MODULAR OFFSHORE STRUCTURES SYSTEM

• US 3,716,993 A
• Filed: 01/18/1971
• Issued: 02/20/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Maurice N. Sumner
• Original Assignee: Maurice N. Sumner
• Inventors: Sumner, Maurice N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shapiro, Jacob
• Application Number:
  US05/107,288
• Time in Patent Office: 764 Days
• Field of Search: 61/46.5,46,65,67 114/.5D,.5F,43.5,.5 175/6,7
• US Class Current: 405/198
• CPC Class Codes: E02B 17/0021 against ice-loads
• CPC Class Codes: E02B 17/021 with relative movement between supporting construction and platform

Abstract

A modular-like system of offshore structures for imparting flexibility to the offshore exploration and production and transportation industries so that exploration, production and development work can take place over a large range of marine depths and operational circumstances with one or more marine vessels, a family of spacing-jack-and-coupling means for stabilizing the vessels and for coupling them thereto, and a family of supporting stationing structures or modules which are used for lending support to the stabilized vessel or to operational structures established by the vessel.

Claims

1. A modular-like marine system for establishing offshore structures in an efficient and stable manner said structure being adapted to be used in a variety of marine situations, said use of the structure not being limited by design to a single or narrow marine situation and from which exploration, production and/or development of mineral deposits may be accomplished comprising:

a vessel for navigating through water and which is adapted to house crew and equipment, said vessel being characterized as remaining on or above the surface of the water, a jacking means for stabilizing the vessel and changing the elevation of the vessel when stabilized, a coupling means operatively associating said jacking means with said vessel, a structural station module which is adapted to cooperate with the jacking means to provide support and stabilization to the jacking means and to the vessel, and, a coupling means operatively associating said jacking means to said structural station module provided at least one of said coupling means is characterized as articulate so as to insulate said vessel from wave effects when said vessel is elevated above the wave action.

2. The modular-like marine system of claim 1 wherein said coupling means which is adapted to cooperate with said vessel and said jacking means is releasable from the latter.

3. The modular-like marine system of claim 1 wherein said coupling means which is adapted to cooperate with said vessel and said jacking means is releasable from the former.

4. The modular-like marine system of claim 1 wherein said coupling means which is adapted to cooperate with said jacking means and said structural station module is releasable.

5. The modular-like marine system of claim 1 wherein there is included pile member extending from the station module to the marine floor for stabilizing the said station module.

6. The modular-like marine system of claim 5 wherein said structural station module is founded on the marine floor after the jacking means have been founded thereon.

7. The modular-like marine system of claim 1 in which the means coupling the jacking means to the structural station module and the vessel are selectively releasable.

8. The modular-like marine system of claim 6 in which the jacking means comprises a plurality of vertical leg members disposed about the vessel and which are adapted to engage the marine floor and stabilize the vessel and for elevating said vessel above the wave action when said vessel is stabilized, at least one of said leg members being releasably coupled to the vessel so that the leg members may be founded on the floor while coupled to the vessel and left behind thereat when the vessel departs, in order to thereby form another structural station module that may cooperate later with a vessel.

9. The modular-like marine system of claim 6 in which the jacking means comprises a plurality of vertical leg members disposed about the vessel, at least one leg means on each side of the vessel being adapted to engage the marine floor to stabilize the vessel and for elevating said vessel above the wave action when said vessel is stabilized;

one of said floor engaging leg members being releasably coupled to the vessel and left behind when the vessel departs, and other of said leg members being adapted to function for said released leg so that the vessel may be elevated subsequently.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein said structural station module consists of a pontoon-like footing member affixed to the bottom ends of said jacking means for stabilizing the vessel while traveling and while stationed.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein said leg members carry pontoon-like pods adjacent the bottom ends thereof for contacting the water surface when elevated so as to enhance mobile stability and for contacting the marine floor when descended so as to enhance staticfounded stability of the vessel.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein at least one of said leg members is affixed to a mat-type station module at its lower end for contacting an increased surface area of the marine floor when descended.

13. The system of claim 8 including production and development apparatus supported on said structural station module.

14. The modular-like marine system for establishing offshore structures in an efficient and stable manner, as recited in claim 1 wherein said structural station module is characterized by an external configuration of generally necked design in which the minimal thickness thereof is substantially at the waterline so as to minimize the effect of lateral wave force on the structure.

15. The modular-like marine system for establishing offshore structures in an efficient and stable manner as recited in claim 1 wherein said structural station module is pivotally coupled to said vessel so that the module may be raised free of the water and carried by the vessel in substantially horizontal manner during navigation.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein said jacking means is disposed interiorly of said structural station module and is pivotally coupled to the vessel so that both the jacking means and station module may be simultaneously raised free of wave action during navigation, while yet maintaining a low center of gravity for the vessel.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein said jacking means are movable along their longitudinal axis with respect to the vessel so as to thereby elevate the vessel with respect to the water and also enabling vertical withdrawal thereof with respect to the station module when the vessel is founded.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein said jacking means is pivotally coupled to the vessel so that the jacking means may be moved to a substantially horizontal position when raised, thereby stabilizing the vessel when traveling by lowering the center of gravity thereof.

19. A plurality of modular-like structures for establishing offshore systems in an efficient and stable manner and from which exploration, production and/or development of mineral deposits may be conducted comPrising:

a vessel for navigating through water and which is adapted to house crew and equipment, a jacking means operatively associated with and carried by the vessel means for stabilizing and elevating the vessel means when founded, said jacking means being further characterized as being pivotally connected to the vessel and to the structural station module so that the latter may be transported by the vessel to a location on the water, and, a structural station module comprising a member having a horizontal configuration and adapted to reside on the marine floor and to receive the jacking means thereon so as to support and stabilize the vessel.

20. The structures of claim 19 wherein said structural station module is releasably coupled to the vessel therebeneath so that it may be transported thereby to a given location, used as a stabilizing platform by the vessel so as to conduct offshore operations and released so that the vessel may depart independently for another location.

21. The modular-like structures of claim 19 for establishing offshore systems in an efficient and stable manner and wherein said station module comprises a structure of ring-like configuration.

22. The modular-like structures of claim 21 wherein said station module is characterized by pile receiving means therein, and pile member extending from said pile receiving means for stably supporting said station module on the marine floor.

23. The system of claim 1 wherein the said structural station means comprises vertical leg members capable of being made buoyant for buoying up the vessel above the water for stationing.