초록 ▼

A compliant offshore drilling and producing structure is disclosed. Axial piles extend from articulated joints on a pile base at the sea floor to above the water\s surface and are enveloped by sleeves extending downwardly from a rigid platform. Buoyant chambers attached to the sleeves support most o

A compliant offshore drilling and producing structure is disclosed. Axial piles extend from articulated joints on a pile base at the sea floor to above the water\s surface and are enveloped by sleeves extending downwardly from a rigid platform. Buoyant chambers attached to the sleeves support most of the platform weight and provide righting stability. The platform weight is supported by the axial piles through hydraulic means.

대표청구항 ▼

An offshore drilling and producing structure, which comprises: a rigid platform including equipment associated therewith; a plurality of open-ended sleeves affixed to the platform and extending downwardly therefrom for a substantial distance below a water surface, in a substantially vertical orienta

An offshore drilling and producing structure, which comprises: a rigid platform including equipment associated therewith; a plurality of open-ended sleeves affixed to the platform and extending downwardly therefrom for a substantial distance below a water surface, in a substantially vertical orientation; an equal plurality of axial piles secured by articulated joints to a pile base on the sea floor, which axial piles extend upwardly into said open-ended sleeves to at least a position near the surface of the water; buoyant means affixed to said sleeves below the water surface for providing an upward buoyant force in excess of the weight of said platform including equipment associated therewith and said sleeves; and means for counterbalancing the excess buoyant force from the plurality of axial piles, said means permitting simultaneous vertical movement of each of said sleeves with respect to each of said piles to permit a desired degree of compliancy of rotation about the sea floor.