineering-- Mining & Drilling Equipment & Facilities-- (1980-1989)
423000 -- Engineering-- Marine Engineering-- (1980-)
ICE
INCLINATION
LEVELS
MACHINE PARTS
MASS TRANSFER
NATURAL GAS WELLS
OFFSHORE PLATFORMS
OIL WELLS
POSITIONING
SEA BED
SEA LEVEL
SHAFTS
WEIGHT
WELLS