Aker Solutions Limited

Tao Wang

Yijian Zeng

Renjian Roger Lu

Leiv Gunnar Wanvik

Henrik Hannus

Xiaofeng Jiang

Rolf Eide

Stein Rasmussen

A semi-submersible floating structure for the drilling and production of offshore oil and gas is provided. The semi-submersible floating structure includes a pontoon having a plurality of pontoon sections, an outer edge, and an inner edge, the pontoon sections defining an interior space. The semi-submersible floating structure further includes a plurality of columns extending vertically upward from the pontoon. Each column has an upper section having an upper column width; and a lower section. The lower section has a bottom end coupled to the pontoon and aligned with the outer edge of the pontoon, the bottom end having a lower column width greater than the upper column width, at least part of the bottom end protruding into the interior space. The lower section further has a flared portion between the upper section and the bottom end; the flared portion having a width that varies from the upper column width at the upper section to the lower column width at the bottom end. A pontoon center-to-center distance between central axes of opposing sections of the pontoon is greater than a corresponding column center-to-center distance between central axes of opposing upper sections of the columns coupled to the opposing sections of the pontoon.

Semi-submersible platform

An offshore floating structure () for the drilling and production of oil and gas includes a generally circular toroidal, hollow pontoon () of substantially the same radial width throughout a perimeter of the pontoon. The offshore floating structure includes a plurality of columns () of substantially a same cross-sectional area, each coupled at a coupling point, on a bottom end thereof to the pontoon at an equidistant point along the perimeter of the pontoon, and adapted to be coupled on a top end to a deck structure. The diameter () from a center of the radial width of the pontoon is greater than a distance () from a center of one column to a center of an adjacent column.

C-semi with minimum hydrodynamic forces

A deep draft semi-submersible production and drilling platform unit with dry trees is described. The platform unit preferably comprises four columns, a ring pontoon, a two-axis symmetrical hull with draft in the range of 100 to 155 feet, top-tensioned risers with push or pull tensioners of preferred combined vertical stiffness of 10% to 30% of the platform water plane stiffness, a wellbay with a well spacing in the range of 12 to 18 feet, a riser guiding system supported by the pontoons or at an elevated level, topside facilities supported by a box type of deck structure, mooring lines, and catenary risers.

Dry-tree semi-submersible production and drilling unit

Growing community of inventors

Katy, TX, United States of America

Tao Wang