Modular offshore platforms and associated methods of use and manufacture

• US 8,444,348 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2010
• Issued: 05/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PND Engineers, Inc.
• Original Assignee: PND Engineers, Inc.
• Inventors: Nottingham, William Dennis, Braun, Kenton
• Primary Examiner(s): LAGMAN, FREDERICK LYNDON
• Application Number:
  US12/828,046
• Publication Number:
  US 20110002741A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,056 Days
• Field of Search: 405/195.1, 405/203, 405/204, 405/224, 405/227, 405/228, 405/217
• US Class Current: 405/227
• CPC Class Codes: E02B 17/0021 against ice-loads
• CPC Class Codes: E02B 2017/0039 Methods for placing the offshore structure
• CPC Class Codes: E02D 5/74 Means for anchoring structural elements or bulkheads anchoring piles E02D5/54 ; anchored foundations E02D27/50
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

Modular offshore platform systems and associated methods of transport and assembly are disclosed herein. A method of transporting a modular offshore platform to an offshore location in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure includes transporting towing a first platform portion of the offshore platform to an offshore location and transporting a second platform portion of the offshore platform to the offshore location separately from the first platform portion. The method further includes attaching the second platform portion to the first platform portion at the offshore location, and anchoring at least one of the first and second platform portions to a sea floor at the offshore location.

Claims

1. A modular offshore platform system comprising:

a first platform portion configured to be individually transported to an offshore location, the first platform portion having a first interior surface, a first inclined face configured to be partially submerged in water at the offshore location, and a second inclined face;

a second partially submerged platform portion attached to the first platform portion, wherein the second platform portion is configured to be individually transported to the offshore location and assembled with the first platform portion at the offshore location, wherein the second platform portion includes a second interior surface, a first inclined face configured to be partially submerged in the water, and a second inclined face, and wherein when the first platform portion is attached to the second platform portion the first interior surface is connected to the second interior surface and the first and second inclined faces of the first and second platforms form at least a portion of an outer wall extending peripherally around the platform system that is configured to at least partially deflect water and/or ice; and

a plurality of anchor pile sleeves configured to receive corresponding anchor piles extending at least partially through the first and second platform portions, wherein the anchor pile sleeves are coupled to the first and second platform portions, the anchor piles separate a bottom surface of the first and the second platform portions from a seafloor, and the anchor piles are configured to be coupled to the seafloor at the offshore location.

2. The modular offshore platform system of claim 1 wherein corresponding pairs of anchor pile sleeves are positioned in the first and second platform portions at an angle of approximately 40-70 degrees with reference to each other.

3. The modular offshore platform system of claim 1 wherein the first platform portion includes one or more cavities for carrying the anchor piles during transport of the first platform portion to the offshore location.

4. The modular offshore platform system of claim 1 wherein when the first platform portion is assembled with the second platform portion the outer wall further comprises:

a generally vertical face extending from the first inclined face;

and

a generally horizontal top surface extending from the second inclined face.

5. The modular offshore platform system of claim 1 wherein the outer wall includes an opening therein at a dock portion of the platform.

6. The modular offshore platform system of claim 1 wherein each of the first and second platform portions is approximately 100 feet wide and 400 feet long.

7. A method of assembling an offshore platform at an offshore location, the method comprising:

transporting a first platform portion of the offshore platform to the offshore location, wherein the first portion includes a first interior surface, a first inclined face that is configured to be partially submerged in water at the offshore location, and a second inclined face;

transporting a second platform portion of the offshore platform to the offshore location, wherein the second platform portion is transported individually from the first platform portion, and wherein the second platform portion includes a second interior surface, a first inclined face that is configured to be partially submerged in the water, and a second inclined face;

attaching the first interior surface of the first platform to the second interior surface of the second platform portion at the offshore location, wherein the attached first and second platform portions are configured to form a base of the offshore platform, and wherein when the first platform portion is attached to the second platform portion the first and second inclined faces of the first and second platform form at least a portion of an outer wall extending peripherally around the base; and

anchoring at least one of the first and the second platforms to a seafloor at a distance above the seafloor with a plurality of anchor piles.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein transporting the second platform portion comprises towing the second platform portion independently from the first platform portion.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein transporting the first platform portion comprises towing the first platform portion and transporting the second platform portion comprises towing the second platform portion behind the first platform portion.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

transporting a third platform portion of the offshore platform to the offshore location individually from at least one of the first and second platform portions;

transporting a fourth platform portion of the offshore platform to the offshore location individually from at least one of the first, second, and third platform portions; and

attaching the third platform portion to the second platform portion at the offshore location; and

attaching the fourth platform portion to the third platform portion at the offshore location, wherein the attached first, second, third, and fourth platform portions are configured to form the base of the offshore platform.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein anchoring at least one of the first and second platform portions to the sea-floor is at the offshore location having a depth of approximately 50-150 feet.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein the first platform portion and the second platform portion are self-contained platform portions that carry materials and/or equipment for attaching the first platform portion to the second platform portion at the offshore location.

13. The method of claim 7 wherein transporting the first platform portion comprises carrying at least one of a crane, a drilling machine, fuel, water, and drilling fluids on the first platform portion.

14. The method of claim 7 wherein attaching the first platform portion to the second platform portion comprises ballasting at least one of the first and second platform portions at the offshore location.

15. A method of transporting a modular offshore platform to an offshore location, the method comprising:

towing a first platform section of the offshore platform to the offshore location wherein the first platform section includes a first inclined face that is configured to be partially submerged in water at the offshore location, and a second inclined face;

towing a second platform section of the offshore platform to the offshore location wherein the second platform section includes a first inclined face that is configured to be partially submerged in water at the offshore location, and a second inclined face;

attaching the second platform section to the first platform section at the offshore location, wherein the first and second inclined faces of the first and second platform form at least a portion of an outer wall extending peripherally around the base; and

anchoring at least one of the first and second platform sections to a sea floor at the offshore location using a plurality of anchor piles such that the first and second platforms are partially submerged and bottom surfaces of the first and second platform are separated from the seafloor.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein towing the first platform section includes towing the first platform section with at least one anchor pile carried by the first platform section, and wherein anchoring at least one of the first and second platform sections includes anchoring at least one of the first and second platform sections with at least one of the anchor piles.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein towing the first platform section with the at least one anchor pile comprises towing the first platform section with the at least one anchor pile secured at least partially inside a cavity of the first platform section.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein anchoring at least one of the first and second platform sections to the sea floor includes anchoring at least one of the first and second platform sections with a plurality of corresponding pairs of anchor piles extending at least partially through at least one of the first and second platform sections.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein anchoring the first platform section includes anchoring the first platform section with the plurality of pairs of anchor piles including first and second anchor piles extending at least partially through the first platform section at an angle of approximately 40-70 degrees with reference to each other.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein towing the first and second platform sections includes towing the second platform section behind the first platform section.