Ships – Floating platform
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-09
2001-11-27
Krizek, Janice L. (Department: 3652)
Ships
Floating platform
C114S266000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06321675
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to a floating installation in accordance with the preamble in claim
1
below.
Typically, such floating installations are drill and production ships, which have become very common on the continental shelf. They exhibit great advantages over floating platforms, the ships being considerably more flexible, and because of their far greater ability to move, they are highly suitable for use in test drilling and production from smaller fields.
However, drill and production ships are more vulnerable to wind and waves than platforms. They have a higher center of gravity and smaller deck space than platforms.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a drill and production ship which has a considerably lower center of gravity and better utilization of existing deck space.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide the possibility of connecting a greater number of risers to the drill and production ship than has hitherto been possible.
It is also an object of the invention to permit several operations to be carried out simultaneously, such as simultaneous drilling and production from different wells, and the preparation of equipment without disrupting drilling operations and the like.
It is also an object of the invention to free space close to the derrick. More space also permits a larger moonpool to be made than is usual in this type of ship today.
It is also an object to allow the pipe rack to be positioned on the same level as the drill floor and preferably at the same level as the ship's deck.
From U.S. Pat. No. 4,069,785 a ship is known, which comprises a moonpool. A section of the moonpool can be isolated from the sea by a pair of watertight doors to form a dry dock.
A travelling crane is arranged over the moonpool to transport a load between the dry part and the wet part of the moonpool.
Although this reference teaches a dividable moonpool with a dry part and a wet part, the known ship is useless for drilling or production operations. No derrick is present. A derrick is vital for drilling or production operations. Even if a derrick had been present, it would not be possible to use this. The travelling crane would very effectively obstruct the handling of pipes or the like in the derrick. The necessary transfer of, e.g. a BOP, to a suspension in a string of pipe in the derrick is impossible to perform with the travelling crane. The travelling crane cannot bring the BOP into a position under the end of the string of pipe, for connection to this, because the travelling path of the crane and the travelling path of the string of pipe are in conflict with each other.
The above reference teaches a halfway solution which at the best is able to perform as a support ship for a drilling or production installation, but cannot itself perform as a fully equipped drilling or production installation.
The above mentioned objects still remain to be met in a satisfying way. Therefore, the present invention achieves this by the features set forth in the characterising clause of claim
1
.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3739736 (1973-06-01), Carreau et al.
patent: 4069785 (1978-01-01), Bordes
patent: 4436048 (1984-03-01), Gentry et al.
patent: 4470721 (1984-09-01), Shotbolt
patent: 4995762 (1991-02-01), Goldman
patent: 5135327 (1992-08-01), White et al.
patent: 2110602 (1983-06-01), None
Dybdahl Svein
Remmen Per Inge
Baker & Botts L.L.P.
Krizek Janice L.
Ormen Brede AS
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