The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 30, 1993
Filed:
Oct. 22, 1992
Jafar Korloo, Moorepark, CA (US);
Imodco, Inc., Calabasas Hills, CA (US);
Abstract
Apparatus is described for flaring large amounts of natural gas at a location spaced from an offshore production platform. The apparatus includes a spar buoy structure (32, FIG. 1) anchored at a location on the order of 0.1 kilometer from the platform (12) and coupled through an undersea conduit (44) to the platform. The structure is anchored by catenary chains (71-74), and has a ballasted lower portion and a buoyant upper portion to keep the structure upright so the flare (42) always remains high above sea level. The undersea conduit (44) which carries natural gas to the structure, connects to a buoy pipe (66) that extends along the structure, at a location (64) close to the center of gravity (80) of the structure, or at the bottom (keel) of the buoy, to minimize failure from constant structure pivoting. A wide lower part (34) of the structure includes several individually-sealed air-filled chambers (91-98, FIG. 2) spaced along its height. A mechanism (100, FIG. 4) coupled to one of the chambers varies the amount of gas and water therein to vary the buoyancy of the structure. A water pump (132, FIG. 5) in the spar structure can pump water to hose stations (161-164, FIG. 6) on the platform, to assure the availability of water for fighting a fire that might destroy pumps on the platform.