Conoco Inc.

Vetco Gray Inc.

Glenn M Wald

Joseph W Pallini

Norman Brammer

Andrew F Hunter

James D Bozeman

Apparatus for mooring attachment of a floating tension leg platform to a subsea anchorage. The apparatus includes a tendon with an enlarged connector on one end, the connector being formed by a frustoconical bearing surface extending away from the end to which it is connected. A connector shroud partially surrounds the frustoconical surface and is connected to it by an elastomeric bearing. An inwardly sloping surface engages a supplementarily sloped surface formed on the attachment receptacle load ring to increase hoop strength. A side-entry bottom receptacle is also disclosed.

Mooring apparatus and method of installation for deep water tension leg

A tube has a deflection section to allow it to align between two bores which are substantially coaxial. The tube has an inner wall, an outer wall, a first end and second end. The first end of the tube rigidly connects to the first member. The second end of the tube slidingly extends into the bore of the second member. The deflecting section has circumferential inner and outer grooves. These grooves extend in from the inner and outer walls of the tube. Each of the grooves has an axial thickness that is much less than the distance between the grooves. The axial thickness is also less than the radial dimension between the base of each groove and the adjacent wall of the tube. This provides substantial rigidity to the deflecitng section, yet allows slight deflection.

Growing community of inventors

Spring, TX, United States of America

Glenn M Wald