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:
Oct. 29, 2013
Filed:
Feb. 02, 2010
Carl R. Brinkmann, Bellaire, TX (US);
Theodore Kokkinis, Houston, TX (US);
Adel H. Younan, Sugar Land, TX (US);
Patricia Bruen, The Woodlands, TX (US);
Carl R. Brinkmann, Bellaire, TX (US);
Theodore Kokkinis, Houston, TX (US);
Adel H. Younan, Sugar Land, TX (US);
Finbarr J. Bruen, The Woodlands, TX (US);
ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company, Houston, TX (US);
Abstract
A mooring system for a floating vessel such as a drilling unit is provided. The floating vessel has a platform for providing drilling, production or other operations in a marine environment, and a tower for providing ballast and stability below a water line in the marine environment. The mooring system generally includes a plurality of anchors disposed radially around the tower along a seabed, and a plurality of mooring lines. Each mooring line has a first end operatively connected to the tower, and a second end operatively connected to a respective anchor. Each mooring line further comprises at least two substantially rigid links joined together using linkages. Each joint is at least five meters in length. The mooring system is capable of maintaining station-keeping for the vessel greater than about 100 Mega-Newtons such that operations may be conducted when the marine environment is substantially iced over.