Patent Grant
8381670
The present invention relates to a semi-submersible platform body for supporting drilling, storing, treatment or production of hydrocarbons at sea. A semi-submersible platform body according to the present invention is generally used as an offshore platform for drilling, storing, treatment or production of hydrocarbons.
Semi-submersible offshore platforms are frequently used when drilling, producing or storing hydrocarbons, such as oil and gas, at sea. They are best known for their ability to withstand the environmental forces subjected to the platform by the wind and the sea, primarily in terms of movements and independency of direction of the environmental forces.
Conventional semi-submersible offshore platforms are used primarily in offshore locations where the water depth exceeds about 90 m. This type of platform comprises a hull structure that has sufficient buoyancy to support the equipment deck above the surface of the water. The hull typically comprises one or more submersible pontoons that support a plurality of vertically upstanding columns, which in turn support the deck above the surface of the water. The size of the pontoons and the number of columns are governed by the size and weight of the deck and equipment being supported.
One example of such a semi-submersible offshore platform is described in the patent publication of GB 2,310,634. The semi-submersible platform for storing liquid hydrocarbons comprises a superstructure and six spaced apart legs extending from the superstructure. The superstructure can be equipped with buildings and drilling or production equipment. Each of the legs is divided by an internal wall which defines a storage tank spaced radially inwardly from each of the respective leg. The legs are rigidly interconnected at end portions thereof which are disposed remote from the superstructure by a ring pontoon. Likewise, in the patent publication with the U.S. Pat. No. 4,498,412 is a semi-submersible offshore platform described. The platform comprises an operating deck carried by four cylindrical columns supported by a pontoon structure comprising four sided boxes formed into a square ring.
The above mentioned platforms each utilize the well established technique of using a plurality of columns to minimize the effect of the environmental forces as well as obtaining an appropriate stability of the platform. The wind and the sea can pass underneath the operating deck while the plurality of columns imposes stability to the operating deck by providing several support points to the sea. However, this advantage comes with the price of subjecting pipes and drilling equipment, which extends between the operating deck and the sea floor, to the same environmental forces.
This drawback has been at least partly solved by the platform described in the publication of U.S. Pat. No. 6,945,736 B2. The platform is designed mainly as a vertical flat bottomed cylinder and comprises a centrally arranged vertical through shaft, also referred to as a moonpool, for receiving of risers or other drilling equipment. The cylinder wall comprises a number of tanks in which liquid can be stored. However as the need for offshore solutions increases, the need for platform bodies which are capable of taking on a wide variety of facilities and equipment are needed. When larger facilities, e.g. production facilities, are positioned on platform bodies, there is a constant need to maintain the point of balance so that any facility not risk of shifting the point of balance in an unwanted or unexpected direction. Usually these shifts can be contravened by moving ballast between ballast tanks to compensate of the diversions in point of balance. When storing huge quantities of hydrocarbons this compensation however provides losses in storage capacity. This is indeed a deficiency of known solutions.
It is an object of the present invention to at least partly solve the above mentioned drawbacks. More specifically are they at least partly solved by a semi-submersible platform body for supporting drilling, storing, treatment or production of hydrocarbons, according to the present invention. The platform body comprises a cross section with a centre point, and is defined by a side wall formed by at least one side wall section. The side wall is arranged around the periphery of an open recess. Each side wall section comprises a first and a second side, an upper and a lower edge. The first and second side of the side wall section defines at least a first side wall thickness, wherein the first side of the side wall section faces away from the open recess and the second side of the sidewall section faces towards the open recess. The open recess comprises a cross section comprising a centre point. The centre point of the cross section of the open recess is displaced from the centre point of the cross section of the platform body. The present invention provides for a platform body which can effectively compensate for any facility, equipment or other arrangements which could affect the point of balance if the platform body. It provides for a shift in horizontal centre of buoyancy which permits a corresponding shift in centre of gravity which may occur when carrying e.g. LNG plants. The platform body is thereby a very versatile platform body for storing, offloading, treating or producing hydrocarbons at sea since the required facilities do not need to be customized so as to fit with the point of balance with the platform body. Instead is the platform body itself already asymmetric in terms of the point of balance due to the offset of the centre points of respective cross section of the open recess and the platform body. Further advantages and objectives of the present invention will be crystallized when reading the following description.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the centre point of the cross section of the open recess is displaced from the centre point of the cross section of the platform body with a distance of between 0.1 to 40 m, preferably 3-30 m.
The platform body can comprise a circular cross section or a polygonal cross section. An embodiment in which the platform body comprises a polygonal cross section, the side wall comprises at least a first, second and third side wall section. At least the first of the side wall sections comprises a side wall thickness which is at least 105% of the side wall thickness of the second or third side wall sections. Alternatively, the platform body comprises a substantially rectangular cross section with a first, second, third and fourth side wall section, and in that the first side wall section comprises a side wall thickness which is at least 105% of the second, third or fourth side wall sections. These platform bodies has been found to be extra advantageous in waters which have waves with somewhat lower maximum wave elevation.
Embodiments of the present invention in which the platform body comprises a substantial rectangular cross section can comprise a first and second side wall sections with a side wall thickness which is at least 105% of the third or the fourth side wall section. Optionally can the first, second and third side wall sections comprise a side wall thickness which is at least 105% of the fourth side wall section. These different embodiments give different aspects, flexibility and prerequisites for deploying hydrocarbons to the platform body, without the drawbacks of a decreased storage capacity.
In an embodiment according to the present invention, the cross section of the open recess can comprise a polygonal cross section, preferably a substantially rectangular cross section. This has been found to be practical for docking and mating reasons.
One object of the present invention is to provide for a decrease of the maximum wave elevation which can occur inside the open recess. As an effect of a decreased maximum wave elevation, not only can the centre of gravity of the platform body be lowered, e.g. by lowering an operational deck, as much as possible, but it also lessens the strain on raisers or drilling equipment which might be arranged inside the open recess. This can be accomplished by different means, and in its most general terms, the cross section of the open recess and the cross section of the platform body can both be arranged in a first plane, and the side wall thickness above the first plane is different than the side wall thickness below the first plane. Optionally can the cross section of the open recess in the first plane have a first cross sectional area, and the open recess have a second cross sectional area below the first plane, wherein the first cross sectional area is at least 10%, preferably 20%, larger than the second cross sectional area. In an embodiment according to the present invention, the side wall thickness below the first plane is continuously increasing towards the lower edge of the side wall section.
The side wall comprises a bottom. The bottom defines, together with the open recess, a side wall bottom surface area and a third cross section area of the open recess, in the plane of the bottom surface area. The third cross section area of the open recess is in an embodiment according to the present invention, less than 50%, less than 60% or optionally less than 70%, of the bottom surface area.
The first side of any, or a specified side wall section can be substantially vertical while the second side of the same side wall section is arranged with an angle, with respect to the first side of the side wall section, so that the above mentioned increase in the side wall thickness (Wt) is effected.
These different embodiments according to the present invention all contribute to a reduced maximum wave elevation in the open recess, which thereby provides for a reduction of the static air gap inside the open recess.
An operational deck can be positioned on top of the platform body to partly or fully cover the open recess. However, a preferred embodiment of the present invention is a platform body with a first operational deck which is arranged below the upper edge of the at least one side wall section. This embodiment fully takes advantage of the lowered maximum wave elevation present inside the open recess with all the advantages as described above. As is evident, the first side of the side wall section, comprises a first air gap and the second side of the side wall section comprises a second air gap, wherein in the first operational deck is arranged below the first air gap. By lowering the operational deck the centre of gravity is reduced in the vertical direction. Further is the operational deck provided with a protective wall, this has been shown is very lenient towards the working staff and equipment.
In an additional embodiment according to the present invention, the cross section of the platform body has an area, and the cross section of the open recess has a first cross section area, wherein the ratio between the area of the cross section of the platform body and the first cross section area is at least 1.1:1, preferably between 1.1:1-15:1, more preferably between 1.1:1-10:1.
The semi-submersible platform body according to an embodiment of the present invention, the side wall comprises at least two side wall sections, wherein at least one of the side wall sections comprises an upper edge arranged below the upper edge of the remaining side wall sections. Optionally the side wall comprises at least three side wall sections, wherein at least two of the side wall sections comprises an upper edge arranged below the upper edge of the remaining side wall sections.
By the term “hydrocarbons” is meant compounds which are mainly based on carbon and hydrogen, such as fossil fuel e.g. oil, natural gas, or any derivatives there from.
By the term “semi-submersible platform body” is meant a platform body having a length L, a width W, wherein the width is at least 50% of the length L, and the length L is larger than the draught of the platform body, during normal operation at sea.
The present invention will be described in greater detail with references to the accompanying figure wherein;
a-4c shows cross sections of different embodiments of a semi-submersible platform body, according to the present invention, with a view from above;
a-5b shows a cross section, with a view from above and from the side, of an embodiment according to the present invention.
In
As an effect of the displaced centre point 22 of the cross section 21 of the open recess 20 with respect to the centre point 23 of the cross section 24 of the platform body 10, the ballast in each of the side wall sections can easily be displaced to provide for free localization of e.g. a LNG plant 30 arranged on the platform body 10. Inertia and the offset of the point of balance which is imparted by the LNG plant 30 can easily be compensated by the effective space made available by the displaced centre point 22 of the cross section 22 of the open recess 20. In the shown embodiment of the present invention, this is achieved by making at least one of the side wall sections thicker than the other side wall sections. The first side wall section 11 can, by way of example only, be arranged to comprise three storage tanks 25, 26, 27 for storing hydrocarbons, preferably LNG, while the opposite third side wall section 13 comprises only two storage tanks 28, 29. Should it be desirable to store solid matter, compartments of different sizes, proportional to the difference in thickness of the walls, can easily replace or be combined with the above mentioned storage tanks.
As a preferred option, and as an indication of the flexibility of the present invention, to the location of the LNG plant 30 in
In an embodiment of the present invention, the distance between the first side 11a and the second side 11b of the first side wall section 11 is not constant throughout the height H of the side wall section 11. As can be seen from
The side wall thickness increases towards the bottom 16 of the side walls, and as a consequence, the area of the cross section of the open recess 20 decreases. A first plane P extends substantially parallel with the operational deck 7 and separates the open recess 20 in a first and a second section. The cross section 22 of the open recess in the first plane P comprises a first cross section area. The open recess 20 further comprises a second cross section area below the first plane (P) and a third cross section area in the plane of the bottom 16. The first cross section area is at least 10%, preferably 20% larger than the second cross section area.
The third cross section area of the open recess 20 is in the plane of the bottom 16 smaller than the first cross section area of the open recess 20 in the first plane P. The effect of this feature is that, during a storm, the maximum wave elevation inside the open recess 20, and at the second side of the side wall section, is significantly reduced as compared to the maximum wave elevation present at the first side of the side wall section, i.e. outside of the open recess 20 without compromising with the available area of open water inside the open recess 20. The available area of open water permits sea vessels or equipment to be stored or anchored to the platform body, either directly to the second side 11b, 12b, 13b, 14b of the side wall sections or optionally on a jetty or the like. This further permits an even lower position of the operational deck 7, which can be advantageous due to the simultaneous lowering of the point of balance, i.e. the centre of gravity. More specifically, this reduction of maximum wave elevation inside the open recess provides for that equipment, such as a deck, inside the recess 20 may be arranged at a static air gap, i.e. vertical distance to the still water level, which is lower than what would be required, should the same equipment be located on the outside of the platform body 10. This reduction of static air gap, i.e. the reduction of the maximum wave elevation, with respect to e.g. equipment in the open recess while still obtaining an appropriately large clearance between wave crests and the equipment, in turn provides for that the vertical centre of gravity of the platform 1 may be reduced. A reduction of the vertical centre of gravity generally results in an increased stability of the platform and subsequently increases the deck carrying capacity of the platform 1.
Turning to
In
c illustrates another embodiment of a semi-submersible platform body 60 according to the present invention. The semi-submersible platform body 60 comprises a substantially rectangular formed cross section 61 with a centre point 64 defined as the intersection of the two diagonals of the rectangular cross section. A plurality of sidewall sections 65, 66, 67, 68 forms an open recess 62 having an asymmetric cross section 63 and a centre point 69. The centre points 64 and 69 of each cross section 61, 63 are displaced with a distance D with respect to each other.
In cases where no centre point of the cross section can easily be identified, the centre point is to be defined as the point of balance of the cross section, calculated as if the open recess is absent, and illustrated as in the
The offset in the above described embodiments provides for a platform body with asymmetric properties which can be better utilized for storing hydrocarbons while at the same time provide for an asymmetric positioning of equipment or facilities e.g. a production plant, such as a LNG plant, or a refinery of the like. An asymmetric positioning of facilities has been found to be very important since many facilities for offshore treatment of hydrocarbons has been shown to require custom solutions.
As is noted, a displacement between the two centre points can be provided when the hull and/or the open recess are asymmetric in their selves.
b illustrates the semi-submersible platform body 70 as shown in
The offset of the centre points of the cross sections of the open recess and the semi-submersible platform body provides for a displacement of the point of balance to the semi-submersible platform body, which in turn provides for a more versatile platform body in terms of storage of hydrocarbon and positioning of facilities such as plants, equipment or the like, without reducing the storage capacity. Although some features might have been described with respect to only one side wall section, it is well within the boundaries of the present invention that these features can be arranged to one or more side wall sections, opposing side wall sections, adjacent side wall sections, combinations of these, or optionally present on all side wall sections or the like.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0800340 | Feb 2008 | SE | national |
This application is the National Stage of International Application No. PCT/SE2009/050125, filed 6 Feb. 2009 which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/028,546, filed 14 Feb. 2008 and Swedish Application No. 0800340-2, filed 14 Feb. 2008.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/SE2009/050125 | 2/6/2009 | WO | 00 | 10/13/2010 |
| Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| WO2009/102269 | 8/20/2009 | WO | A |
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|---|---|---|
| 2038261 | Jul 1980 | GB |
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20110041753 A1 | Feb 2011 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61028546 | Feb 2008 | US |
