Offshore drilling vessel

• US 10,422,187 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2018
• Issued: 09/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Itrec BV (Ace Innovation Holding BV)
• Original Assignee: Itrec BV (Ace Innovation Holding BV)
• Inventors: Roodenburg, Joop, Wijning, Diederick Bernardus
• Primary Examiner(s): Wiest, Anthony D
• Application Number:
  US15/893,299
• Publication Number:
  US 20180163484A1
• Time in Patent Office: 592 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 2003/147 Moon-pools, e.g. for offshore drilling vessels
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 21/507 with mooring turrets
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 27/04 of derricks , i.e. employing ships' masts
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 35/44 Floating buildings, stores, drilling platforms, or workshops, e.g. carrying water-oil separating devices construction methods for floating offshore platforms B63B75/00
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 35/4413 Floating drilling platforms, e.g. carrying water-oil separating devices
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 15/02 specially adapted for underwater drilling E21B15/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 19/002 specially adapted for underwater drilling E21B19/09, E21B19/143 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 19/004 supporting a riser from a drilling or production platform
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 19/006 including heave compensators
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 19/02 Rod or cable suspensions
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 19/09 specially adapted for drilling underwater formations from a floating support using heave compensators supporting the drill string
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 19/143 specially adapted for underwater drilling
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 19/155 Handling between horizontal and vertical position
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 19/16 Connecting or disconnecting pipe couplings or joints E21B19/20 takes precedence

Abstract

An offshore drilling vessel including a hull having a moonpool, a bow and a stern, an accommodation topside having crew quarters and a bridge, said accommodation topside being arranged on the hull at the bow, a main deck between the accommodation topside and the stern of the vessel, wherein a front main deck portion of the main deck extends forward of the moonpool and a rear main deck portion of the main deck extends rearward of the moonpool, a firing line hoist system mounted on the hull at said moonpool, including a drilling structure, a hoisting device supported by the drilling structure and having a load attachment device displaceable along a firing line, the hoisting device including one or more cables and one or more associated winches to manipulate the position of the load attachment device relative to the drilling structure, one or more pivotal burner booms, each burner boom having an inner portion pivotally mounted at a lateral side of the hull and an outer portion supporting a burner, the burner boom being pivotable between a storage position generally parallel to the side of the hull and an operative position wherein the boom is directed away from the hull, the burner boom in the storage position being lower than the level of the main deck.

Claims

1. An offshore drilling vessel comprising:

a hull having a moonpool, a bow and a stern;

an accommodation topside having crew quarters and a bridge, said accommodation topside being arranged on the hull at the bow;

a main deck between the accommodation topside and the stern of the vessel, wherein a front main deck portion of the main deck extends forward of the moonpool and a rear main deck portion of the main deck extends rearward of the moonpool;

a firing line hoist system mounted on the hull at said moonpool, comprising;

a drilling structure; and

a hoisting device supported by the drilling structure and having a load attachment device displaceable along a firing line, the hoisting device including one or more cables and one or more associated winches to manipulate the position of the load attachment device relative to the drilling structure; and

one or more pivotal burner booms, each burner boom having an inner portion pivotally mounted at a lateral side of the hull and an outer portion supporting a burner, the burner boom being pivotable between a storage position generally parallel to the side of the hull and an operative position wherein the boom is directed away from the hull, the burner boom in the storage position being lower than the level of the main deck,

wherein the lateral side of the hull has a recessed storage space for the pivotal burner boom, such that the stored pivotal burner boom in the storage position does not project beyond the plane of the lateral side of the hull of the vessel.

2. The offshore drilling vessel according to claim 1, wherein the pivotal burner boom is located in a rear section of the lateral side of the hull.

3. The offshore drilling vessel according to claim 2, wherein the pivotal burner boom in the operative position is directed away from the hull and beyond the stern of the vessel so that a flare is remote from the main deck.

4. The offshore drilling vessel according to claim 1, wherein the outer portion of the pivotal burner boom supports one or more burners.

5. The offshore drilling vessel according to claim 1, wherein the pivotal burner boom in the operative position is directed away from the hull.

6. The offshore drilling vessel according to claim 1, wherein the burner boom is a cantilever boom, that is solely supported at its inner portion which is pivotally mounted to the hull.

7. The offshore drilling vessel according to claim 1, wherein the vessel is a monohull vessel.

8. The offshore drilling vessel according to claim 1, wherein the vessel is a semi-submersible.

9. The monohull offshore drilling vessel according to claim 1, wherein the hull further comprises one or more riser storage holds below the rear main deck portion.

10. An offshore drilling vessel comprising:

a hull having a moonpool, a bow and a stern;

an accommodation topside having crew quarters and a bridge, said accommodation topside being arranged on the hull at the bow;

a main deck between the accommodation topside and the stern of the vessel, wherein a front main deck portion of the main deck extends forward of the moonpool and a rear main deck portion of the main deck extends rearward of the moonpool;

a firing line hoist system mounted on the hull at said moonpool, comprising;

a drilling structure, wherein the drilling structure is a hollow construction mast having a top side and a base connected to the hull, wherein the base of the mast extends between sections of the hull on port and starboard side of the moonpool, the base being spaced from the bow side and from the stern side of the moonpool, thereby forming a front moonpool area forward of the mast, comprising a front firing line, and a rear moonpool area rearward of the mast, comprising a rear firing line; and

a hoisting device supported by the drilling structure and having a load attachment device displaceable along a firing line, the hoisting device including one or more cables and one or more associated winches to manipulate the position of the load attachment device relative to the drilling structure; and

one or more pivotal burner booms, each burner boom having an inner portion pivotally mounted at a lateral side of the hull and an outer portion supporting a burner, the burner boom being pivotable between a storage position generally parallel to the side of the hull and an operative position wherein the boom is directed away from the hull, the burner boom in the storage position being lower than the level of the main deck,

wherein the lateral side of the hull has a recessed storage space for the pivotal burner boom, such that the stored pivotal burner boom in the storage position does not project beyond the plane of the lateral side of the hull of the vessel.

11. The offshore drilling vessel according to claim 10, wherein the pivotal burner boom is located in a rear section of the lateral side of the hull.

12. The offshore drilling vessel according to claim 11, wherein the pivotal burner boom in the operative position is directed away from the hull and beyond the stern of the vessel so that a flare is remote from the main deck.

13. The offshore drilling vessel according to claim 10, wherein the outer portion of the pivotal burner boom supports one or more burners.

14. The offshore drilling vessel according to claim 10, wherein the pivotal burner boom in the operative position is directed away from the hull.

15. The offshore drilling vessel according to claim 10, wherein the burner boom is a cantilever boom, that is solely supported at its inner portion which is pivotally mounted to the hull.

16. The offshore drilling vessel according to claim 10, wherein the vessel is a monohull vessel.

17. The offshore drilling vessel according to claim 10, wherein the vessel is a semi-submersible.

18. The monohull offshore drilling vessel according to claim 10, wherein the hull further comprises one or more riser storage holds below the rear main deck portion.

19. An offshore drilling vessel comprising:

a hull having a moonpool, a bow and a stern;

an accommodation topside having crew quarters and a bridge, said accommodation topside being arranged on the hull at the bow;

a main deck between the accommodation topside and the stern of the vessel, wherein a front main deck portion of the main deck extends forward of the moonpool and a rear main deck portion of the main deck extends rearward of the moonpool;

a firing line hoist system mounted on the hull at said moonpool, comprising;

a drilling structure; and

a hoisting device supported by the drilling structure and having a load attachment device displaceable along a firing line, the hoisting device including one or more cables and one or more associated winches to manipulate the position of the load attachment device relative to the drilling structure; and

wherein the firing line hoist system is a multiple firing line hoist system comprising;

a rear hoisting device supported by the drilling structure and having a load attachment device displaceable along a rear firing line, which extends on the outside of and adjacent to a rear side of the drilling structure; and

a front hoisting device supported by the drilling structure and having a load attachment device displaceable along a front firing line, which extends on the outside and adjacent to a front side of the drilling structure; and

one or more pivotal burner booms, each burner boom having an inner portion pivotally mounted at a lateral side of the hull and an outer portion supporting a burner, the burner boom being pivotable between a storage position generally parallel to the side of the hull and an operative position wherein the boom is directed away from the hull, the burner boom in the storage position being lower than the level of the main deck, and

wherein the lateral side of the hull has a recessed storage space for the pivotal burner boom, such that the stored pivotal burner boom in the storage position does not project beyond the plane of the lateral side of the hull of the vessel.

20. The offshore drilling vessel according to claim 19, wherein the pivotal burner boom is located in a rear section of the lateral side of the hull.

21. The offshore drilling vessel according to claim 20, wherein the pivotal burner boom in the operative position is directed away from the hull and beyond the stern of the vessel so that a flare is remote from the main deck.

22. The offshore drilling vessel according to claim 19, wherein the outer portion of the pivotal burner boom supports one or more burners.

23. The offshore drilling vessel according to claim 19, wherein the pivotal burner boom in the operative position is directed away from the hull.

24. The offshore drilling vessel according to claim 19, wherein the burner boom is a cantilever boom, that is solely supported at its inner portion which is pivotally mounted to the hull.

25. The offshore drilling vessel according to claim 19, wherein the vessel is a monohull vessel.

26. The offshore drilling vessel according to claim 19, wherein the vessel is a semi-submersible.

27. The monohull offshore drilling vessel according to claim 19, wherein the hull further comprises one or more riser storage holds below the rear main deck portion.

28. The monohull offshore drilling vessel according to claim 19, wherein the rear hoisting device is adapted to build and lower a riser string with the blowout preventer at the rear side of the drilling structure, and

wherein a drill string is assembled and disassembled at the front side of the drilling structure and drilling is effected at the front side of the drilling structure.