Exxon Production Research Company

Santa Fe International Corporation

Ocean Resources Engineering, Inc.

Peter A Lunde

Richard H Gunderson

Jerome Q Burns

Michael P Piazza

Preston S Phillips

Alexander Craig Lang

A compliant offshore structure in which stabilization against excessive sway is provided by a resilient pile assemblies. A series of drive piles extend into the ocean floor beneath the base of the structure. Drive piles extend upward to a position proximate a pile attachment location on the structure a spaced distance above the ocean floor. The upper end of each drive pile is secured to the structure at the pile attachment location by a resilient coupling. The resilient coupling permits the structure to move upward and downward a slight distance relative to the substantially rigid drive pile. This accommodates sway of the structure. The resilient coupling biases the structure back to a vertical orientation in response to sway of the structure. In a preferred embodiment the pile attachment location is situated proximate the base of the offshore structure.

Compliant offshore structure stabilized by resilient pile assemblies

A subsea connection unit for securing an offshore structure to a marine bottom is disclosed. The unit comprises a base adapted to be positioned on the marine bottom and an insert member adapted to be connected to the lower end of the offshore structure. The base has a recess thereon adapted to receive the insert member. Releasable vertical latch means comprised of a plurality of tapered shear blocks are carried by the insert member and cooperate with tapered lugs in the recess to lock the insert member against vertical movement within the recess. Releasable horizontal latch means comprised of a plurality of wedge members are positioned on the base around the recess and cooperate with load surfaces on the insert member to center and lock the insert member against horizontal movement within the recess.

Connection unit for securing offshore structures to marine bottom

An apparatus for controlling an underwater well blowout including a vessel with a lower weighted collar vent ports intermediate the top and bottom of the vessel a valve controlled chimney at the top of the vessel, a gas outlet positioned to provide a gas cap in the vessel when the valve is closed with the vessel in position around the blowing well, an oil outlet above the vent ports and below the gas cap and means for pumping substantially only oil from the vessel at a rate to prevent oil from escaping from the vessel to the sea in substantial quantities. The method includes the steps of lowering a vessel with a weighted collar, a frusto-conical upper section, a valve controlled chimney leading from the upper section, vent parts, an oil outlet above the vent ports and a gas outlet providing a gas cap, over an underwater blowing well with the chimney valve open, seating the vessel on the bottom around and over the blowing well, pumping substantially only oil including entrained gas from the oil outlet and conducting free gas away from the vessel.

Method and apparatus for controlling an underwater well blowout

A system for laying subsea pipelines. The pipeline to be laid is wound on a reel which is rotatably mounted on a support structure. Both the support structure and the reel with the wound pipeline are submergible to a seabed. Both members are intended to be expendable in that once they are submerged and mounted on the seabed, they are not subsequently salvaged. After the support structure with the accompanying reel have been secured to the seabed, the pipeline is drawn off of the reel from its fixed location towards the desired termination point for the pipeline.

System and method for laying subsea pipelines

This invention relates to a method and to an apparatus for use in laying a submarine pipeline from a pipe-laying vessel. According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a reel pipe-laying method for continuously laying a pipeline of up to 24-inch diameter without a stinger by (1) aligning a pipe portion as it is being paid out from the reel, (2) straightening the aligned pipe portion, (3) tensioning the pipe, (4) discharging the straightened pipe under tension into the body of water, and (5) changing for different water depths and pipe conditions the lift off angle of the pipe relative to the horizontal by pivoting a diverter about a horizontal pivot, the diverter supporting at least the straightener and the tensioner and extending from the horizontal pivot mounted near the aft end of the vessel, upwardly toward the reel.

Growing community of inventors

Houston, TX, United States of America

Peter A Lunde