GB2463709A - A manned self-propelled submersible oil drilling and production vessel - Google Patents

Abstract

A manned self-propelled submersible oil drilling and production vessel, which operates around the seafloor and may also operate overland. This is achieved by the use of an internal propulsion system A and internal legs (F, Fig 3) with feet which can be adapted for both applications by extending downwards from the vessel at the required locations. The vessel may have an upper dome shaped portion G which may further provide a biosphere I, within the top of the dome shaped portion. The biosphere provides the crew with means to decompress safely between underwater operations. For both land and water applications the biosphere also provides a life pod as it can detach completely from the vessel and act as an escape craft. The vessel may house access pods Q both for remote operational vehicles and for manipulation arms, both the manipulation arms and the ROV's can support the operational tasks of the vessel by connecting the vessel to various types of pipes at operational locations. The vessel is also provided with telescopic flexible drilling apparatus D.

Description

Mobile Marine Oil Pod'

Description

Drawing One "Internal view" A) Propulsion system; Al) Deck Propeller heads This is where the head propulsion propellers are housed, these propellers propel' the MMOP downwards towards its required operational position at the sea floor during the pod's marine operations just above the well head' and oil pipe layout.

These propellers are activated prior to launching' the MMOP either down below the surface of the water by remote control devices using infrared waves, or these propellers can be activated to assist the pod to gain flight during the pod's overland operations.

The crew can activate this from within the biosphere, this is so that the crew can have an added safety aspect from inside and on top of the MMOP.

Theses propellers operate similar to submarine propellers except they are used for a controlled vertical dive or controlled vertical lift as apposed to horizontal housed propellers.

In terms of safety the crew need to be ready for the launch as operational marine depths and overland flights are usually beyond what is expected of manned drilling platforms'.

A2) Internal air system This segment is the machinery area for both the propellers and the air cushion transfer within the propulsion system's area.

This machine' mainly two air pumps one for allowing air to be either sucked or blown towards the mid -end sections labelled as A' so that the air -cushion A4' can be re -inflated to allow the MMOP to surface again during marine operations.

The other pump facing the other way can be used as a back up to aid the deck propellers to spin around in the opposite direction to aid the MMOP to gain height between positioning the MOP feet as they retract back inwards.

A3) Base propeller heads These propellers housed within the base section of the MMOP are mainly used for directional purposes to allow the MMOP to become mobile. After operations are completed these propellers aid the MMOP to remain at a suitable height to allow the feet' to retract back into the MMOP base section.

These base propeller heads are used to gain directional flight whilst the pod is overland, they also are used whilst the pod is overland to assist temporary positioning prior to the retractable feet retracting back into the MMOP.

A4) Pod's air cushion This small boxed section in the corner represents the area that it is used for an air cushion which aids the MMOP to stay afloat prior to launch' and can be re-inflated once the MMOP needs to re-surface either for maintenance or readjusting the components that are needed after long periods of use.

This air cushion is visible around the outer lower edge or circumference of the MMOP edge, once it deflates it retracts back into the MMOP to allow for water dynamics during dives within a marine environment.

Using the air inside the ring' cushion the MMOP can float back upwards towards the surface of the water with the added aid of the base and deck propellers from the propulsion system.

The positioning of the feet' does not compromise the position of the propellers as shown within drawing four Birdseye view'.

B) Base Section of pod The entire lower rectangle segment is the whole base' section of the MMOP, this section houses all the lower working parts of the MMOP mainly the engineering hardware required for offshore oil drilling, extraction and piping.

The crew has access to this section via an internal walkway system and internal layers of engineering decks allowing crew members to support the machinery and suitable equipment required for this type of operations.

The base's skin will be layered accordingly with the dome structure to enable safety for the MMOP at operational depths.

C) Drill support section This section is represented at the centre core segment of the MMOP; this section is where the direct support for the drill head, drill body and operational replacement parts are accessed to enable the MMOP to remain functional and operational at an engineering level.

D) Drill port This is the MMOP Drill, it is mainly a telescopic' drill which enables the drill head to reach further into the oil well', this drill is also flexible in direction allowing for more difficult part of the well to be accessed and therefore more oil to be drilled and extracted.

The drill itself is attached to the upper parts of the drill support section C, and its body is supported along its length or height' with accessible crewed engineering walkways with a series of couplings attached. These internal open' decks can allow the crew engineers to prevent drill failure or malfunction due to replacement parts being accessible within the C' support sections surrounding the centre core segment of the MMOP.

E) Pod floor lightening This small section represented within the drawing shows where the MMOP support lights can be accessed by the crew. These lights are housed internally but shine through ports underneath the MMOP towards the oil well or near by pipelines so that the crew can allow the remote operational vehicles to see' what they are doing whilst supporting the drill head near the well or with capping the oil well or joining the MMOP to the existing pipeline along the seafloor during marine operations.

During overland operations these floor lights are used to assist crew members during night time operations, also allowing the crew to navigate the pod during night time operational movements.

As an option the MMOP can be attached to a series of spars if the option for a pipeline is beyond suitability depending on the oil well location.

F) Pod's Feet This is to show where the MMOP feet will be housed within the outer section of the MMOP, shown as a broken line within this drawing. The positions of these feet are shown within drawing Four.

G) Pod's Dome This represents the upper part of the MMOP; this dome structure contains all the functional crew areas, including the computer hardware required, energy containment areas and living quarters for the crew.

The dome itself will have an outer shell and a toughened inner shell, layering this dome with toughened shells will enable the MMOP to maintain a safe working environment within its required operational depths during marine operations.

During overland operations the dome's shell is layered with optional energy panels to absorb natural solar energy, as within overland operations there is a comparative pressure load difference within the atmosphere as apposed to a marine environment.

H) Operational crew decks; These decks are where the crew can access the different levels of functions within the

MMOP

Hi) Accommodation level The upper level is where the crew live, also given access to the biosphere up on top of the MMOP. Within this deck there will be all the required suitable equipment and supplies for the crew to work and survive for a long period.

H2) Observational level This deck is used to observe' the operational aspects of the MMOP operations; it will also be used for observing the environmental impact, guiding the MMOP throughout its tasks by computer imagery accessed via communication equipment and sensory equipment. Utilising sensors minimises the environmental impact whilst working within unknown terrains, therefore not disturbing ecosystems or fragile geological features for when the MMOP wants to manoeuvre around.

H3) Drill head guidance level This level will allow technicians to work with computer imagery and relevant supportive hardware to enable the drill head to drill' within the correct domain also to avoid been damaged from harder geological areas of the crust as it seeks oil'.

This is especially important as with many drill applications, this drill is flexible to drill like a straw' bending and stretching into hard to reach areas of the oil well.

H4) Engineering operations level This is the first level of the mechanical engineering support, these engineers at this level can aid repairs to the drill's body. The replacement parts are housed within the surrounding supportive core', these engineers can use their skills to keep this drill maintained.

H5) Engineering support level This is the secondary support level, aiding engineers with the repairs or maintenance with the drill's body and drill head.

H6) Engineering maintenance level This is where the engineers can apply their skills to access the drill's head, as with this design of drill being telescopic. The drill head can be easily accessed for when the drill's body is retracted back into its housing.

H7) ROV maintenance level This level is used to gain access to maintain the ROV or Remote Operational Vehicles for which carry out tasks below and outside the MMOP.

Engineers at this level can repair these mini underwater robot crafts by accessing them through their housing pods located at the base line of the MMOP Also at this level the engineers can maintain and gain access to the base functions of the MOP, so that essential adjustments could be made keeping the MMOP operational during operating within a marine environment.

Optionally during overland operations these remote operational vehicles are replaced with crew members, as a manned crew can carry out maintenance and operational tasks outside beneath the pod. The access maintenance level allows the crew members to gain access to outside beneath the pod via the ROV housing pods, by having mini retractable ladders housed within these pods instead.

I) Biosphere This section of the MMOP is where the crew adjust to their required working environment and depth, the biosphere is in a sense a small living quarter to allow compression and decompression also allowing crew members to avoid medical conditions arising from diving too quickly during operating within a marine environment.

The biosphere will comprise of the equipment suitable for this requirement and will be sealed off separately form the lower decks only accessed by a hatch locking door above and below allowing a dual exit point for the crew.

Also as an added safety feature for the MMOP is that this biosphere separates completely by a series of internal locks interlocking the biosphere's base into the MMOP dome's roof, this is bow the crew can gain access to a safe emergency exit for the MMOP during operational depths and within an overland operation.

The biosphere also houses the operational control switches for the crew to enable the propulsion system to be activated prior to the air cushion being deflated and the pod becoming submerged or launched into flight, also allowing the propulsion system's propellers to be activated to allow the pod to submerge and move downwards or upwards allowing the pod to gain flight towards the pod's operational location either overland or within a marine environment.

Once at the required depth or overland location the crew can also control the retractable legs to get into position from the biosphere.

As an additional safety feature housed within the base of the biosphere segment is a series of mini propellers which are activated by the crew only in an emergency after releasing the biosphere from the pod's roof. The propellers power is sourced by a series of mini batteries housed within the biosphere segment.

These propellers are signified by a series of small broken circles within the pod's roof within the bird's eye view drawing.

Ii) SOS buoy This is where emergency communicational buoys are housed so it can be launched in an emergency prior to the biosphere resurfacing or after being released, so that it gives the crew an advanced time to be rescued as the buoys resurface before the biosphere does within a marine environment.

Optionally these SOS buoys can be shaped to break through ice layers if the MMOP is working beneath an Artic' environment, so that the built in transmitters can penetrate the ice to transmit their location. With this option in mind, the crew can optionally resurface the MMOP to act like a submarine penetrating the ice.

J) Ladder These ladders' shown within the drawing represents crew access areas between internal operational decks.

As each ladder connects each working level for the crew for safety reasons there is a locking hub door (a submarine' style sealing door) between each floor of each section of the ladder to let the crew seal these doors behind them securing the higher levels of the MMOP during an evacuation procedure in case of flooding or lower level decompression only within a marine environment.

L) Waste recycling system This is where all the crew's waste is stored, stored within a controlled area with certain types of bacteria which can aid breakdown of natural waste and can aid and transform waste water into drinking water for the crew over long operational times.

M) Energy source areas This area of the MMOP is used to contain a suitable energy source so that the MMOP can be operational. The idea is that a preferable source of energy would be in the form of a battery type, this battery would provide the ongoing energy within the MMOP for all its functions and its base energy level will be constantly recharging during operations.

The battery would recharge by the movement of the drill's body, as the drill's body rotates the battery would recharge similar to a car battery; except connected by a series of belts along its upper body.

P) Oil outflow pipe These are the oil outflow pipes, these pipes are used to allow the flow of the oil that has been extracted from the well head within the seafloor or overland crust, back towards the existing pipeline via these flexible connective pipes which join up the pipeline with the MMOP Q) ROV pods These pods are where the ROVS are housed, they can be accessed by the engineering crew just above where these pods are located at the underneath section of the MMOP Remote Operational Vehicles are required for added support and operational technical tasks which enable the MMOP to hook up to the well head or the pipeline /spar.

Optionally if the pressure is too great for these vehicles outside the MOP, internally housed crab arms' with crab pincers' can be utilised by the crew to guide the drill and connect the pipes beneath the MMOP whilst the pod is within a marine environment.

These ROV pods also house optional mini retractable mini ladders to allow the crew access to assist the pod to connect with a series of pipelines or assist the drill into place on the ground, during the pods overland operations.

R) Riser pipe connectors/ Oil inflow This is where the oil form the well head reaches the MMOP; this shows the in flow of oil through to the outflow pipes P'.

These are flexible to allow for distance and angles involved between the riser pipes at the well head and the MMOP S) Eye Cameras These cameras are called eye cameras because they are small, they are positioned and located all around the pod's outer body allowing the on board crew to see where they are going with the pod.

These cameras are light assisted within a tinted lens as within the pod's working environment at great depths sometimes it is best to use a more suitable type of lens and the right kind of supportive light tint.

This way the marine life isn't disturbed and because of high pressure loads working within great depths the lens needs to be toughened, also as sonar' has been proven to disturb marine life cycles at certain depths.

During overland operations these Eye cameras can assist the crew to navigate the pod during night time operational movements.

Mobile Marine Oil Pod'

Description

Drawing Two Outside' A; Al; Propulsion system's Propeller heads These smaller shaped sections are the housing for the MMOP propulsion system's propellers, these propellers aid the entire rig to descend or ascend to and from its required position vertically.

A4; Air cushion This shows the air cushion inflated around the outside, this cushion supports the MMOP during positioning before it launches into position below on the seafloor.

Once the MMOP is ready for launch it deflates and allows the MMOP to sink partly so that the MMOP propulsion system has an easier task of launching the MMOP into position at the seafloor adjacent to the oil well' in question.

B; Base of MOP The base section of the rig houses all the lower functional parts and equipment required for deep sea oil or gas extraction.

G; Dome structure The dome section of the rig houses all the working parts and equipment required to carry out the rig's task of deep sea drilling and production within deep remote regions of the sea floor or overland location. It will be strengthened to suit deep water environment by harnessing correct and tested materials required.

H; Operational decks; 1) Accommodation; this deck is for the operational crew to live in during their mid-long term operations within this rig 2) Observational; this deck can be used for studying the data and imagery to guide the drill through the well, also for studying the environmental impact and the rig's surrounding wildlife or marine life.

3) Engineering level one; to observe and maintain the flows of oil or gas through from the risers arriving from the well straight through to the internal pipe network within the rig, also to guide the drill head through imagery.

4) Engineering level two; allowing crew engineers to support and maintain the drill and its equipment I; Biosphere This is the biosphere segment of the MMOP, shown from an outside view.

S; Eye cameras These cameras are located around the outer body of the pod, they enable the crew to see where the pod is travelling to and to aid any external maintenance which needs to be carried out by the remote underwater vehicles or carried out by crew members during an overland operation.

Mobile Marine Oil Pod'

Description Three

Outside operational view' A; Al;Propulsion system's deck propellers Within this view the propeller housing can be shown, these are slim in shape to allow for cross wind protection before decent and ascending -this is so that the propellers don't become knocked out of use either from passing birds or strong gusts of wind.

B; Base of MOP This large section represents the entire base segment of the MMOP D; Drill Within this view the drill can be shown as it descends from the MMOP towards its required operational position at a well head'.

F; Feet's legs This view shows the feet's' legs extending to support the weight of the MMOP during operations. These feet' are telescopic and can retract back into the base of the MMOP after operations are completed with the supporting boost from the base propellers before the MMOP moves into a new position.

G; Dome This view shows another outside view of the upper segment of the MMOP H; Operational decks These are the visible crewed operational decks I: Biosphere The upper segment of the MMOP form the outside view S; Eye cameras These small circles are the cameras which enable the crew to see where the pod is going and to observe any marine or wildlife during operations.

Mobile Marine Oil Pod'

Description Four

Bird's Eye view' A; Al; Propulsion system's Deck propellers The outer circles represent the MMOP propulsion system's deck propellers, they help the MMOP to position itself below the surface by propelling the MMOP towards its required working depth or overland height position.

G; Dome This is the dome segment of the MMOP housing all the upper operational decks, the biosphere and the energy containment areas.

H; Operational decks These spaced lined circles represent the upper operational crew decks, these are visible outside as they provide a source of natural solar light to allow extra light and energy to be circulated around these decks for the crew's advantage. This is achieved by using solar absorbent materials within the toughened glass that is used for pressurised working conditions.

I; Biosphere The small circle within the centre represents the biosphere segment, the smaller broken circles within this circle represent the biosphere's mini propellers.

S; Eye cameras These small circles are the crew's eyes enabling them to see where the pod is travelling to including vertical climbs and horizontal movements, these cameras also allow the crew to observe any passing marine or wildlife or habitats.

Mobile Marine Oil Pod'

Description Five

Underneath View' A; A3; Propulsion system's base Propellers These are represented as the outer larger circles with the cross lined pattern within them, these propellers aid directional and lift propulsion for the MMOP C; Support core The inner foremost ring represented here is the support core; this is the area in which the crew has direct access to give support towards maintaining the drill during and between operations.

D; Drill The centre ring is the actual drill.

E; Ligjits These smaller circles represent the underneath lighting for the drill's operations and for guiding the ROVS or crew during their support operations. FFeet

The six large circles placed around the outer edge are the MMOP feet; these feet are shown with directional lines to demonstrate that they are circular but also mobile and flexible with their sensitivity towards their terrain once their deployed. This is so that the MMOP doesn't become unstable if the feet should land on uneven terrain below the MMOP close by the oil well's head and pipeline.

P; Outflow pipes These are shown as medium sized circles with smaller ones inside; this is to show the housing with the openings for the extending flexible pipe connectors which connect the out flowing oil with either the existing pipeline or a floating optional spar.

0; ROY Housing These circles represent the housing pods' for the ROY internal housing, as Remote Operational Vehicles can withstand greater depths and be able to carry out heavy duty multi tasks as apposed to a diver.

This is also where the optional crab arms' extend from, this is if the operational depth is too great just for ROVS Additionally the housing for the ROVS can be utilised for overland operations by housing mini retractable ladders to allow the crew to gain access beneath the pod to assist connecting the pipes and guiding the drill into place at the land wellhead.

R Riser pods This is where the Oil' extracted from the oil wells will connect with the MMOP, from travelling through Riser pipes' to connecting these pipes to these Riser pods' on the underneath of the MMOP S; Eye cameras These are the eyes for the crew to allow them to see where the pod is travelling and to oversee the operations by the remote underwater vehicles beneath the pod.