Shell Oil Comapny

Edward H Phifer

Frans F Kopp

Dean P Hemphill

Tendon segments are fabricated on a laybarge, then temporarily stored on seabottom. When a tension leg platform is moored, two tow vessels pick up one end each of the finished tendon and tow it to deep water, with the tendon in a catenary shape. Upon arrival in deep water, one end of the tendon is released and allowed to free fall to its uprighted position. A special work boat then transfers the tendon to the tension leg platform for final installation.

Tension leg platform tendon installation by deep catenary tow

A method and apparatus are provided for forming an ice slot in an ice sheet by cutting discrete blocks of ice in the ice sheet, then gripping the blocks of ice with a claw-like attachment extending from a hydraulic arm and pushing the ice blocks downwardly with the hydraulic arm until the blocks reach a level with the underside of the ice sheet and then rotating the blocks under the surrounding ice sheet, whereby loads on the ice sheet are reduced and the ice blocks contribute to the load capacity of the ice sheet due to the buoyant upward pressure of the ice blocks.

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Katy, TX, United States of America

Edward H Phifer