Mobile marine operations structure

Patent · Tue Sep 22 00:00:00 EDT 1987

OSTI ID:5836834

Bhalaik, A; Braddick, P W; Brittin, D S; Johnson, G L

This patent describes the process of installing a marine operations structure in a pre-determined sea floor location. The structure has a central core and a support base having at least two differently sloped ice wall surfaces for achieving fracturing of ice features, and having at least two series of circumferentially arranged ballast tanks. It consists of positioning the structure over a selected sea floor location by the use of at least three tug boats connected to the structure by tension cables arranged radially with respect to the structure; flooding a first series of lower ballast tanks in a sequential ballasting operation; flooding a second series of ballast tanks located at a higher elevation within the structure than the first series of ballast tanks; maintaining radial forces along the tension cables during the flooding steps; and after the structure has become founded on the bottom of the sea, pumping sea waver into fluid tanks some of which are located at an elevation above the water level.

• Assignee: Santa Fe International Corp., Alhambra, CA
• Patent Number(s): US 4695194
• OSTI ID: 5836834
• Resource Relation: Patent File Date: Filed date 23 Dec 1986
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
03 NATURAL GAS
42 ENGINEERING
OFFSHORE PLATFORMS
DESIGN
INSTALLATION
CABLES
CONSTRUCTION
EQUIPMENT PROTECTION DEVICES
FOUNDATIONS
ICEBERGS
LOADING
NATURAL GAS WELLS
OIL WELLS
POSITIONING
RESTRAINTS
SEA BED
SHIPS
TANKS
WALLS
CONTAINERS
ICE
MATERIALS HANDLING
MECHANICAL STRUCTURES
SUPPORTS
WELLS
020300* - Petroleum- Drilling & Production
030300 - Natural Gas- Drilling
Production
& Processing
420206 - Engineering- Mining & Drilling Equipment & Facilities- (1980-1989)
423000 - Engineering- Marine Engineering- (1980-)