US3667240A - Installations for submarine work - Google Patents

Installations for submarine work Download PDF

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Publication number
US3667240A
US3667240A US878458A US3667240DA US3667240A US 3667240 A US3667240 A US 3667240A US 878458 A US878458 A US 878458A US 3667240D A US3667240D A US 3667240DA US 3667240 A US3667240 A US 3667240A
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Prior art keywords
column
hydrocarbon
base
compartment
water
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US878458A
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English (en)
Inventor
Robert H Vilain
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FRANCAISE D'ENTREPRISES METALLIQUES Cie
METALLIQUES ENTREPR CIE FSE
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METALLIQUES ENTREPR CIE FSE
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    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
    • E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
    • E21B43/00—Methods or apparatus for obtaining oil, gas, water, soluble or meltable materials or a slurry of minerals from wells
    • E21B43/01—Methods or apparatus for obtaining oil, gas, water, soluble or meltable materials or a slurry of minerals from wells specially adapted for obtaining from underwater installations

Definitions

  • Compensating means are pumps and valves arranged so that when the hydrocarbon is introduced into the lower compartment it drives out water and corresponding mass of liquid is pumped into the upper compartment.
  • the pumps and valves are servocontrolled to the levels of the two liquids.
  • a gas pocket over the hydrocarbon is kept at constant pressure by a pumping system linked to the servo-control.
  • This invention relates to installations for submarine work, more particularly for the extraction of hydrocarbons, of the kind essentially including a column designed to have its base fixed to the seabed, notably in articulated fashion.
  • land 2 diagrammatically illustrate, in partial vertical section and in longitudinal section on an enlarged scale taken through IlII in FIG. 1, respectively, an offshore drilling platform according to the present invention having the base of its column articulated on the seabed;
  • FIGS. 3 and 4 are schematic horizontal sectional views of two further dispositions of the invention.
  • FIGS. 5 and 6 show fragmentally, in horizontal and vertical section respectively, certain elements of the column in FIG. 4;
  • FIG. 7 is a chematic sectional illustration of an alternative embodiment of the teachings of this invention already described in FIG. 1;
  • FIGS. 8 and 9 portray, in vertical section and in greater detail, said alternative embodiment.
  • such a platform includes a column 1 oscillatably connected to a base 2 anchored to the seabed 3, with an articulation or universal joint 4 therebetween, said column being weighted at its base at 5 and being furthermore equipped with a buoyancy system at its top consisting for instance of an empty compartment or float 6.
  • the internal capacity of the above-described system may be considerable (for example if the seabed is at a depth of 50 to 100 meters) and is used to store the hydrocarbons extracted from the drilling well (the head of which is shown at 7).
  • the compartment 8 is filled with hydrocarbon, which drives the water contained therein before it, the structure will be lightened and will in turn produce an increase in the reactions on the support and notably on said universal joint. In the case of a structure designed for depths of meters, this increase may reach several hundreds or thousands of tons.
  • the float compartment Assuming that compensation is effected with hydrocarbon, then in order to achieve approximate equilibrium in the case under consideration it would suffice for the float compartment to be filled with hydrocarbon of 0.85 specific gravity over a height h equal to l5h/ 100, where h is the depth to which the storage compartment 8 is filled with hydrocarbon at the time.
  • the said means are so devised that the hydrocarbon is delivered into or expelled from the float compartment automatically through the agency of level measuring means which, through electrical channels for example, activate valving or pumping means capable of producing the desired displacements of liquid.
  • float compartment 6 is caused to be filled (with possible compression of the air contained therein) through a communicating conduit 13, 14 into which a valve 15 is connected.
  • pumping means 18 for returning the hydrocarbon contained in float compartment 6 to storage compartment 8 via conduits 19, 20,
  • level measuring means consisting for instance of two sets of electrical resistors or contacts (schematically illustrated at 21, 22) which are connected to electric circuits 23, 24 for controlling the pump 18 and the valve 15 respectively.
  • the active elements of the devices 21 22 are represented schematically on the drawing by lines 27, 28 and cause a control signal to be emitted whenever the hydrocarbon level (shown at 29 in the storage compartment and at 30 in the float compartment) appears before them.
  • the hydrocarbon level shown at 29 in the storage compartment and at 30 in the float compartment
  • any other convenient means well known to the specialist in the art may be used for automatically controlling the valve 26 and the pump 25 as. a function of changes in the levels 29 and 30.
  • valve 15 and the pump 18 could be operated manually so as to maintain the required liquid height 1511/ 100 at all times in the compartment 6, in accordance with indications supplied by gauges displaying the heights of the levels 29 and 30.
  • Represented at 31 is a hydrocarbon purification device interposed downstream of pump 9.
  • FIG. 7 shows in highly schematic fashion, it could suffice to store the hydrocarbon in compartment 8 while leaving a gas or air pocket 36 above the level 37 of the hydrocarbon (the latter being shown at 38 and the water at 39), and so to regulate the gas pressure as to maintain the resultant hydrostatic pressure on the system constant.
  • suitable means for maintaining such gas pressure constant that operate on appropriate exhausting and pumping devices. Such means are shown in greater detail in FIG. 8, which will be considered hereinafter.
  • the gas maintained at constant pressure in said pocket could be hydrocarbon gas issuing from a well.
  • the present invention includes in its scope certain other particularities such as the following, which however may be used singly if need be.
  • a column of the kind referred to contains therein at least one large-diameter conduit extending substantially over the full height of the column structure and capable in particular of enabling oil pipes to be assembled or of allowing any desired tools or equipment to be lowered without difficulty into a drilling well or wells.
  • FIG. I shows a tubular conduit 32 of this kind, through which at least one oil pipe such as the oil pipe can be assembled.
  • FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the pipe 10, together with guide means 33 for lowering the same.
  • conduits of this kind can be provided, as schematically depicted at 32 in FIG. 3.
  • an arrangement of this kind may be provided externally of the column, as shown in FIGS. 4 through 6.
  • FIG. 4 shows a plurality of conduits 32 provided externally, which may be lowered for example with the aid of skids 34 (FIGS. 5 and 6) co-operating with guide rails 35.
  • Such columns could be fixed to the seabed without an articulation if they can be expected to remain unaffected by the sea swell; otherwise, the articulation must be retained.
  • FIG. 8 portrays an arrangement of this kind that includes a fully submerged column 40 comprising at its top a buoyancy compartment 46 capable in addition of containing all the gear (notably the pumping and regulating gear), said compartment being located at a level low enough in relation to the water surface 48 to permit unhindered ship movements.
  • a fully submerged column 40 comprising at its top a buoyancy compartment 46 capable in addition of containing all the gear (notably the pumping and regulating gear), said compartment being located at a level low enough in relation to the water surface 48 to permit unhindered ship movements.
  • reference numeral 41 designates a feed and storage pump drawing from any convenient hydrocarbon source (such as from a remotely located well-head), a purifl-' cation system being provided at 42.
  • the inlet is through a conduit 43 and delivery through a conduit 44.
  • Offtakes are effected by means of a further pump 49 connected into a circuit 50, 51 linked to any suitable reception facility through flexible hoses or other piping means.
  • the gas pressure in the pocket 36 is regulated by means of a delivery and discharge system 45, activation of which may possibly be combined with operation of pump 41.
  • the gas may be drawn off from the purification unit 42, as shown at 45,.
  • the air in machinery compartment 46 is compressed to the outside pressure, i.e., to the pressure corresponding to the depth of the column, and access means 47 are provided for the divers and for passage of the equipment.
  • the machinery is controlled via an underwater cable.
  • Additional floats may be provided at the top of the structure if necessary.
  • Such a storage column, or a plurality thereof, could thus be combined with a drilling platform structure of the-kind shown in FIG. 1, in cases where the output from the well requires it.
  • FIG. 9 shows another alternative embodiment of the same kind, notably for use at very great depths, in which a smaller and lighter secondary column 52 is provided at the top and is articulated to column 40 at 53 and may include a work platform 54, such secondary column providing access for inspection and ventilation of the machinery compartment 46 through a conduit 55.
  • a smaller and lighter secondary column 52 is provided at the top and is articulated to column 40 at 53 and may include a work platform 54, such secondary column providing access for inspection and ventilation of the machinery compartment 46 through a conduit 55.
  • hydrostatic pressure could likewise be compensated for, in the case of such submerged columns, with the means described for the protruding column in FIG. 1.
  • Offshore drilling platforms as hereinbefore disclosed offer numerous advantages over prior art platforms of this kind, and the following in particular:
  • the hydrocarbon can be stored in situ, thus saving time.
  • An offshore drilling platform for hydrocarbons having an oscillating column with an articulation at its base and kept stable by an upwardly directed hydrostatic pressure, with hydrocarbon storage in said column, characterized by the fact that compensating means are provided in the column for compensating for the difference in the specific gravities of the water and the hydrocarbons so that the forces acting at the base of the column and upon the articulation remain substantially constant, said column having at least two compartments, one at the base, normally filled with water, and the other at the top to form a float, said compensating means including pumping and valving means, and conduits connecting said two compartments whereby, when the hydrocarbon is introduced for storage into the base compartment'and in so doing drives out the water contained therein, a proportional mass of liquid is introduced into the upper compartment, the same operations taking place in reverse order when the hydrocarbon is reclaimed wherein the pumps and valves associated with the compensating means comprise servo-control means adapted to compensate for variations in the levels of the two liquids in the two compartments 2.
  • An offshore drilling platform for hydrocarbons having an oscillating column with an articulation at its base and kept stable by an upwardly directed hydrostatic pressure, with hydrocarbon storage in said column, characterized by the fact that compensating means are provided in the column for compensating for the difference in the specific gravities of the water and the hydrocarbons so that the forces acting at the base of the column and upon the articulation remain substantially constant, said column having at least two compartments, one at the base, normally filled with water, and the other at the top to form a float, said compensating means including pumping and valving means, and conduits connecting said two compartments whereby, when the hydrocarbon is introduced for storage into the base compartment and in so doing drives out the water contained therein, a proportional mass of liquid is introduced into the upper compartment, the same operations taking place in reverse order when the hydrocarbon is reclaimed wherein said compensating means is a gas pocket in constant contact with the hydrocarbon level in the relevant compartment, said pocket being maintained at constant pressure by means of an exhausting and pumping system which operates automatically in response to variations
  • An offshore drilling platform for hydrocarbons having an oscillating column with an articulation at its base and kept stable by an upwardly directed hydrostatic pressure, with hydrocarbon storage in said column, characterized by the fact that compensating means are provided in the column for compensating for the difference in the specific gravities of the water and the hydrocarbons so that the forces acting at the base of the column and upon the articulation remain substantially constant, said column having at least two compartments, one at the base, normally filled with water, and the other at the top to form a float, said compensating means including pumping and valving means, and conduits connecting said two compartments whereby, when the hydrocarbon is introduced for storage into the base compartment and in so doing drives out the water contained therein, a proportional mass of liquid is introduced into the upper compartment, the same operations taking place in reverse order when the hydrocarbon is reclaimed wherein at least one large-diameter conduit extends through the entire height of the column, for lowering oil pipes, gear or other equipment therethrough.
  • a drilling platform wherein a plurality of said large-diameter conduits are disposed inside the column.
  • An offshore drilling platform for hydrocarbons having an oscillating column with an articulation at its base and kept stable by an upwardly directed hydrostatic pressure, with hydrocarbon storage in said column, characterized by the fact that compensating means are provided in the column for compensating for the difference in the specific gravities of the water and the hydrocarbons so that the forces acting at the base of the column and upon the articulation remain substantially constant, said column having at least two compartments, one at the base, normally filled with water, and the other at the top to form a float, said compensating means including pumping and valving means, and conduits connecting said two compartments whereby, when the hydrocarbon is introduced for storage into the base compartment and in so doing drives out the water contained therein, a proportional mass of liquidis introduced into the upper compartment, the same operations taking place in reverse order when the hydrocarbon is reclaimed adapted to be completely submerged with its top at a suitable depth below the surface of the sea, said column being fixed to or articulated on the seabed and including means for receiving the liquid to be stored and means for
  • the submerged column includes an upper compartment which is set under an air pressure corresponding to the immersion depth and a lock for ingress of the divers and equipment.
  • submerged column includes an upper compartment which is linked to the surface of means of a smaller and lighter column articulated to said submerged column and comprising access means to said compartment.

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  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Geology (AREA)
  • Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
  • Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
  • General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Geochemistry & Mineralogy (AREA)
  • Earth Drilling (AREA)
US878458A 1968-11-21 1969-11-20 Installations for submarine work Expired - Lifetime US3667240A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FR174812 1968-11-21

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US3667240A true US3667240A (en) 1972-06-06

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US (1) US3667240A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
JP (1) JPS5018845B1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
FR (1) FR1594818A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
GB (1) GB1275987A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
NL (1) NL6917476A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)

Cited By (19)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3789921A (en) * 1971-03-05 1974-02-05 Erap Device for off-centering above-water articulated multiple-drilling structures
US3858402A (en) * 1972-01-18 1975-01-07 Balaeva Group Limited Formerly Oil storage terminals
US3961488A (en) * 1974-11-19 1976-06-08 A/S Akers Mek. Verksted Method for filling and emptying of cassions
US4126010A (en) * 1976-07-23 1978-11-21 Compagnie Generale Pour Les Developpements Operationnels Des Richesses Sous-Marines "C.G. Doris" Oscillating installation for installing in a body of water and method for its construction
US4137722A (en) * 1975-11-06 1979-02-06 Varoujan Mossiossian Coupling between an above sea-level platform and a below-water foundation
US4417831A (en) * 1980-04-30 1983-11-29 Brown & Root, Inc. Mooring and supporting apparatus and methods for a guyed marine structure
US4512409A (en) * 1983-10-13 1985-04-23 Exxon Production Research Co. Moonpool guidance system for floating structures
USRE32119E (en) * 1980-04-30 1986-04-22 Brown & Root, Inc. Mooring and supporting apparatus and methods for a guyed marine structure
US4610569A (en) * 1984-07-30 1986-09-09 Exxon Production Research Co. Hybrid offshore structure
US4685833A (en) * 1984-03-28 1987-08-11 Iwamoto William T Offshore structure for deepsea production
US6578637B1 (en) 1999-09-17 2003-06-17 Exxonmobil Upstream Research Company Method and system for storing gas for use in offshore drilling and production operations
US20060020438A1 (en) * 1999-10-12 2006-01-26 Chun Huh Method and system for simulating a hydrocarbon-bearing formation
US20070255779A1 (en) * 2004-06-07 2007-11-01 Watts James W Iii Method For Solving Implicit Reservoir Simulation Matrix
US20100082509A1 (en) * 2008-09-30 2010-04-01 Ilya Mishev Self-Adapting Iterative Solver
US20100217574A1 (en) * 2007-12-13 2010-08-26 Usadi Adam K Parallel Adaptive Data Partitioning On A Reservoir Simulation Using An Unstructured Grid
US20140166296A1 (en) * 2007-11-19 2014-06-19 Keith K. Millheim Self-Standing Riser System Having Multiple Buoyancy Chambers
US20150041142A1 (en) * 2012-08-07 2015-02-12 Jin Wang Vertical Oil Storage System and Its Method For Deepwater Drilling and Production
WO2017091146A1 (en) * 2015-11-27 2017-06-01 Blue Capital Pte. Ltd. An offshore storage facility
WO2020018017A1 (en) * 2018-07-20 2020-01-23 Blue Capital Pte. Ltd. An offshore storage facility

Families Citing this family (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
BE790646A (fr) * 1971-10-29 1973-02-15 Erap Installation pour la separation de fond des effluents des puitsproducteurs d'un champ petrolier marin
GB1469749A (en) * 1973-03-13 1977-04-06 Davies R Liquid handling
FR2404096A1 (fr) 1977-09-23 1979-04-20 Emh Structure d'exploitation du fond marin permettant d'assurer les differentes fonctions a une telle exploitation
JPH0285016U (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) * 1988-12-20 1990-07-03
GB2602115B (en) 2020-12-18 2023-07-12 Subsea 7 Norway As Storage of fluids underwater

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2772539A (en) * 1951-01-18 1956-12-04 Sandberg William Andrew Foundation for off-shore drilling rig
US3360810A (en) * 1964-05-28 1968-01-02 Shell Oil Co Floating reservoir vessel of the displacement type
US3470838A (en) * 1967-04-27 1969-10-07 Cammell Laird & Co Shipbuilder Buoyant wellhead structure

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2772539A (en) * 1951-01-18 1956-12-04 Sandberg William Andrew Foundation for off-shore drilling rig
US3360810A (en) * 1964-05-28 1968-01-02 Shell Oil Co Floating reservoir vessel of the displacement type
US3470838A (en) * 1967-04-27 1969-10-07 Cammell Laird & Co Shipbuilder Buoyant wellhead structure

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
World Oil (pub) of Feb. 1, 1968 pp. 38 39 *

Cited By (24)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3789921A (en) * 1971-03-05 1974-02-05 Erap Device for off-centering above-water articulated multiple-drilling structures
US3858402A (en) * 1972-01-18 1975-01-07 Balaeva Group Limited Formerly Oil storage terminals
US3961488A (en) * 1974-11-19 1976-06-08 A/S Akers Mek. Verksted Method for filling and emptying of cassions
US4137722A (en) * 1975-11-06 1979-02-06 Varoujan Mossiossian Coupling between an above sea-level platform and a below-water foundation
US4126010A (en) * 1976-07-23 1978-11-21 Compagnie Generale Pour Les Developpements Operationnels Des Richesses Sous-Marines "C.G. Doris" Oscillating installation for installing in a body of water and method for its construction
US4417831A (en) * 1980-04-30 1983-11-29 Brown & Root, Inc. Mooring and supporting apparatus and methods for a guyed marine structure
USRE32119E (en) * 1980-04-30 1986-04-22 Brown & Root, Inc. Mooring and supporting apparatus and methods for a guyed marine structure
US4512409A (en) * 1983-10-13 1985-04-23 Exxon Production Research Co. Moonpool guidance system for floating structures
US4685833A (en) * 1984-03-28 1987-08-11 Iwamoto William T Offshore structure for deepsea production
US4610569A (en) * 1984-07-30 1986-09-09 Exxon Production Research Co. Hybrid offshore structure
US6578637B1 (en) 1999-09-17 2003-06-17 Exxonmobil Upstream Research Company Method and system for storing gas for use in offshore drilling and production operations
US7006959B1 (en) 1999-10-12 2006-02-28 Exxonmobil Upstream Research Company Method and system for simulating a hydrocarbon-bearing formation
US20060020438A1 (en) * 1999-10-12 2006-01-26 Chun Huh Method and system for simulating a hydrocarbon-bearing formation
US7324929B2 (en) 1999-10-12 2008-01-29 Exxonmobil Upstream Research Company Method and system for simulating a hydrocarbon-bearing formation
US20070255779A1 (en) * 2004-06-07 2007-11-01 Watts James W Iii Method For Solving Implicit Reservoir Simulation Matrix
US7672818B2 (en) 2004-06-07 2010-03-02 Exxonmobil Upstream Research Company Method for solving implicit reservoir simulation matrix equation
US20140166296A1 (en) * 2007-11-19 2014-06-19 Keith K. Millheim Self-Standing Riser System Having Multiple Buoyancy Chambers
US20100217574A1 (en) * 2007-12-13 2010-08-26 Usadi Adam K Parallel Adaptive Data Partitioning On A Reservoir Simulation Using An Unstructured Grid
US8437996B2 (en) 2007-12-13 2013-05-07 Exxonmobil Upstream Research Company Parallel adaptive data partitioning on a reservoir simulation using an unstructured grid
US20100082509A1 (en) * 2008-09-30 2010-04-01 Ilya Mishev Self-Adapting Iterative Solver
US20150041142A1 (en) * 2012-08-07 2015-02-12 Jin Wang Vertical Oil Storage System and Its Method For Deepwater Drilling and Production
US9327805B2 (en) * 2012-08-07 2016-05-03 China National Offshore Oil Corporation Vertical oil storage system and its method for deepwater drilling and production
WO2017091146A1 (en) * 2015-11-27 2017-06-01 Blue Capital Pte. Ltd. An offshore storage facility
WO2020018017A1 (en) * 2018-07-20 2020-01-23 Blue Capital Pte. Ltd. An offshore storage facility

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB1275987A (en) 1972-06-01
JPS5018845B1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1975-07-02
NL6917476A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1970-05-25
FR1594818A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1970-06-08

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