Offshore system with movable cantilever

• US 10,569,995 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2016
• Issued: 02/25/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2015
• 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): Lagman, Frederick L
• Application Number:
  US15/755,005
• Publication Number:
  US 20190177133A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,280 Days
• Field of Search: 405201, 405202
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 35/003 for transporting very large loads, e.g. offshore structure modules construction methods for artificial islands mounted on piles E02B17/00; for transporting marine vessels B63B35/40; docks B63C1/00
• 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: B66C 23/53 including counterweight or means to compensate for list, trim, or skew of the vessel or platform counterweights or supports for balancing lifting couples B66C23/72; equipment to decrease unwanted vessel movements B63B39/00
• CPC Class Codes: E02B 17/021 with relative movement between supporting construction and platform
• CPC Class Codes: E02B 17/04 Equipment specially adapted for raising, lowering, or immobilising the working platform relative to the supporting construction platform lifts in general B66F7/00
• CPC Class Codes: E02B 2017/0056 Platforms with supporting legs
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 15/003 adapted to be moved on their substructure, e.g. with skidding means; adapted to drill a plurality of wells
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 7/12 Underwater drilling using heave compensators E21B19/09

Abstract

An offshore system includes a vessel having a deck; a cantilever which is mounted on the deck and which is moveable in a longitudinal direction of the cantilever relative to the deck between a retracted position and an extended position, and which is rotatable relative to the deck about a substantially vertical swivel axis; and actuators to move the cantilever in longitudinal direction and to rotate the cantilever about the swivel axis. The swivel axis is provided by a single sliding and swivel assembly arranged at one end of the cantilever, including a fixed part mounted to the deck and a sliding part mounted to the cantilever. The sliding part is arranged to slide in longitudinal direction of the cantilever relative to the fixed part when the cantilever moves in the longitudinal direction. The fixed part and/or the combination of fixed part and sliding part are configured to form the swivel axis allowing the cantilever to rotate relative to the deck. A sliding assembly is arranged at the other end of the cantilever supporting the cantilever and allowing the cantilever to slide in longitudinal direction of the cantilever relative to the deck during movement of the cantilever in longitudinal direction, and to slide in a transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction relative to the deck during rotation of the cantilever relative to the deck.

Claims

1. An offshore system comprising:

a vessel having a deck;

a cantilever which is mounted on the deck and which is moveable in a longitudinal direction of the cantilever relative to the deck between a retracted position and an extended position, and which is rotatable relative to the deck about a substantially vertical swivel axis; and

actuators to move the cantilever in longitudinal direction and to rotate the cantilever about the swivel axis,

wherein the swivel axis is provided by a single sliding and swivel assembly arranged at one end of the cantilever, comprising a fixed part mounted to the deck and a sliding part mounted to the cantilever,

wherein the sliding part is arranged to slide in longitudinal direction of the cantilever relative to the fixed part when the cantilever moves in the longitudinal direction, and

wherein the fixed part and/or the combination of fixed part and sliding part are configured to form the swivel axis allowing the cantilever to rotate relative to the deck, wherein a sliding assembly is arranged at the other end of the cantilever supporting the cantilever and allowing the cantilever to slide in longitudinal direction of the cantilever relative to the deck during movement of the cantilever in longitudinal direction, and to slide in a transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction relative to the deck during rotation of the cantilever relative to the deck.

2. The offshore system according to claim 1, wherein the fixed part of the sliding and swivel assembly comprises a stationary part and a rotatable part with a bearing in between the stationary part and the rotatable part forming the substantially vertical swivel axis.

3. The offshore system according to claim 2, wherein the sliding part of the sliding and swivel assembly comprises one or more rails engaging with sliding shoes arranged on the rotatable part of the fixed part of the sliding and swivel assembly.

4. The offshore system according to claim 3, wherein cables and/or hoses are provided between the vessel and the cantilever for power and/or fluid transport, which cable and/or hoses extend through the sliding and swivel assembly.

5. The offshore system according to claim 2, wherein cables and/or hoses are provided between the vessel and the cantilever for power and/or fluid transport, which cable and/or hoses extend through the sliding and swivel assembly.

6. The offshore system according to claim 2, wherein the cantilever comprises an operational end which extends beyond the deck, in the extended position of the cantilever and an inner end opposite the operational end.

7. The offshore system according to claim 1, wherein cables and/or hoses are provided between the vessel and the cantilever for power and/or fluid transport, which cable and/or hoses extend through the sliding and swivel assembly.

8. The offshore system according to claim 1, wherein the cantilever comprises an operational end which extends beyond the deck, in the extended position of the cantilever and an inner end opposite the operational end.

9. The offshore system according to claim 8, wherein the sliding and swivel assembly is located at the inner end of the cantilever and the sliding assembly is located at the operational end of the cantilever.

10. The offshore system according to claim 8, wherein equipment is positioned at the inner end of the cantilever for providing counterweight to the equipment positioned at the operational end of the cantilever.

11. The offshore system according to claim 1, wherein the sliding assembly comprises a cantilever rail arranged on the cantilever and extending in the longitudinal direction, a deck rail arranged on the deck and substantially extending in the transverse direction, a deck slide shoe engaging with the deck rail, and a cantilever slide shoe engaging with the cantilever rail and arranged on top of the deck slide shoe.

12. The offshore system according to claim 11, wherein the deck rail has a radius of curvature and corresponding centre point coinciding with the swivel axis.

13. The offshore system according to claim 11, wherein the actuators comprise a first actuator having a rack and pinion configuration for moving the cantilever in the longitudinal direction relative to the cantilever slide shoe, and wherein the rack is arranged on the cantilever and the pinion including drive thereof is mounted to the cantilever slide shoe.

14. The offshore system according to claim 11, wherein the actuators comprise a second actuator having a rack and pinion configuration for moving the deck slide shoe relative to the deck, and wherein the rack is arranged on the deck and the pinion including drive thereof is mounted to the deck slide shoe.

15. The offshore system according to claim 11, wherein the actuators are arranged on the cantilever slide shoe and/or the deck slide shoe.

16. The offshore system according to claim 1, wherein the vessel comprises an elongated hull, with an aft end or stern and a front end or bow, and wherein a longitudinal axis of the cantilever is substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the elongated hull so that the cantilever in the extended position extends beyond the aft end or stern of the hull.

17. The offshore system according to claim 16, wherein the jack-up system comprises four legs, two at the aft end or stern of the hull and two further towards the front end or bow of the hull, wherein the cantilever extends or is arranged between the two legs at the aft end of the hull.

18. The offshore system according to claim 1, wherein the vessel comprises a jack-up system with legs to lift the hull of the vessel relative to a bottom of a body of water.

19. A method for performing subsea wellbore related activities, comprising the step of using the offshore system according to claim 1.

20. The offshore system according to claim 1, wherein the swivel axis is provided at a fixed location relative to the deck.