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Method of preparing and using a pressure actuated release mechanism
Patent Reports Abstracts are provided of recently published patents that have been taken out by individuals and organizations throughout the world. Each abstract is accompanied by selected keyvvords that describe the subject matter of the patent. Readers wishing to obtain copies of any patent abstracted here
should contact the National Reference Library of Science and Invention, Holborn Division, 25 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London WC2, UK, or their own country's Patents Office. Butterworth Scientific Ltd do not undertake to supply copies of any patents they may abstract.
Recovery of sediments from the bottom of the sea by suspended suction pipe Assigned to Preussag Akt, Fed. Rep. of Germany US Patent 4 398 361 (16 Aug 1983)
of the riser column on a side opposite to the first guidepost, the second guidepost being movable between an extended position and a retracted position. A first component is affixed at the upper end of the subsea installation to receive the first guidepost. A second component is affixed at the upper end of the subsea installation on a side opposite to the first component to receive the second guidepost. Arrangements are included for moving the riser column toward the subsea installation wherein the first guidepost is in its extended position to engage the first component and the second guidepost is in its extended position to engage the second component to position the riser column on the subsea installation. The riser column is disconnectably connected to the subsea installation after the first and second guideposts have been positioned in the first and second components, the first and second guideposts when in their retracted position not contacting the first and second components.
A method for the recovery of sediments from the sea bottom by means of a suspended suction pipe provided at its lower end with a suction head adapted to be slowly lowered into the sediment. The suction head comprises a housing having openings therein, the suction head having mounted thereon lateral loosening arrangements pivotably movable with respect to the housing at the openings for scraping and disintegrating the sediment. The loosening arrangements are activated to scrape and disintegrate the sediment vertically by moving the suction pipe continuously vertically up and down and progressively advancing the suction head laterally forward.
Sediment, Collection, Sea bottom
Riser, Release mechanism, Sea bottom
Subsea riser manifold with structural spanning member for supporting production riser Assigned to Mobil Oil Corp, New York, N.Y. USA US Patent 4 398 846 (16 Aug 1983)
Flexible riser underwater buoy Assigned to Standard Oil Co. (Indiana), Chicago, III. USA US Patent 4 400 110 (23 Aug 1983)
The subsea riser manifold system for handling marine well fluids from multiple subsea wells and transmitting the well fluids to a surface facility has a riser system including a buoy located below the surface of the water, a lower rigid section extending vertically downwardly from and maintained under tension by the buoy, and an upper flexible section between the buoy and the surface facility. The lower rigid section includes a plurality of lower section flowlines supported by the buoy, and a strength member. The upper flexible section includes a plurality of flexible flowlines, each connected to a respective one of the lower section flowlines. A marine floor base template including a supp6rt structure and a plurality of pile guides is connected to the template to fix the template to the marine floor. A sealed manifold chamber hull is mounted on the support structure between the pile guides. A structural spanning support member extends over the hull to receive and support the strength member. The spanning member has an upper riser-receiving platform portion vertically spaced from the hull and a plurality of spanning arms extending downwardly and outwardly from the platform portion, each of these arms being connected to a respective one of the pile guides. The hull has manifolds therein to operatively connect the subsea wells through the spanning member to the lower section fiowlines and arrangements for maintaining a low pressure atmosphere, whereby the buoyed riser load is transmitted directly to the pile guides through the spanning member.
Riser, Sea bottom, Flow lines Method of preparing and using a pressure actuated release mechanism Assigned to Shell Oil Co., Houston, Texas, USA US Patent 4 399 601 (23 Aug 1983) A method for preparing and using an actuating means susceptible to substantially collapsing at a preselected fluid pressure. The outer surface of a closed vessel is mechanically dented and the dent is propagated with fluid pressure outside the closed vessel to reduce the cross-sectional area of at least part of the closed vessel without substantially collapsing the closed vessel, thereby forming the actuating means. The pressure necessary to propagate the dent is observed and the actuating means are disposed in a subsea environment wherein the pressure necessary to propagate the dent is a critical pressure which will substantially collapse the actuating means.
Pipe laying, Release mechanism, Actuator
The underwater structure for supporting a flexible riser extending from the bottom of a body of water to a floating vessel comprises a cradle assembly and a tank assembly. The cradle assembly has a cradle with a receiving surface over which the riser may extend and a buoy is attached to the cradle. The drag balancing tail assembly is attached to the cradle assembly to counteract the twisting moment applied to the cradle assembly by current drag forces.
Riser buoy/systems, Underwater, Structure Arrangement for raising and lowering a floating offshore platform Assigned to Deutsche Babcock Akt, Oberhausen and SchiessDefries Hebezeug-und Transporteinrichtungen GmbH, Dusseldorf, Fed, Rep. of Germany US Patent 4 400 111 (23 Aug 1983) The arrangement for raising and lowering a floating offshore platform has a platform with legs which are movable relatively to the platform, the legs in the operating condition being supported on the bottom of the sea and on jacking arrangements on the platform and blocked against downward movement whenever the floating platform is at a highest point of sea wave motion in a touched-down position of the legs. The jacking arrangements comprise two rope winches, the drive of one rope winch being switched off and the other rope winch being released in take-up direction and being blockable in payout direction in touched-down position of the legs and the floating platform.
Platform, Offshore, Lowering, Apparatus Connecting and disconnecting device for a guide line Assigned to Societe Nationale Elf Aquitaine (Production) Paris, France US Patent 4 400 112 (23 Aug 1983) The connection and disconnection device for a guide line between a floating platform and an underwater installation, has a cylindrical adapter attached by a connector device to the end of the guide line, and is provided with a guiding and directional mechanism, a longitudinal positioning surface, and at least one locking head coming into contact respectively with guide ramps, with a positioning seat, and at least one locking head slot on the inside of a cylindrical sleeve. The sleew~ extends upwards from a guide post fixed to the underwater installation, this locking head constituting an extension of the locking bar.
Connectors, Underwater, Lock
Guidelineless system for riser entry/reentry that permits quick release of a riser column from a subsea installation Assigned to Chevron Research Co, San Francisco, Calif. USA US Patent 4 399 872 (23 Aug 1983)
Method for depositing material on the ocean bed and apparatus for performing the same Assigned to Commissariat a I_'Energie Atomique, Paris, France US Patent 4 400 115 (23 Aug 1983)
The guidelineless system for use in positioning a riser column on a subsea installation at a well site system permits quick attachment or release of the riser column from the subsea installation. The system has a first telescopic guidepost affixed at the lower end of the riser column and movable between an extended position and a retracted position. A second telescopic guidepost is affixed at the lower end
A vehicle for depositing materials on a pipeline on a seabed. The vehicle has a rigid chassis to which is fixed a hopper which has an upper opening and a lower opening. At least one pair of propulsion units are provided, each being fixed on one side of the lower opening of the hopper. Motive equipment is used to drive the propulsion units, and a detection apparatus is able to detect without Marine and Petroleum
Geology,
1984, V o l 1, M a y
197
should contact the National Reference Library of Science and Invention, Holborn Division, 25 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London WC2, UK, or their own country's Patents Office. Butterworth Scientific Ltd do not undertake to supply copies of any patents they may abstract.
Recovery of sediments from the bottom of the sea by suspended suction pipe Assigned to Preussag Akt, Fed. Rep. of Germany US Patent 4 398 361 (16 Aug 1983)
of the riser column on a side opposite to the first guidepost, the second guidepost being movable between an extended position and a retracted position. A first component is affixed at the upper end of the subsea installation to receive the first guidepost. A second component is affixed at the upper end of the subsea installation on a side opposite to the first component to receive the second guidepost. Arrangements are included for moving the riser column toward the subsea installation wherein the first guidepost is in its extended position to engage the first component and the second guidepost is in its extended position to engage the second component to position the riser column on the subsea installation. The riser column is disconnectably connected to the subsea installation after the first and second guideposts have been positioned in the first and second components, the first and second guideposts when in their retracted position not contacting the first and second components.
A method for the recovery of sediments from the sea bottom by means of a suspended suction pipe provided at its lower end with a suction head adapted to be slowly lowered into the sediment. The suction head comprises a housing having openings therein, the suction head having mounted thereon lateral loosening arrangements pivotably movable with respect to the housing at the openings for scraping and disintegrating the sediment. The loosening arrangements are activated to scrape and disintegrate the sediment vertically by moving the suction pipe continuously vertically up and down and progressively advancing the suction head laterally forward.
Sediment, Collection, Sea bottom
Riser, Release mechanism, Sea bottom
Subsea riser manifold with structural spanning member for supporting production riser Assigned to Mobil Oil Corp, New York, N.Y. USA US Patent 4 398 846 (16 Aug 1983)
Flexible riser underwater buoy Assigned to Standard Oil Co. (Indiana), Chicago, III. USA US Patent 4 400 110 (23 Aug 1983)
The subsea riser manifold system for handling marine well fluids from multiple subsea wells and transmitting the well fluids to a surface facility has a riser system including a buoy located below the surface of the water, a lower rigid section extending vertically downwardly from and maintained under tension by the buoy, and an upper flexible section between the buoy and the surface facility. The lower rigid section includes a plurality of lower section flowlines supported by the buoy, and a strength member. The upper flexible section includes a plurality of flexible flowlines, each connected to a respective one of the lower section flowlines. A marine floor base template including a supp6rt structure and a plurality of pile guides is connected to the template to fix the template to the marine floor. A sealed manifold chamber hull is mounted on the support structure between the pile guides. A structural spanning support member extends over the hull to receive and support the strength member. The spanning member has an upper riser-receiving platform portion vertically spaced from the hull and a plurality of spanning arms extending downwardly and outwardly from the platform portion, each of these arms being connected to a respective one of the pile guides. The hull has manifolds therein to operatively connect the subsea wells through the spanning member to the lower section fiowlines and arrangements for maintaining a low pressure atmosphere, whereby the buoyed riser load is transmitted directly to the pile guides through the spanning member.
Riser, Sea bottom, Flow lines Method of preparing and using a pressure actuated release mechanism Assigned to Shell Oil Co., Houston, Texas, USA US Patent 4 399 601 (23 Aug 1983) A method for preparing and using an actuating means susceptible to substantially collapsing at a preselected fluid pressure. The outer surface of a closed vessel is mechanically dented and the dent is propagated with fluid pressure outside the closed vessel to reduce the cross-sectional area of at least part of the closed vessel without substantially collapsing the closed vessel, thereby forming the actuating means. The pressure necessary to propagate the dent is observed and the actuating means are disposed in a subsea environment wherein the pressure necessary to propagate the dent is a critical pressure which will substantially collapse the actuating means.
Pipe laying, Release mechanism, Actuator
The underwater structure for supporting a flexible riser extending from the bottom of a body of water to a floating vessel comprises a cradle assembly and a tank assembly. The cradle assembly has a cradle with a receiving surface over which the riser may extend and a buoy is attached to the cradle. The drag balancing tail assembly is attached to the cradle assembly to counteract the twisting moment applied to the cradle assembly by current drag forces.
Riser buoy/systems, Underwater, Structure Arrangement for raising and lowering a floating offshore platform Assigned to Deutsche Babcock Akt, Oberhausen and SchiessDefries Hebezeug-und Transporteinrichtungen GmbH, Dusseldorf, Fed, Rep. of Germany US Patent 4 400 111 (23 Aug 1983) The arrangement for raising and lowering a floating offshore platform has a platform with legs which are movable relatively to the platform, the legs in the operating condition being supported on the bottom of the sea and on jacking arrangements on the platform and blocked against downward movement whenever the floating platform is at a highest point of sea wave motion in a touched-down position of the legs. The jacking arrangements comprise two rope winches, the drive of one rope winch being switched off and the other rope winch being released in take-up direction and being blockable in payout direction in touched-down position of the legs and the floating platform.
Platform, Offshore, Lowering, Apparatus Connecting and disconnecting device for a guide line Assigned to Societe Nationale Elf Aquitaine (Production) Paris, France US Patent 4 400 112 (23 Aug 1983) The connection and disconnection device for a guide line between a floating platform and an underwater installation, has a cylindrical adapter attached by a connector device to the end of the guide line, and is provided with a guiding and directional mechanism, a longitudinal positioning surface, and at least one locking head coming into contact respectively with guide ramps, with a positioning seat, and at least one locking head slot on the inside of a cylindrical sleeve. The sleew~ extends upwards from a guide post fixed to the underwater installation, this locking head constituting an extension of the locking bar.
Connectors, Underwater, Lock
Guidelineless system for riser entry/reentry that permits quick release of a riser column from a subsea installation Assigned to Chevron Research Co, San Francisco, Calif. USA US Patent 4 399 872 (23 Aug 1983)
Method for depositing material on the ocean bed and apparatus for performing the same Assigned to Commissariat a I_'Energie Atomique, Paris, France US Patent 4 400 115 (23 Aug 1983)
The guidelineless system for use in positioning a riser column on a subsea installation at a well site system permits quick attachment or release of the riser column from the subsea installation. The system has a first telescopic guidepost affixed at the lower end of the riser column and movable between an extended position and a retracted position. A second telescopic guidepost is affixed at the lower end
A vehicle for depositing materials on a pipeline on a seabed. The vehicle has a rigid chassis to which is fixed a hopper which has an upper opening and a lower opening. At least one pair of propulsion units are provided, each being fixed on one side of the lower opening of the hopper. Motive equipment is used to drive the propulsion units, and a detection apparatus is able to detect without Marine and Petroleum
Geology,
1984, V o l 1, M a y
197