Santa Fe International Corporation

Arun Bhalaik

Peter W Braddick

Gerald L Johnson

Darryl S Brittin

A marine operations structure for use in arctic seas having steel/concrete composite ice walls positioned to permit multi-year ice ridges to be broken up with lower vertical forces imposed on the structure than heretofore possible. The structure provides for simultaneous contacting and fracturing of both surface ice floe and multi-year ice ridges by proportioning of the ratio of the annular dimension of a first sloped surface to the radius of the structure within the range of about from 0.15 to 0.30. The structure is fabricated by modular construction techniques which lowers total construction costs. The structure is in the form of a sixteen-sided polygonal sloped walled marine structure with internal ballast tanks for providing gravity founding of the structure on the sea floor. Modular drilling equipment is provided for and supported by the structure for use through two rectangular shaped moon pools extending vertical throughout the central core of the structure. The process for simultaneously contacting and fracturing surface ice floes and ice pressure ridges is set forth along with the processes of installing and deballasting and relocating the structure. Also the process of fabricating the marine operations structure is set forth.

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Seattle, WA, United States of America

Arun Bhalaik