WO1988003196A1 - Procede et installation de demantelement de plates-formes de forrage au large et autres - Google Patents

Procede et installation de demantelement de plates-formes de forrage au large et autres Download PDF

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Publication number
WO1988003196A1
WO1988003196A1 PCT/US1987/002817 US8702817W WO8803196A1 WO 1988003196 A1 WO1988003196 A1 WO 1988003196A1 US 8702817 W US8702817 W US 8702817W WO 8803196 A1 WO8803196 A1 WO 8803196A1
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
pile
anvil
environment
liquified gas
container
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US1987/002817
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Franklin C. Wade
Richard A. Anderson
Richard H. Barron
Original Assignee
Wade Franklin C
Anderson Richard A
Barron Richard H
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from US07/083,639 external-priority patent/US4808037A/en
Application filed by Wade Franklin C, Anderson Richard A, Barron Richard H filed Critical Wade Franklin C
Publication of WO1988003196A1 publication Critical patent/WO1988003196A1/fr

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Classifications

    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E02—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING; FOUNDATIONS; SOIL SHIFTING
    • E02B—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING
    • E02B17/00—Artificial islands mounted on piles or like supports, e.g. platforms on raisable legs or offshore constructions; Construction methods therefor
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E02—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING; FOUNDATIONS; SOIL SHIFTING
    • E02D—FOUNDATIONS; EXCAVATIONS; EMBANKMENTS; UNDERGROUND OR UNDERWATER STRUCTURES
    • E02D9/00—Removing sheet piles bulkheads, piles, mould-pipes or other moulds or parts thereof
    • E02D9/04—Removing sheet piles bulkheads, piles, mould-pipes or other moulds or parts thereof by cutting-off under water
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E02—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING; FOUNDATIONS; SOIL SHIFTING
    • E02B—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING
    • E02B17/00—Artificial islands mounted on piles or like supports, e.g. platforms on raisable legs or offshore constructions; Construction methods therefor
    • E02B2017/0052—Removal or dismantling of offshore structures from their offshore location

Definitions

  • Offshore activity is performed on a massive scale in the quest for petroleum and the production of petroleum from discovered pools. It is a common occurrence that structures built in the past to find or develop petroleum are no longer to be used, either because the petroleum pool has become depleted, or was found not to be economically feasible- These structures, such as offshore platforms, drilling rigs, conductors or the like, can become a navigational hazard and must be removed. Also sunken ships, boats, pipelines and? -other metal objects that have been paxt of the offshore activity or related or even unrelated activities may become lodged on the ocean bottom and are sought to be removed for a variety of reasons.
  • Still another object of the present invention is the provision of a unique cannister that is able to be formed into a size shaped so that it will fit into an environment around the object to be cryogenically fragmented and release the liquified gas contained therein to bring about the embrittlement.
  • Another object of the present invention is the injection of liquified gas into a previously evacuated environment of an object portion to be fragmented in such a substantial amount that the object portion will be embrittled for subsequent fragmentation by application of a suitable force.
  • a further object of the present invention is to fragment the cryogenically embrittled pile in a safe and effective manner that enables the pile to be easily removed from an embedded position beneath the floor of the sea.
  • Another object of this invention is the provision of a tool for insertion into the pile adjacent the area of embrittlement and having a plurality of anvils that are directed into striking contact with the embrittled pile at such force so as to ⁇ frag ent the embrittled area and free the pile from the lower and more deeply embedded remaining portion of the pile.
  • Another object of the present invention is to provide for a means and method for fragmenting a submerged and embedded pile including cryogenically embrittling said pile beneath the mud line, providing tension to said pile and fragmenting said pile for ease of removal of the pile from the seabed.
  • a method for removal of large metal objects that may be embedded in or substantially immobile and lying on the seabed may be applied to platforms, drilling rigs, conductors, ships, boats, pipe or other metal objects found offshore. At least a portion of the environment should be dislodged from at least a portion of the object such as a pile embedded below the mudline.
  • a liquified gas is injected into the environment in a sufficient amount to cryogenically embrittle the pile or object upon sufficient contact with the pile or object. Upon embrittlement the pile or object can be fragmented by application of an applied force. Thereafter the pile or object may be removed from the seabed.
  • a cannister for use in removing large objects embedded or lying immobile on the seabed floor has a body shaped to- conform to the object to be fragmented and contains liquified gas to be used to chill the object to be fragmented upon embrittlement.
  • Nozzles are positioned on the cannister to discharge the liquified gas in the cannister and inlet means is positioned on the body of the cannister to permit a pressurizing gas to be admitted to the cannister to force out the liquified gas.
  • a support is positioned on the body for raising and lowering the cannister within the object such as within the diameter of a pile.
  • An apparatus for applying tension to the pile before fragmention consists of one or more hydraulic rams connected between the pile and the concentric jacket.
  • Figure 1 is a schematic side view drawing, partly broken away, illustrating a platform supported by conventional piling embedded into the sea floor and being tended to by a surface barge providing an airlift within the piling to evacuate mud and water as shown.
  • the deck of the platform is shown about to be removed by a crane.
  • Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view broken away illustrating the cannister - in position and connected to a hose for pressurizing gas. Also shown more clearly is the jacket surrounding the pile to the mudline and the collar secured to the pile for providing tension on the pile.
  • Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 3-3 of Figure 2 and illustrating the top of the cannister in position within the piling and filled with liquified gas being sprayed out between the cannister and the piling- to. chill the piling to embrittlement temperature or below.
  • Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view partly broken away illustrating an alternate embodiment of the present invention wherein a conduit is lowered into the environment of the pile to be fragmented.
  • Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view partly broken away, illustrating the application of a force from a hammer pile driver to cause the fragmentation shown in the embrittled portion of the pile.
  • Figure 6 is • a perspective view, partly broken away illustrating the two barrel fragmentation tool with the frangible rod-
  • Figure 7 is identical to Figure 6 except a four barrel cruciform arrangement modification is illustrated along with a separable connector in phantom lines.
  • Figure 8 is an exploded view of the separable connector of Figure 7 and illustrating the severed frangible rod.
  • Figure 9 is identical to Figure 6 but illustrating another modification in the form of the frangible disc separating the propulsion area from the junction of the barrels.
  • Figure 10 is a perspective view, partly broken away illustrating the tensioning apparatus for providing tension to the pile prior to fragmenting.
  • Figure 11 is a perspective view of the invention shown in Figure 7 after the pile has been fragmented.
  • This invention has a broad scope in that it is capable of being applied to various objects that may be embedded in or lying on the sea floor.
  • objects can include offshore platforms, drilling rigs, conductors, ships, boats, pipe, or other heavy metal objects that are difficult or perhaps impossible to retrieve because of their weight or immobile position-
  • the principal description of the invention will be directed to the removal of the supporting members, i.e., piles, for an offshore platform though any similar or related structure could be also removed.
  • a conventional offshore platform is shown, designated as O/P, and composed of a deck D and supporting piles P which are surrounded by concentric cylindrical jackets J.
  • the offshore platform is usually supported by 4, 6, or 8 or more such piles that are embedded into the seabed floor F well below the mudline M.
  • the piles are cylindrical steel pipe of about 8-72 inches in diameter with wall thicknesses of 1/2 to 3 inches.
  • the piles P are embedded perhaps hundreds of feet below the mudline M and into the seabed floor F.
  • the jacket J extends from the deck D of the offshore platform O/P and terminates just at or above the mudline M.
  • the top portion of the offshore platform O/P is removed well above the surface S of the water W. This removal is done by conventional means and does not form a portion of this invention.
  • a barge B having a conventional crane C is shown floating on the surface S.
  • the crane may be of substantial size capable of handling weights of 7500 tons or greater and, as shown, is removing the deck D of the offshore platform O/P to expose the upper portion of the jacket J and the pile P.
  • the portion of the jacket J and the pile P that remains after removal of the deck is shown in the cross-sectional view of Figure 2.
  • the evacuation of the mud and water within the pile P is accomplished by any suitable means such as by the use of an airlift L operated from the barge B.
  • the airlift L as best shown in Figure 1, includes a conduit or hose 12 that extends downwardly as shown in Figure 1 to well below the 15 foot limit terminating at the point T within the pile P.
  • high pressure air as shown in Figure 1, bubbling out from the hose 12 at point T and upwardly through the pipe P, all mud and water will be evacuated from the pile down to about the point T, but importantly well below the stated 15 foot requirement.
  • the evacuated water and mud are shown at D being spilled up over the top of the pile and back into th water W. Obviously no pollution occurs to the environment by reason of returning the water and mud from the ocean floor back to the surface of the water where it will filter down again to the bottom.
  • the pile P may have a collar 14 secured to its upper end that may be suitably secured, as by welding-
  • the collar may be formed as a ring that is fully surrounding the pile P or the collar 14 may be discontinuous. It is desirable, also, that there be gripping means such as the padeyes 16 positioned on the collar 14 to receive a suitable cable 18 that may be secured to a derrick or a crane such as C on the boat or barge B.
  • This collar should be of sufficient outside diameter ' so as to be greater than the outside diameter of the jacket J so that, upon fragmentation, the collar will prevent the pile from dropping down into the jacket, and will permit the recovery of the pile by the cables 18 secured to the padeyes 16.
  • the container or cannister 10 can vary in volume as required from 10 or 50 gallons to several hundred gallons.
  • the cannister may be composed of ceramic, glass or other material capable- of withstanding extremely low temperatures of below 350° below zero, which is the temperature of liquid nitrogen, preferably used as the liquified gas.
  • the . composition of the cannister 10 is not important, it being only significant that it have the capability of withstanding these extremely low. temperatures.
  • the cannister as shown, is provided with a top 20, sides 22 and a bottom 24.
  • the shape of the container is preferably in the form of a cylinder but according to the broadest aspects of the present invention, it is preferable that when used, the cannister be shaped in accordance with the shape of the object or portion of the object to be chilled and brought to an embrittlemeht temperature or below for fragmentation. Where used for fragmentation of a pile, it is preferable that the diameter of the cannister be about one inch to 6 inches or more less than internal diameter of the pile, to form spacing E as shown in Figures 1 and 2.
  • the cannister 10 is also provided with a plurality of padeyes 26 positioned conveniently on the top 20 of the cannister and preferably at its periphery to support cable means 28 for raising and lowering the cannister through the pile P.
  • the top of the cannister is also fitted with an inlet nozzle 30 communicating with the interior of the cannister and to which is secured a conduit means in the form of hose 32 that extends up through the pile P and out to the barge B.
  • This hose is used to provide the pressurizing gas, preferably in the form of gaseous nitrogen, to the cannister, which, when containing liquified gas, sprays the liquified gas out into contact with the pile P through nozzles 34.
  • These nozzles 34 are shown in Figure 2 and Figure 3 and are preferably directed inwardly as best shown in the cross-section cutaway of Figure 3 and formed from suitable material such as Teflon. These nozzles 34 are positioned within suitable openings 36 evenly distributed in the side 22 of the cannister 10.
  • the liquified gas be any non-toxic, non-oxidizable gas such as nitrogen, which is the gas of choice.
  • the pressurizing gas to be admitted through hose 32 need not be the same gas that is liquified and contained in the cannister 10, but it is likely that since nitrogen -is found to be the ' best and most preferred gas, that nitrogen would be both the liquified gas, and also the pressurizing gas that sprays the liquid nitrogen out the nozzles 34.
  • the deck D of the offshore platform is removed as shown in Figure 1 to expose the upper end of the pile P at which time the line L is lowered to the desired depth shown as point T.
  • Air passing through the line L provides the airlift to evacuate the interior of the pile P below the 15 foot level of the mudline.
  • the cannister 10 then maybe filled with the liquified gas at the surface on the barge B and then lowered by cables 28 through the pile down to the point well below the 15 foot level, or it is possible that the cannister 10 be filled through the inlet nozzle 30 prior to the pressurizing gas being forced down in the hose 32 to spray the liquid nitrogen out nozzles 34 into spacing E and into contact with the inside of the pile P.
  • the cannister is slightly smaller in diameter than the inside of the pile. Even though the pile may be from 8 inches to 72 inches in diameter with a wall thickness of 1/2 to 3 inches thick, it is possible to chill it to the embrittlement temperature of steel, -55°. Obviously the thicker the wall and the larger the size of the diameter of the pile, the greater the capacity of the cannister in order to have sufficient liquified gas sprayed out to chill the ' wall of the pile to or below the embrittlement temperature.
  • the cannister is shaped to conform to the environment of the interior of the pile, yet allowing for spacing E, after the pile has been evacuated, a space between the sides 22 of the cannister and the inside wall 38 of the pile P will be sufficient to hold the liquified gas in contact with the pile until the liquified gas has vaporized and drawn its heat of vaporization from the walls of the pile wi.thin the area G to be fragmented. While this distance or spacing is not critical, it should be sufficient to allow the liquified gas to be sprayed out of the Teflon nozzles 34 and retained until vaporized sufficiently to chill the pile P.
  • the steel pile to be embrittled and fragmented is 1 inch thick and 30 inches in diameter and is to be removed through the jacket J.
  • An airlift L removes all the water and mud to point T, which is 20 feet or more below the mudline M to assure at least the 15 foot margin required.
  • a glass-ceramic cannister with Teflon nozzles and containing about 50 gallons of liquid nitrogen at -350°F and shaped to be 4 inches in diameter less than the inside diameter of the pile is lowered by the cables 28 to the position shown in Figure 2.
  • gaseous nitrogen pressurizes the liquid nitrogen out in about 15 seconds to 20 minutes; preferably about 10 to 20 minutes later the steel pile is at the embrittlement temperature of -55°F or below.
  • the pile is ready to be fragmented from application of sufficient force, that may be induced along the length of the pile, but preferably, by a fragmentation tool, such as generally shown in Figures 6, 7, 9 and 11 at 39 and 39A.
  • One method ' for applying the necessary force to cause fragmentation of the pile in the embrittled area is also one of the simplest and most readily available. It has been found that the hammer pile driver H, as shown in Figure 5, generally used to install the pile into the seabed, will also provide a sufficient force, even up to 1,000,000 lbs., though that magnitude is more than required to produce the compressive shock necessary to cause fragmentation.
  • the hammer pile driver H is conventional and well known and requires no further description. In operation the hammer pile driver H is provided with an anvil A positioned atop the pile P. By the usual action, hammer H strikes the anvil A and forces the pile downwardly with a longitudinal force.
  • the difference in height of pile P between Figures 4 and 5 illustrates schematically the lowering of the pile upon fragmentation occurring at R in the wall of the pile P.
  • the cannister can be retrieved with cables 28. Even if the cannister were to remain in the pile after fragmentation, it can be safely retrieved.
  • the descent of the pile due to fragmentation is limited by the collars 14 abutting the top of the pile P.
  • the cable 18 can pull the pile up through the jacket J after the fragmentation.
  • the spacers 40 between the jacket J and the pile P may have to be removed in order to lift the pile P leaving the jacket in place. If the spacers are not removed, then both the pile P and the jacket J are raised together for removal. The acket may later be retrieved from the ocean floor, or it may be held in place for subsequent removal in a manner similar to the use of crane C and cables 18.
  • the liquified gas shown to be nitrogen, after evacuation as previously described, is injected into the environment G of the pile P to be embrittled and fragmented.
  • This injection is made through conduit 42 that may be stainless steel tubing or any other suitable tubular member.
  • the liquified gas is directed to a location below the minimum depth permissible for removal of the embedded pile, as shown in Figure 4 at T.
  • the amount of the liquified gas injected could be from 0.5 feet to 10 feet deep as measured from about point T along the axis of the pile. Preferably, 5 feet to .10 feet depth is sufficient to create a substantial length of pile- that ' is embrittled.
  • the length of pile being embrittled is not critical nor is the depth of the liquified gas, it being only important to have at least substantially all of the circumferential band- of the pile P in the environment G being embrittled.
  • the amount of the liquified gas that is to be used depends upon the diameter of the pile P.
  • the amount may vary between 500 to , 5,000 gallons, or even in a wider range. For instance, a 72 inch pile may require up to the 5,000 gallon amount to achieve an acceptable depth.
  • the time for liquified gas contact to cause embrittlement is within the ranges previously described.
  • this invention has applicability to various other sizes and shapes of structure and is not limited to the use on a pile as has been specifically described.
  • the cannister or the pipe conduit could be shaped in any manner to fit around or inside of an object to be embrittled and then fragmented. It is preferable that the environment around such an object or a portion of an object be evacuated of water and any mud and retaining such an impervious environment " for proper injection of the liquid gas.
  • the most desirable element of the invention is the sufficient contact of the liquified gas with the surface of the object to be fragmented so as to bring about embrittlement.
  • embrittled metal will be fragmented.
  • This invention should also be effective irrespective of the composition of the object to be fragmented. Alloys, other metals or even organic plastic materials when encountered could, if desired, be successfully fragmented within the principles of this invention.
  • FIGs 6, 7, 8, 9 and 11 there is shown a new and different embodiment of an apparatus for fragmenting the submerged object, in particular, a pile submerged in the sea bottom.
  • This fragmentation tool 39 as shown in Figure 6, and the modification of the fragmentation tool, as shown at 39A in Figures 7, 8, 9 and 11, are designed to effectively and efficiently fragment the pile or other submerged object after it has been embrittled to form an embrittled section or area R as shown in the drawings.
  • the fragmentation tool 39 is composed of several important elements including a propulsion unit shown generally at 44 and a plurality of barrels or elongated tubes shown generally at 46 that house a plurality of anvils 48 that are received within the tubes 46.
  • the propulsion unit 44 is a conventional propulsion unit available in the industry for a variety of purposes.
  • the propulsion unit includes a gas chamber housing 50 having a core 52 to receive a gas generating fuel cell.
  • the gas generating fuel cell 54 is also a conventional material available from a number of domestic manufacturers and is usually, though not necessarily, a flammable solid of a type well known in the industry.
  • a firing head 56 is secured " to the top of the gas chamber housing 50 in any suitable manner such as threads, not shown.
  • the firing head 56 includes electrical connections 58 to connector 60 that are in electrical contact with the primer 62.
  • the connectors 60 are in contact with a convenient power source and ground.
  • the gas chamber housing 50 also includes a bleed-off port 64.
  • the lower end of the gas generating housing 50 of the propulsion unit 44 is in fluid communication with the elongated barrels or tubes 46 that may be a single elongated tube as shown having open ends 66 that face the embrittled area R.
  • the elongated barrels or tubes 46 Positioned within and sized to fit snugly in the tubes 46 are- anvils-.48-.-"
  • the anvils -48 are preferably steel blocks that may be from an inch to five or more inches long and an inch to six inches in diameter, if cylindrical, though a spherical shape for the anvils is very desirable-
  • the anvils ' are composed of a contact face 68 and a propulsion face 70.
  • the contact face 68 may be shaped to conform approximately to the curvature of the inside surface 72 of the pile P.
  • the purpose of such shaping of the contact face of the anvil is to obtain the benefit of maximum surface contact and therefore have force spread more evenly about the contacted area when the anvil would strike the pile. If the anvil is spherically shaped, as may be desired, the spherical shape should have a circumferential curvature that comes reasonably close to approximating the curvature of the inside surface 72 of the.pile P.
  • the anvils of Figure 6 are shown to be opposed in their respective barrels 46 and are preferably provided with at least one O-ring as a gas sealing means between the internal surface of the barrel and the outer circumference of the anvil.
  • the number of O-rings is not critical as long as the purpose is served to limit any gas leakage that might occur between the anvil and the bore of the tubes 46.
  • the rod 76 is preferably a cold rolled steel rod that is cut into a length in accordance with the desired distance between the opposed anvils 48. Each end of the rod 76 may be threaded to be received into complimentary threaded bores in the anvil. As shown in Figure 6, the frangible rod 76 has a- reduced neck portion at 78. The reduction in diameter of the rod 76 as shown in 78 is for the purpose of controlling the point of rupture. The rod is designed to fail at around 10,000 pounds of tension. Of course, this could be much greater or lesser depending upon the propulsion unit and the diameter and thickness of the pile.
  • the fragmentation tool 39 also is provided with supporting means 80 in the form of a hook-and-eye arrangement 82 in which the eye is secured to the outer surface of the tube at 84.
  • a chain 86 or other flexible means is secured at the hook-and-eye 82 and extends up throug the pile P to the surface of the water in order to enable the fragmentation tool to be raised or lowered within the pile and to . be positioned at the level of the embrittlement area R.
  • the elongated tubes 46 in a cruciform shape at 39A.
  • the elongated tubes 46 are radially disposed and are joined at the ends opposite to the open end 66 in a junction in which there is fluid communication among each of the tubes 46.
  • FIG. 7 In the embodiment of Figure 7, as distinguished from that of Figure 9, the means for controlling and timing the propulsion of the anvils 48 is shown.
  • the Figure 7 modification shown in part in an exploded view in Figure -8, is a timing and control means enabling the release and therefore propelling of the anvils out of the tubes 46 at the same time.
  • the separable coupler includes two identical parts 90, preferably having a cylindrical shape wherein at one end the frangible rod 76 is attached at 92 by suitable threads through the frangible rod 76.
  • the opposed anvils 48 secured to the rod 76 are slidably engaged with the internal bore of the tube 46.
  • the rod 76 secured to the anvil at one end and the single half 90 of the coupler 88 at the other end need not be necked down as at 78, however, the rod may be the same steel rod 76 without the reduced portion 78 that is shown in Figure 6.
  • the other two anvils secured to a rod 76 do have interposed the reduced portion 78 to enable the rod 76 to rupture when sheared by the separable coupler 88.
  • the separable coupler 88 has a complimentary cutaway portion 92 facing each of the identical separable coupler parts 90 and also includes a bore 94 through- which the rod 76 is passed.
  • each of the anvils When assembled, each of the anvils is in place in the elongated tube facing outwardly towards the open end 66 of each of the tubes and pointed in the direction of the embrittled section R.
  • the gas generated reaches increasingly higher pressure on the propulsion faces 70 of each respective anvil 48.
  • that pressure approaches the elastic limit of the rod 76, and shear forces created by the pressure on the transverse anvils 48 that are attached to each separable coupler portion 90 and acting on the reduced portion 78 are sufficient to rupture the frangible rod 76.
  • the separable coupler parts 90 are not released from the anvil to which they have been secured by the rod 76, but rather also pass through the tube out towards the embrittled area.
  • the reduced portion 78 of the rod 76 controls the movement of the anvils in accordance with the diameter and type of material from which the rod is made. Whatever the impact force desired to be created by the anvil as it exits the tube can be achieved by a combination of the type of material and diameter of the frangible rod at its weakest point 78 and of course also the magnitude and type of the gas generating fuel cell 54.
  • the barrel and anvil combination in a cruciform shape similar to that shown in Figure 7 except for the timing means, which in Figure 9 is in the shape of a frangible disc 96.
  • the frangible disc 96 is positioned at the juncture of the tubes 46.
  • the anvils 48 are not interconnected but are positioned snugly within the bore of the tubes 46 by reason of the O-rings 74 forming the sealing means in a manner identical to that of the embodiment of Figures 6 and 7.
  • the propulsion unit 44 is again the same as that in the previous embodiments except that the frangible disc 96 is positioned at the base of the gas chamber housing 50 and only when the pressure produced by the ignited gas generating fuel cell 54 is sufficient to rupture the disc 96 is there communication between the interior of the barrels 46 in the area of the junction and the gas chamber 50.
  • the frangible disc 96 Upon rupture of the frangible disc 96, the gas pressure propels each of the anvils 48 out from its respective tube 46 and open end 66 into forceful contact with the embrittled section R to cause such a shock as to fragment the piling.
  • One of the important benefits of the manner of fragmenting the piling in accordance with the present invention is that the remaining portions of the pile are not distorted to the extent that the pile would be unable to be raised from within the concentric jacket J. This is an important feature of the present invention and has added significantly to its value in removing the submerged piling from the seabed.
  • the tensioning apparatus 98 is disclosed to apply tension force to the pile P using the jacket J as the base.
  • One or more expansion apparatus 100 that may be in the form of hydraulic rams 102 that are uniformly positioned around the circumference of the pile P.
  • the rams have opposed pistons (not shown) with an upper end 104 and a lower end 106 that may be separated by hydraulic action on the pistons.
  • the upper end 104 is secured to a padeye 108 welded as at 110 to the pile and secured as by conventional bolt 112 to the upper end 104 of the ram 102-
  • the lower end 106 of the expansion means 102 is similarly attached by bolt 112 to lower padeyes 114.
  • a stabilizing means in the form of a collar 116 is secured to the base of the ram cylinder 102 and secured by bracket 118 to the pile as by welding at 120.
  • the purpose of the collar and bracket 116 and 118 respectively is to stabilize the ram 102 and keep it aligned with the axis of the pile P during expansion.
  • To provide ⁇ full usefulness of the force of any expansion of the ram 102 it is particularly desirable that the axis of the ram be essentially parallel to the axis of the pile P.
  • a centering means 120 in the form of a collar or ring 122 is positioned between the internal surface of the jacket J and the outer " diameter of the pile P to maintain the pile P centered within the surrounding jacket J.
  • Wings 124 secured to the upper surface of the collar 122 bear against the outer circumference of the pile P to aid in stabilizing and centering the pile P within the jacket J.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Civil Engineering (AREA)
  • Structural Engineering (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
  • Paleontology (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Drilling And Exploitation, And Mining Machines And Methods (AREA)

Abstract

Procédé et installation de démantèlement d'objets métalliques tels que des plates-formes de forage au large (O/P) soutenues par des piliers (P). Chaque pilier est rendu friable par l'injection d'un gaz liquéfié dans l'environnement immédiat du pilier. Celui-ci est ensuite réduit en fragments et peut être extrait du fond de la mer (F). Un élément cylindrique (10) présente une forme épousant celle du pilier et contient le gaz liquéfié qui est diffusé par des buses (34) pour refroidir le pilier. Des câbles de support (28) sont fixés à l'élément cylindrique. Les outils de fragmentation (39) comprennent des enclumes (48) logées dans des tubes allongés à extrémités ouvertes (46), une unité de propulsion (44) produisant un gaz sous pression, et une liaison cassable (76) qui se brise lorsqu'on atteint une pression suffisante pour propulser les enclumes qui frappent la zone du pilier rendue friable. Un dispositif applicateur de tension (98) met le pilier sous tension avant qu'il soit réduit en fragments et se compose de pilons hydrauliques (102) reliés entre le pilier et la chemise concentrique (J).
PCT/US1987/002817 1986-10-29 1987-10-29 Procede et installation de demantelement de plates-formes de forrage au large et autres WO1988003196A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (6)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US92426686A 1986-10-29 1986-10-29
US924,266 1986-10-29
US1869287A 1987-02-25 1987-02-25
US018,692 1987-02-25
US083,639 1987-08-07
US07/083,639 US4808037A (en) 1987-02-25 1987-08-07 Method and apparatus for removal of submerged offshore objects

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WO1988003196A1 true WO1988003196A1 (fr) 1988-05-05

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Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0371161A1 (fr) * 1987-08-31 1990-06-06 John J. Kenny Dispositif pour sectionner des membres tubulaires
US7090434B1 (en) * 2005-05-03 2006-08-15 Cross Rentals, Inc. Caisson removal process
WO2019222010A1 (fr) * 2018-05-15 2019-11-21 Saudi Arabian Oil Company Retrait de ponts supérieurs de plates-formes en haute mer
GB2579092A (en) * 2018-11-20 2020-06-10 Aubin Ltd Method

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EP0371161A1 (fr) * 1987-08-31 1990-06-06 John J. Kenny Dispositif pour sectionner des membres tubulaires
US7090434B1 (en) * 2005-05-03 2006-08-15 Cross Rentals, Inc. Caisson removal process
WO2019222010A1 (fr) * 2018-05-15 2019-11-21 Saudi Arabian Oil Company Retrait de ponts supérieurs de plates-formes en haute mer
GB2579092A (en) * 2018-11-20 2020-06-10 Aubin Ltd Method
GB2579092B (en) * 2018-11-20 2022-05-04 Aubin Ltd A method for preparing, moving and/or dismantling and offshore structure

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