Hydraulic and earth engineering – Marine structure or fabrication thereof – With anchoring of structure to marine floor
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-20
2001-07-10
Bagnell, David (Department: 3673)
Hydraulic and earth engineering
Marine structure or fabrication thereof
With anchoring of structure to marine floor
C405S195100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06257801
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to mooring arrangements for offshore floating facilities such as floating production, storage and offloading vessels (FPSO). In particular the invention relates to a riser arrangement and method for its installation by which hydrocarbon fluids from subsea wells are transferred to the vessel. Still more particularly the invention relates to a method of installing a riser system in a turret-moored vessel.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prior riser systems have included flexible risers which extend from sea-bed wells or manifolds to the interior of a mooring turret of a FPSO for connection to a fluid swivel mounted on the turret. With deepwater subsea production systems it is advantageous to provide a rigid pipeline for connection at the seabed for connection to subsea wells and manifolds, yet a flexible riser is needed at the vessel for coupling to the turret.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,639,187 discloses a marine riser system which combines rigid (steel catenary) risers with flexible flow lines. The steel catenary risers extend from the sea floor in a gentle catenary path to a large submerged buoy positioned at a depth below the turbulence zone of the sea. Flexible risers are connected to the rigid steel risers at the submerged buoy and extend upwardly to a floating platform or vessel used as a surface production and/or storage and offloading facility.
There remains an unsolved problem of providing an arrangement and method for its installation of a combined rigid/flexible riser to a turret of a turret moored FPSO.
IDENTIFICATION OF OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
A primary object of this invention is to provide a riser system and method for its installation for a turret moored vessel, where the riser system includes a steel catenary riser section from the sea floor and a flexible riser section coupled between the steel catenary riser section and the interior of the turret.
Another object of the invention is to provide a method of installation of a combined steel catenary riser/flexible riser system which allows both risers to be pre-installed prior to arrival of the FPSO and its coupling to the riser system.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The objects identified above as well as other advantages and features of the invention are provided for integration of steel catenary risers (SCR) for an offshore floating production storage facility with conventional flexible riser tie-ins. A Steel Catenary Riser Interface Buoy (SCRIB) is provided to couple the lower end of a flexible riser leg to the upper end of an SCR leg. The upper end of the flexible riser is supported by a Turret Interface Buoy (TIB) which is arranged and designed to be pulled up into the turret of a vessel after the vessel arrives on location and has mooring anchor legs installed.
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Ries Uittenbogaard and Jan Pijfers; Integrated Asymmetric Mooring and Hybrid Riser System for Turret Moored Vessels in Deep Water; OTC 8441; May 5-8, 1997.
Etheridge Charles O.
Kelm Ron L.
Liu Yonghui H.
Bagnell David
Bush Gary L.
FMC Corporation
Lagman Frederick L.
Mayor, Day, Caldwell & Keeton
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