Offshore storage unit

Claim 1

AN OFFSHORE STORAGE APPARATUS FOR THE STORAGE OF OIL IN MARINE LOCATIONS AND FOR THE DISCHARGE OF STORED OIL TO A TANKER VESSEL BY MEANS OF A HOSE, COMPRISING A SUBMERSIBLE BALLASTABLE HULL ADAPTED TO BE FLOATED TO LOCATION AND SUBMERGED TO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE MARINE FLOOR, LIQUID-TIGHT BULKHEADS IN SAID HULL, CORNER COMPARTMENTS AND A CENTRAL COMPARTMENT IN SAID HULL DEFINED BY SAID LIQUID-TIGHT BULKHEADS, COLUMNS SECURED TO SAID HULL AND EXTENDING UPWARDLY THEREFROM TO PROJECT ABOVE THE SURFACE OF THE WATER WHEN SAID HULL HAS BEEN SUBMERGED TO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE MARINE FLOOR, SAID COLUMNS COMMUNICATING WITH SAID CORNER COMPARTMENTS, TANK MEANS SUPPORTED ON ONE OF SAID COLUMNS, AN OIL RECEIVER COMPARTMENT ASSOCIATED WITH SAID TANK MEANS, A WEIR IN SAID OIL RECEIVER COMPARTMENT, A FLUID PASSAGEWAY COMMUNICATING BETWEEN SAID TANK MEANS AND SAID OIL RECEIVER COMPARTMENT OVER SAID WEIR, A WATER RECEIVER COMPARTMENT IN ONE OF SAID COLUMNS, FIRST MEANS TO INTRODUCE SEA WATER INTO SAID WATER RECEIVER COMPARTMENT, SECOND MEANS TO INTRODUCE SEA WATER FROM SAID WATER RECEIVER COMPARTMENT TO SAID COLUMNS, CORNER COMPARTMENTS AND CENTRAL COMPARTMENT, THIRD MEANS TO INTRODUCE OIL INTO SAID TANK MEANS, AND FOURTH MEANS TO INTRODUCE OIL FROM SAID OIL RECEIVER COMPARTMENT TO SAID COLUMNS AND CENTRAL COMPARTMENT.