Drilling riser locking apparatus and method

Patent · Tue Oct 08 04:00:00 EDT 1985

OSTI ID:5961067

Denison, E B

Apparatus and method for use in drilling a well from a floating vessel by means of a riser, which connects the vessels drilling equipment to a wellhead assembly adjacent the ocean floor. The riser is capable of being disconnected from the wellhead assembly, and having its upper elements locked to the vessel. This allows the riser to be suspended from the floating vessel, or permits maintenance of the normal riser motion-compensating and tensioning equipment. Riser locking apparatus is employed which comprises selectively positionable moveable locking beams adapted to be remotely actuated to lock the upper elements of the riser to the vessel, thereby preventing lateral or vertical movement of the riser relative to the vessel after the lower end thereof has been disconnected from the wellhead assembly.

• Assignee: Shell Offshore Inc.
• Patent Number(s): US 4545437
• OSTI ID: 5961067
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
03 NATURAL GAS
030300 -- Natural Gas-- Drilling
Production
& Processing
DESIGN
DRILLING EQUIPMENT
DRILLING RIGS
DRILLS
EQUIPMENT
FABRICATION
FASTENERS
FASTENING
FLOTATION
JOINING
MAINTENANCE
MARINE RISERS
OFFSHORE PLATFORMS
PIPES
POSITIONING
SEPARATION PROCESSES
WELLHEADS