Amtel Corporation

Nl Industries

Martin B Jansen

George M Pomonik

Kenneth C Saliger

A system which can be set up in emergencies to moor an offloading vessel and transfer oil between it and a seabed pipeline, as to remove oil from a grounded tanker or to deliver fuel to the shore under hostile or emergency conditions. The system includes a barge containing a fluid swivel as well as a mooring buoy and buoy-holding chain. The barge can be towed to a desired location and pipes and hoses connected to the fluid swivel, and the barge then can be sunk to the seabed. Upon sinking, the barge is already connected to the seabed pipeline and to hoses that extend from the barge to the sea surface to connect to an offloading vessel, as well as being connected through a chain to a buoy floating at the sea surface which has a hawser for mooring the vessel. A vessel can be utilized to tow out the seabed pipeline, to facilitate installation of the pipeline as to enable connection of the pipeline to the fluid swivel on the barge prior to sinking the barge.

Rapidly installable mooring and cargo transfer system

An offshore oil production terminal system is described which includes a transfer structure having a nonrotatable turret anchored to the sea floor and a rotatable portion fixed to a dedicated storage vessel, and also a fluid conduit extending from the seabed up through the turret to a fluid swivel and from the rotatable portion of the fluid swivel to the vessel, which facilitates use of a moderate cost fluid swivel. A choke located on the nonrotatable turret, decreases the high pressure of oil from the seabed (e.g. 2000 psi) to a moderate pressure (e.g. 200 psi) for passage through the fluid swivel, so that a moderate pressure fluid swivel can be utilized. The turret has a control deck at the same level as the vessel deck, to facilitate entry of personnel to operate controls directly connected to valves at the seabed without requiring rotational joints between the controls and the devices they operate. Power to produce pressured hydraulic fluid for controlling valves and the like, is obtained by flowing moderate pressure air (e.g. 200 psi) through a fluid swivel on top of the turret to an air-motor-hydraulic pump combination on the fixed turret, to produce high pressure hydraulic fluid (e.g. 3000 psi) for control system operation.

Fixed turret subsea hydrocarbon production terminal

An offshore oil production terminal system is described, of the type which includes a tall transfer structure that has a nonrotatable tower anchored to the sea floor and a rotatable portion that rotates with respect to the nonrotatable tower and is connected to a dedicated storage vessel. A fluid conduit of the system has a nonrotatable portion extending from the sea bed up alongside and through the tower to a fluid swivel at the top of the tower, the conduit also having a rotatable portion extending from the fluid swivel to the vessel. A choke located in the nonrotatable tower along the fluid conduit, decreases the high pressure of oil from the sea bed (e.g. 2,000 psi) to a moderate pressure (e.g. 200 psi) for passage through the fluid swivel, so that a moderate pressure fluid swivel can be utilized. In a system wherein the rotatable transfer structure portion is fixed to the vessel, the tower has a control deck at substantially the same level as the vessel deck and with a circular periphery. This facilitates entry of personnel onto the control system deck of the tower, and permits operation of a multitude of controls that are directly connected to various stationary valves and the like on the production trees at the sea bed without requiring rotational joints between the controls and the devices they operate. Power to produce pressured hydraulic fluid for controlling valves and the like, can be obtained by the passage of a powering fluid such as moderate pressure air (e.g. 200 psi) through a fluid swivel on top of the tower to an air-motor-hydraulic pump combination in the fixed tower, to produce high pressure hydraulic fluid (e.g. 3,000 psi) for control system operation.

Hydrocarbon production terminal

A well casing hanger assembly for releasably connecting a first well casing to and from a second member by a resiliently self-expandable and contractible C-shaped spring support ring. The ring is positioned in a recess in the hanger body between stop shoulders for axially slideable movement thereon and is engageable with a locking means for locking the spring support in an expanded position. Coacting engagement between the hanger body and the support ring allows longitudinal movement of the support ring relative to the body but prevents rotational movement of the support ring relative to the body. A fluid flow slot is positioned in the periphery of the hanger body and is aligned with the split in the C-shaped spring support ring for providing a larger bearing area between the support spring and the hanger body without a loss in fluid flow area. Preferably the flow slot includes a single flow slot resulting in a higher load capacity for the hanger and the coacting engaging means includes a vertical pin connected to the support ring engaging a groove in the hanger body.

Growing community of inventors

Agoura, CA, United States of America

Martin B Jansen