WO2011073778A1

WO2011073778A1 - Device for storing, transporting and subsea handling of guide posts

Info

Publication number: WO2011073778A1
Application number: PCT/IB2010/003267
Authority: WO
Inventors: Steinar Thorsen; Svend Ove VEDØY
Original assignee: Vetco Gray Scandinavia As
Priority date: 2009-12-17
Filing date: 2010-12-15
Publication date: 2011-06-23
Also published as: NO332307B1; NO20093549A1

Abstract

A device (1 ) for storing, transporting and subsea handling of guide posts, which comprises: a mobile base frame (2) for supporting the device against a supporting surface; and at least one guide post holder (10a, 10b) provided with holding means (1 1 ) for holding and supporting the lower end section of one or more guide posts, which guide post holder is pivotably mounted to the base frame so as to allow the guide post holder to pivot in relation to the base frame to and fro between a fold- down position, in which the holding means are designed to hold and support one or more guide posts with the respective guide post extending essentially horizontally, and a fold-up position, in which the holding means are designed to hold and support one or more guide posts with the respective guide post extending essentially vertically.

Description

Device for storing, transporting and subsea handling of guide posts

FIELD OF THE INVENTION AND PRIOR ART

The present invention relates to a device for storing, transporting and subsea handling of guide posts.

Development within offshore oil and gas exploration in the recent years has been directed to subsea installations for processing and transport of oil and gas. These subsea installations replace the traditional platforms, where oil and gas were transported up to the platform for further processing and transport. It is sometimes necessary to install new equipment to a subsea installation. This is often done by lowering the equipment to the subsea installation from a vessel. Vertical guide posts are often mounted to the subsea installation in order to guide the equipment into the correct mounting position at the subsea installation. During the lowering from the vessel to the subsea installation, the equipment may run along guidelines extending upwardly from the guide posts to the sea surface so as to thereby ensure that the equipment is guided into proper contact with the guide posts. The respective guide post is often mounted temporarily to the subsea installation in a releasable manner and retrieved to the vessel when the new equipment has been brought into its proper position at the subsea installation. Sometimes, it might also be necessary to remove a damaged guide post from a subsea installation and replace it by a new guide post.

The guide post is often long and heavy and normally has a length of several meters and a weight of several hundred kilograms. Thus, the transportation and handling of the guide posts could be a heavy and hazardous work. Guide posts are normally stored and transported offshore on a vessel in a rather random way, for instance strapped to a wooden pallet. On the vessel, the guide posts are normally handled manually and lowered into the sea one at a time. Being large, heavy and round objects, the handling of guide posts on a vessel deck is hazardous and might cause damages to the vessel and its equipment and personal injuries.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to make possible convenient and safe storing, transporting and handling of large and heavy guide posts.

According to the invention, this object is achieved by a device having the features defined in claim 1 .

The device of the present invention comprises:

- a mobile base frame for supporting the device against a supporting surface, such as a vessel deck, the seabed, a seabed-based foundation etc; and

- at least one guide post holder provided with holding means for holding and supporting the lower end section of one or more guide posts, which guide post holder is pivotably mounted to the base frame so as to allow the guide post holder to pivot in relation to the base frame to and fro between a fold-down position, in which the holding means are designed to hold and support one or more guide posts with the respective guide post extending essentially horizontally, and a fold-up position, in which the holding means are designed to hold and support one or more guide posts with the respective guide post extending essentially vertically.

The guide posts are intended to be installed in the device onshore, whereupon the device is transferred to a vessel together with the guide posts. The guide posts are to remain in the device during storing and transporting on board the vessel. Thus, the device will make it possible to store the guide posts on board a vessel in a well-defined and safe manner. When the guide posts are to be mounted to a subsea installation, the device is intended to be lowered into the sea together with the guide posts, whereupon the respective guide post is pivoted to a vertical position together with its guide post holder and then transferred from the device to the subsea installation. Hereby, no handling of the individual guide post will take place on board the vessel, which will reduce the risk for damages to the vessel and personal injuries in connection with the handling of the guide posts.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the device comprises two guide post holders of the above-mentioned type pivotably mounted to the base frame at opposite ends of the base frame, the respective guide post holder being arranged to pivot towards the other guide post holder when moving from the fold-up position to the fold-down position. Hereby, several guide posts can be installed in and carried by the device in a space- saving manner.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the respective guide post holder is designed to receive the upper end section of the respective guide post held and supported by the holding means of the other guide post holder, when both guide post holders are in the fold-down position. Hereby, the space required for storing the guide posts is reduced and the device can be given a comparatively compact design. According to another embodiment of the invention, the respective guide post holder is associated with locking means comprising a locking member which is maneuverable to and fro between an unlocking position, in which the locking member allows the guide post holder to pivot in relation to the base frame, and a locking position, in which the locking member locks the guide post holder to the base frame in the fold-up position or fold-down position to thereby prevent the guide post holder from pivoting in relation to the base frame. Hereby, the guide post holder can be temporarily locked in the fold-up position or fold-down position, so as to thereby prevent unintentional pivoting of the guide post holder. According to another embodiment of the invention, said locking member is connected to a gripping member, which is maneuverable by pulling from an advanced position to a retracted position against the action of a spring member so as to thereby move the locking member from a locking position to the unlocking position. Hereby, the locking member can easily be maneuvered by means of an ROV (ROV = Remotely Operated Vehicle). Further advantages as well as advantageous features of the device of the present invention will appear from the following description and the dependent claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

With reference to the appended drawings, a specific description of preferred embodiments of the invention cited as examples follows below. In the drawings: shows, in a perspective view, a device according to an embodiment of the present invention without any guide post installed in the device,

Fig 2 lateral view of the device of Fig 1 , Fig 3 shows, in a perspective view, the device of Fig 1 with four guide posts installed in the device, as seen with the guide posts in a horizontal storing and transporting position,

Fig 4a-4e show different steps in the raising, from a horizontal storing and transporting position to a vertical position, of guide posts installed in the device of Fig 1 ,

Fig 5 shows, in a perspective view, the device of Fig 1 with four guide posts installed in the device, as seen with the guide posts in a vertical position, Fig 6a shows, in a perspective view, locking means included in the device of Fig 1 , with a locking member of the locking means in an unlocking position, Fig 6b shows, in a perspective view, the locking means of Fig

6a with the locking member in a locking position,

Fig 7a shows, in a partly cut view, the locking means of Figs

6a and 6b with the locking member in an unlocking position, and

Fig 7b shows, in a partly cut view, the locking means of Figs

6a and 6b with the locking member in a locking position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Figs 1 -5 illustrate a device 1 according the present invention for storing, transporting and subsea handling of guide posts. The device 1 comprises a base frame 2 for supporting the device against a supporting surface, such as a vessel deck, the seabed, a seabed-based foundation etc. Thus, the device 1 is intended to rest against an underlying supporting surface through the underside of the base frame 2. The base frame 2 is mobile in order to allow the entire device 1 to be lifted and moved between different places. Attachment members 3 are provided on the upper side of the base frame 2. Lifting wires 4 are attachable to the attachment members 3 so as to allow the base frame 2 and the rest of the device 1 to be lifted through these lifting wires. The device 1 may also be lifted by means of a forklift vehicle or the similar. In the illustrated embodiment, the base frame 2 is provided with forklift pockets 5 for receiving the forks of a forklift vehicle. The base frame 2 is with advantage designed as a framework construction, as illustrated in Figs 1 -5. In the illustrated embodiment, the device 1 comprises a first guide post holder 10a and a second guide post holder 10b, each of which being pivotably mounted to the base frame 2 so as to be pivotable in relation to the base frame to and fro between a horizontal fold-down position and a vertical fold-up position. In Figs 1 and 2, the first guide post holder 10a is shown in the fold- up position, whereas the second guide post holder 10b is shown in the fold-down position. The respective guide post holder 10a, 10b is pivotable in relation to the base frame 2 about a horizontal axis of rotation A extending in the cross-direction of the base frame. In the illustrated example, the respective guide post holder 10a, 10b is pivotably mounted to the base frame 2 by means of pivots 16 (se Figs 7a and 7b), which are fixed to the guide post holder at opposite short sides thereof and rotatably received in bearings 17 mounted to the base frame. The guide post holders 10a, 10b are arranged at opposite ends of the base frame 2, the respective guide post holder 10a, 10b being arranged to pivot towards the other guide post holder 10b, 10a when moving from the fold-up position to the fold-down position. The respective guide post holder 10a, 10b is with advantage designed as a framework construction, as illustrated in Figs 1 -5.

The respective guide post holder 10a, 10b is designed to abut against one or more first stop members 18a in the base frame 2 when the guide post holder reaches the vertical fold-up position. In the illustrated example, the base frame 2 is provided with two such first stop members 18a arranged on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of the base frame. The guide post holder 10a, 10b will be stopped in the fold-up position by the first stop members 18a when being pivoted from the fold-down position to the fold-up position and is thereby prevented from tipping over when reaching the fold-up position. The axis of rotation A of the guide post holder 10a, 10b is located below the longitudinal axis of the guide post holder 10a, 10b as seen when the guide post holder is in the horizontal fold-down position. The respective guide post holder 10a, 10b is designed to abut against one or more second stop members 18b in the base frame 2 when the guide post holder reaches the horizontal fold-down position. In the illustrated example, the base frame 2 is provided with two such second stop members 18b arranged on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of the base frame. The guide post holder 10a, 10b will be stopped in the fold-down position by the second stop members 18b when being pivoted from the fold-up position to the fold-down position.

The respective guide post holder 10a, 10b is provided with holding means 1 1 for holding and supporting the lower end section of one or more guide posts 6. In the illustrated embodiment, each guide post holder 10a, 10b is designed for receiving two guide posts 6. Thus, up to four guide posts 6 can be stored and transported in the illustrated device 1. However, the device of the present invention may of course be designed for accommodating any suitable number of guide posts. The holding means 1 1 of the respective guide post holder 10a, 10b are designed to hold and support one or more guide posts 6 with the respective guide post extending essentially horizontally when the guide post holder is in the fold-down position and essentially vertically when the guide post holder is in the fold-up position. In the illustrated example, the holding means 1 1 of each guide post holder 10a, 10b comprise two cylindrical receptacles 12, each of which having an open upper end and a closed lower end. Each receptacle 12 is designed to receive the lower end section of a guide post 6, with the lower end of the guide post resting against an inner bottom surface of the receptacle. Each receptacle 12 is with advantage provided with an opening 12a at its lower end, which gives access for inspection of guide posts and guide post locking dogs inside the receptacle. In the illustrated example, the opening 12a is covered by a removable cover 12b. A guide funnel 13 is located in front of the entrance opening of the respective receptacle 12 in order to guide the lower end section of a guide post into the entrance opening when inserting a guide post into the receptacle.

In order to reduce the length of the device 1 , the respective guide post holder 10a, 10b is designed to receive the upper end section 6a of the respective guide post 6 held and supported by the holding means 1 1 of the other guide post holder 10b, 10a, when both guide post holders are in the fold-down position, as illustrated in Fig 3. In the illustrated embodiment, the first guide post holder 10a is designed to be pivotable down over the upper end section 6a of the respective guide post 6 held and supported by the holding means 1 1 of the second guide post holder 10b, when the second guide post holder 10b is in the fold-down position. The second guide post holder 10b is provided with spaces 14 (see Fig 5) which are open upwards when the second guide post holder 10b is in the fold-down position so as to allow the upper end section 6a of the respective guide post 6 held and supported by the holding means 1 1 of the first guide post holder 10a to be lowered down into one of these spaces 14 when the first guide post holder 10a is pivoted from the fold-up position to the fold-down position. Thus, the second guide post holder 10b is to be in the fold-down position when the first guide post holder 10a is pivoted to the fold-down position. The first guide post holder 10a is provided with spaces 15 (see Fig 5) which are open downwards when the first guide post holder 10a is in the fold- down position so as to allow the upper end section 6a of the respective guide post 6 held and supported by the holding means 1 1 of the second guide post holder 10b to be received in one of these spaces 15 when the first guide post holder 10a is pivoted from the fold-up position to the fold-down position. Thus, when both guide post holders 10a, 10b are in the fold-down position, the first guide post holder 10a overlaps the upper end sections 6a of the horizontally extending guide posts 6 held and supported by the holding means 1 1 of the second guide post holder 10b, whereas the upper end sections 6a of the horizontally extending guide posts 6 held and supported by the holding means 1 1 of the first guide post holder 10a overlap the second guide post holder 10b.

In the illustrated embodiment, the base frame 2 is provided with two fixed support members 7 arranged between the guide post holders 10a, 10b for supporting the guide posts 6 when extending essentially horizontally from a guide post holder 10a, 10b which is in the fold-down position. The support members 7 are spaced from each other as seen in the longitudinal direction of the base frame 2. The guide posts 6 are intended to rest against these support members 7 when extending horizontally in the device 1 . The support members 7 are with advantage provided with upwardly open seats 8 for receiving the respective guide post 6 to thereby prevent movement of the respective guide post in relation to the base frame 2 horizontally in the radial direction of the guide post. Each support member 7 is associated with a locking element 9, by means of which the respective guide post 6 supported by the support member is lockable to the support member 7 to thereby prevent movement of the guide post in relation to the base frame 2 vertically in the radial direction of the guide post. In the illustrated embodiment, the respective locking element 9 is formed by a bar, which can be detachably secured to the associated support member 7. In the illustrated example, the respective locking element 9 is intended to be placed on top of one of the forklift pockets 5 when removed from the support member 7. Locking pins 19 are provided on top of the forklift pockets 5 in order to keep the locking elements 9 in position on the forklift pockets 5.

The respective guide post holder 10a, 10b is associated with locking means 20 for locking the guide post holder in relation to the base frame 2 in the fold-down or fold-up position. The respective locking means 20 comprises a locking member 21 (see Fig 7b), which is maneuverable to and fro between a retracted unlocking position (see Figs 6a and 7a), in which the locking member 21 allows the guide post holder 10a, 10b to pivot in relation to the base frame 2, and an advanced locking position (see Figs 6b and 7b), in which the locking member 21 locks the guide post holder 10a, 10b to the base frame 2 in the fold-up or fold-down position to thereby prevent the guide post holder from pivoting in relation to the base frame from the fold-up position to the fold-down position or from the fold-down position to the fold- up position. The respective guide post holder 10a, 10b is provided with a first locking recess for receiving the locking member 21 when the guide post holder is in the fold-up position, and a second locking recess for receiving the locking member 21 when the guide post holder is in the fold-down position. The locking member 21 is maneuverable from the advanced locking position to the retracted unlocking position against the action of a spring member 22 (see Fig 6b). The locking member 21 is connected to a gripping member 23, which is maneuverable by pulling from an advanced position to a retracted position against the action of said spring member 22 so as to thereby move the locking member 21 from the locking position to the unlocking position. In the illustrated embodiment, the locking member 21 can be secured in the unlocking position by means of a stop member 24, which co-operates with the gripping member 23 in order to prevent the locking member from moving in its axial direction. When the locking member 21 is to be moved from the unlocking position to the locking position, the gripping member 23 has to be rotated from a position in front of the stop member 24 (see Fig 6a) to a position out of engagement with the stop member, whereupon the gripping member 23 is free to move together with the locking member 21 in the axial direction of the locking member under the action of the spring member 22. When the locking member 21 has reached the advanced locking position, the gripping member 23 is rotated in the opposite direction in order to assume a position behind the stop member 24 (see Fig 6b) and thereby prevent the locking member from moving in its axial direction.

The guide posts 6 are installed in the device 1 onshore and locked to the base frame 2 by means of the locking elements 9, whereupon the device is transferred to a vessel together with the guide posts. The guide posts 6 remain in the device 1 during storing and transporting on board the vessel. When the guide posts 6 are to be mounted to a subsea installation, the locking elements 9 are removed from the support members 7 and the device 1 is lowered into the sea hanging in lifting wires 4 until the base frame 2 comes to rest against the seabed or another suitable supporting surface. A guide post anchor of conventional type (not shown) is then installed by means of an ROV at the upper end of one of the guide posts 6 held by the first guide post holder 10a, whereupon the locking means 20 associated with the first guide post holder 10a is maneuvered by means of the ROV in order to move the locking member 21 from the locking position to the unlocking position. The first guide post holder 10a is then pivoted from the fold-down position to the fold-up position, as illustrated in Figs 4a-4c, by pulling a wire which is fixed to the guide post anchor and extends to the vessel. When the first guide post holder 10a is in the fold-up position with the guide posts 6 extending vertically, the locking means 20 is maneuvered by means of the ROV in order to make the locking member 21 move from the unlocking position to the locking position so as to thereby lock the first guide post holder 10a to the base frame 2 in the fold-up position. If more than two guide posts are to be mounted to the subsea installation, the guide post anchor is, by means of the ROV, removed from the raised guide post and installed at the upper end of one of the horizontally extending guide posts 6 held by the second guide post holder 10b, whereupon the above-described procedure is repeated in order to pivot the second guide post holder 10b from the fold-down position to the fold-up position, as illustrated in Figs 4c-4e, and lock it to the base frame 2 in the fold-up position. The guide posts 6 to be used are then lifted up from the respective guide post holder 10a, 10b and mounted to the subsea installation. When the guide posts 6 are to be retrieved to the vessel, they are reinstalled in the respective guide post holder 10a, 10b with the guide post holder in the fold-up position, whereupon the guide post holders 10a, 10b are pivoted to the fold-down position and locked to the base frame 2 in the fold-down position. The device 1 is then lifted back up to the vessel hanging in the lifting wires 4. The invention is of course not in any way restricted to the embodiments described above. On the contrary, many possibilities to modifications thereof will be apparent to a person with ordinary skill in the art without departing from the basic idea of the invention such as defined in the appended claims. The device may for instance be provided with only one guide post holder pivotably mounted to the base frame.

Claims

A device for storing, transporting and subsea handling of guide posts, characterized in that the device (1 ) comprises:

- a mobile base frame (2) for supporting the device against a supporting surface, such as a vessel deck, the seabed, a seabed-based foundation etc; and

- at least one guide post holder (10a, 10b) provided with holding means (1 1 ) for holding and supporting the lower end section of one or more guide posts, which guide post holder (10a, 10b) is pivotably mounted to the base frame (2) so as to allow the guide post holder (10a, 10b) to pivot in relation to the base frame (2) to and fro between a fold-down position, in which the holding means (1 1 ) are designed to hold and support one or more guide posts with the respective guide post extending essentially horizontally, and a fold-up position, in which the holding means (1 1 ) are designed to hold and support one or more guide posts with the respective guide post extending essentially vertically.

A device according to claim 1 , characterized in that the device (1 ) comprises two such guide post holders (10a, 10b) pivotably mounted to the base frame (2) at opposite ends of the base frame, the respective guide post holder (10a, 10b) being arranged to pivot towards the other guide post holder (10b, 10a) when moving from the fold-up position to the fold- down position.

A device according to claim 2, characterized in that the respective guide post holder (10a, 10b) is designed to receive the upper end section of the respective guide post held and supported by the holding means (1 1 ) of the other guide post holder (10b, 10a), when both guide post holders (10a, 10b) are in the fold-down position.

A device according to claim 3, characterized in that one (10a) of said guide post holders, here denominated first guide post holder, is designed to be pivotable down over the upper end section of the respective guide post held and supported by the holding means (1 1 ) of the other guide post holder (10b), here denominated second guide post holder, when this second guide post holder (10b) is in the fold-down position.

A device according to claim 4, characterized in that the second guide post holder (10b) is provided with spaces (14) which are open upwards when the second guide post holder (10b) is in the fold-down position so as to allow the upper end section of the respective guide post held and supported by the holding means (1 1 ) of the first guide post holder (10a) to be lowered down into one of these spaces (14) when the first guide post holder (10a) is pivoted from the fold-up position to the fold-down position.

A device according to any of claims 2-5, characterized in that the base frame (2) is provided with one or more fixed support members (7) arranged between the guide post holders (10a, 10b) for supporting the guide posts when extending essentially horizontally from a guide post holder which is in the fold-down position.

A device according to claim 6, characterized in that at least one such support member (7) is associated with a locking element (9), by means of which the respective guide post supported by this support member (7) is lockable to the support member to thereby prevent movement of the guide post in relation to the base frame (2) in the radial direction of the guide post.

A device according to any of claims 1 -7, characterized in that the respective guide post holder (10a, 10b) is associated with locking means (20) comprising a locking member (21 ) which is maneuverable to and fro between an unlocking position, in which the locking member (21 ) allows the guide post holder (10a, 10b) to pivot in relation to the base frame (2), and a locking position, in which the locking member (21 ) locks the guide post holder (10a, 10b) to the base frame (2) in the fold- up position or fold-down position to thereby prevent the guide post holder from pivoting in relation to the base frame.

9. A device according to claim 8, characterized in that the locking member (21 ) is maneuverable from the locking position to the unlocking position against the action of a spring member (22).

10. A device according to claim 9, characterized in that the locking member (21 ) is connected to a gripping member (23), which is maneuverable by pulling from an advanced position to a retracted position against the action of said spring member (22) so as to thereby move the locking member (21 ) from the locking position to the unlocking position.