Mobile offshore drilling structure for the arctic

Patent · Tue Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1986

OSTI ID:5839536

Gerwick, B C; Mast, R F

This patent describes a mobile offshore platform structure for use in arctic waters where in the dominant environmental loading threats are posed by winter ice pressures and summer ice floe impacts. This structure consists of an ice load bearing, submergible substructure and a deck receiving superstructure supported on the substructure. Above sea level when the substructure is submerged onto the sea floor, the substructure includes horizontal top and bottom walls, peripheral side walls surrounding the top and bottom walls, and vertical bulkheads extending between the top and bottom walls to form base compartments. Vertical spud guides are interposed between the vertical bulkheads about the perimeter of the substructure, spuds extend vertically through the spud guides. The spuds operably are vertically movable in respective spud guides for penetration into the sea floor substrate and laterally restrained by the spud guides in the top and bottom walls for transmission of lateral loads therebetween at respective fulcrum points vertically spaced apart to permit flexing of the spuds therebetween.

• Assignee: Standard Oil Co., OH
• Patent Number(s): US 4579481
• OSTI ID: 5839536
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
42 ENGINEERING
420206 -- Engineering-- Mining & Drilling Equipment & Facilities-- (1980-1989)
ARCTIC REGIONS
DESIGN
DRILLING
ICE
LEVELS
OFFSHORE DRILLING
OFFSHORE PLATFORMS
OIL WELLS
POLAR REGIONS
PRESSURE EFFECTS
SEA BED
SEA LEVEL
SEASONAL VARIATIONS
SPACE DEPENDENCE
VARIATIONS
WALLS
WELLS