Apparatus for producing underwater oil fields

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING UNDERWATER WELLS HAVING WELLHEADS POSITIONED BELOW THE SURFACE OF A BODY OF WATER, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING: A LARGE-DIAMETER ELONGATED CYLINDER VERTICALLY POSITIONED WITH ITS LOWER END CLOSED IN A FLUID-TIGHT MANNER AND SUNK IN AN ANCHORED TO THE OCEAN FLOOR AND ITS UPPER END BELOW THE SURFACE OF THE BODY OF WATER, SAID CYLINDER HAVING PORT MEANS THROUGH THE WALL THEREOF AT A POINT NEAR BUT ABOVE THE OCEAN FLOOR, AN UNDERWATER PRODUCTION WELLHEAD ASSEMBLY POSITIONED NEAR THE OCEAN FLOOR AND HAVING A PRODUCTION FLOWLINE, FIRST FLUID FLOW CONDUIT MEANS INTERCONNECTING SAID PRODUCTION FLOWLLINE OF SAID UNDERWATER WELLHEAD ASSEMBLY WITH THE PORT MEANS IN SAID ELONGATED CYLINDER INTO WHICH PRODUCTION FLUID CAN BE DELIVERED, PUMP MEANS OPERATIVELY MOUNTED ON SAID CYLINDER FOR PUMPING PRODUCTION FLUID THEREFROM SAID PUMP MEANS HAVING DISCHARGE PORT MEANS EXTENDING FROM SAID CYLINDER NEAR THE TOP THEREOF, A FLOATING VESSEL INCLUDING TANK MEANS, SAID VESSEL BEING POSITIONED ON THE SURFACE OF THE BODY OF WATER IN THE VICINITY OF SAID VERTICAL CYLINDER, AND SECOND FLUID FLOW CONDUIT MEANS INTERCONNECTING THE DISCHARGE PORT MEANS OF SAID PUMP MEANS WITH SAID TANK MEANS OF SAID VESSEL.