Vessel comprising a moon pool and a hoisting arrangement and method of lowering items into the sea

• US 9,771,131 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2012
• Issued: 09/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IHC Holland IE BV
• Original Assignee: IHC Holland IE BV
• Inventors: Zijlmans, Jurgen Arjan, Heerema, Eline Wilhelmina, Peerdeman, Marius, Zandbergen, Norbert
• Primary Examiner(s): Momper, Anna
• Assistant Examiner(s): SCHWENNING, LYNN E
• Application Number:
  US14/113,906
• Publication Number:
  US 20140161569A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,979 Days
• Field of Search: 4141428, 521221, 521231, 4051541, 405158, 405169, 405170, 166352, 166356
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 27/16 of lifts or hoists pilot lifts B63B27/146
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 35/4413 Floating drilling platforms, e.g. carrying water-oil separating devices
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 19/00 Handling rods, casings, tubes or the like outside the borehole, e.g. in the derrick; Apparatus for feeding the rods or cables
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 19/002 specially adapted for underwater drilling E21B19/09, E21B19/143 take precedence

Abstract

A vessel for e.g. well intervention or deep sea lowering, comprises a moon pool and a hoisting arrangement for lowering and retrieving items, in particular equipment, tools, and/or supplies or modules comprising the same, through the moon pool, into respectively from the sea and onto respectively from the seabed or an installation on the seabed. The vessel further comprises one or more guides for laterally retaining items inside the moon pool, preferably at least two guides positioned on opposite sides of the moon pool.

Claims

1. A vessel comprising a moon pool and a hoisting arrangement configured to lower items, through the moon pool, into a sea and onto a seabed or an installation on the seabed and configured to retrieve items, through the moon pool, from the sea, the seabed, or an installation on the seabed, wherein the vessel comprises a tower configured to receive one or more items, and one or more guides configured to laterally retain the tower inside the moon pool, wherein the tower is translatingly mounted between the guides for moving up and down and comprises an open side configured to allow items to be entered into the tower, wherein the tower comprises at least two connected walls defining an open side vertical channel extending therethrough and including the open side, and wherein the vessel has a deck next to the moon pool and is configured such that items can be transferred between the tower and the deck through the open side of the open side vertical channel.

2. The vessel according to claim 1, wherein the guides extend at least partially in the moon pool.

3. The vessel according to claim 2, wherein the guides are provided at different heights in the moon pool.

4. The vessel according to claim 1, wherein the tower comprises fasteners configured to temporarily hold a plurality of items, one item stacked above another item.

5. The vessel according to claim 1, wherein the tower comprises doors at a lower end thereof.

6. The vessel according to claim 1, wherein the tower comprises a plurality of guide wires extending within the tower.

7. The vessel according to claim 1 and further comprising at least two guides positioned on opposite sides or corners of the moon pool.

8. The vessel according to claim 1, wherein the guides are provided at different heights in the moon pool.

9. A handling system configured to be installed on a vessel to handle items, the handling system comprising a moon pool and a hoisting arrangement configured to lower and retrieve items, through the moon pool, wherein a tower is configured to receive one or more items, and one or more guides are configured to laterally retain the tower inside the moon pool, which tower is translatingly mountable between the guides enabling the tower to be moved up and down and comprises an open side configured to allow items to be entered into the tower, wherein the tower comprises at least two connected walls defining an open side vertical channel extending therethrough and including the open side, and wherein the vessel has a deck next to the moon pool and is configured such that items can be transferred between the tower and the deck through the open side of the open side vertical channel.

10. A method of lowering or retrieving items into a sea and onto a seabed or an installation on the seabed by a vessel using a moon pool and a hoisting arrangement, the method comprising:

suspending one or more items from the hoisting arrangement,

lowering or hoisting the items through the moon pool,

laterally retaining the items while the items are being lowered or hoisted through the moon pool, and

loading the items into a tower having an open side to allow items to be entered into the tower and translatingly lowering or hoisting the tower between guides which retain the tower inside the moon pool,

wherein the tower comprises at least two connected walls defining an open side vertical channel extending therethrough and including the open side, and wherein the vessel has a deck next to the moon pool, and further comprising transferring items between the tower and the deck through the open side of the open side vertical cannel.

11. The method according to claim 10, and further comprising loading a first item into the tower, lowering or hoisting the tower and loading a second item into the tower, respectively above or below the first item.

12. The method according to claim 11, and further comprising connecting an uppermost item to the hoisting arrangement.

13. The method according to claim 10 wherein laterally retaining the tower while the tower is being lowered or hoisted through the moon pool includes guiding the tower using at least two guides positioned on opposite sides or corners of the moon pool.