Brown & Root, Inc.

Bert E Gracia

Jay B Weidler, Jr

Tommy L Hull

A flooding and grouting valve is provided for use in an offshore jacket. The valve mechanism includes a flood valve portion including an opening to ambient water and a rotatable gate for selectively covering and uncovering the opening. The valve mechanism also includes a check valve mounted on the gate for rotation therewith. The check valve includes a passage which communicates with the interior of the gate, whereby the check valve and gate together form a passage for conducting grout. The check valve is to be connected to a grout supply line such that opening of the check valve is opened by the action of incoming grout. A conduit-type, drive rod is rotatably mounted on the jacket, is connected to the check valve, and serves as a grout conduit. The rod extends to an upper end of the jacket whereby an operator at the water surface may rotate the check valve, and thus the gate, to open or close the flood openings.

Valving methods and apparatus for flooding and grouting offshore jacket

An offshore structure comprises a jacket having buoyant compartments defined by a jacket leg. A rupturable closure defines a lower end of the buoyant compartment. The rupturable closure is operable to be ruptured by a pile impacting on an upper side thereof. The rupturable closure comprises a cup-like cap having a convex under side, and a concave upper side. A plurality of circumferentially spaced, generally radially extending weakened zones in the cap are operable to define generally radially extending rupture zones when the cap is impacted by a pile on its concave upper side. The cup-like cap, when impacted by the pile, ruptures along the generally radially extending weakened zones to define a plurality of triangular cap segments. The generally triangular cap segments are pressed generally radially outwardly of the central axis of the leg toward the inner periphery of the jacket leg by the impacting pile.

Rupturable closure plug for offshore structures

An offshore oil or gas recovery station is established by docking a jacket with a submerged wellhead and supporting a platform on the jacket above the water surface. The jacket is lowered upon the wellhead so that a guide collar on the jacket passes downwardly around the wellhead. Alignment pins on the guide collar are fully advanced by a diver so as to contact the wellhead and effect alignment between the wellhead and a conduit which is carried on the jacket by a temporary connection. The conduit is released and is lowered onto the wellhead for connection therewith.

Docking an offshore structure with a submerged fixture

A novel guide member and guide member support arrangement for guiding a drill conductor from a deck portion of an offshore platform into the bottom of a body of water is disclosed. The guide member is snugly nestled against and positioned within the guide member support which directly provides lateral and vertical support for the guide member. The guide member has an upper funnel-shaped portion and a lower cylindrical portion. The guide member support comprises the plurality of connected structural members arranged in a plane for defining a support opening for the guide member. The guide member is connected to the guide member support at at least three positions.

Growing community of inventors

Houston, TX, United States of America

Bert E Gracia