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US3670813A
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US
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Pontoon structures in man-made lake for arctic operations
Assignee: Pan American Petroleum Corp
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Filing: 1970-07-30
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Granted: 1972-06-20
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Expires: 1990-07-30
Abstract
Abstract The surface of the ground in the Arctic is unstable due to settling of the permafrost during thawing periods and to uneven heaving when extreme temperature changes occur within the permafrost zone. Extraction of hot fluids from deep subsurface wells drilled through the permafrost and other sources of heat emission such as from surface installations aggravate and add to the permafrost instability. This causes problems with foundations for surface installations. These problems are relieved by the use of a man-made lake to buoyantly support a surface installation such as a drilling rig, oil treating facilities, etc. The barge supporting the surface installation must be water-tight during periods of thaw and must be of sufficient strength to withstand ice forces in the winter.
Inventors
- 👤 Floyd R Duncan
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 17:52
CPC Classifications
E; E21; E21B; E21B15/00; E21B15/02; B; B63; B63B; B63B35/00; B63B35/44; B63B35/4413; B63B2211/00; B63B2211/06; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S166/00; Y10S166/901
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
100 words
A method of supporting an installation at a selected location in the permafrost area which comprises: constructing a lake-retaining means at the selected location in said permafrost area; filling said lake-retaining means with a liquid to form a body of said liquid, the depth and volume of said liquid being sufficient to buoyantly support a barge and to dampen any upward or downward heaving action of the permafrost beneath said body of said liquid; placing a floating barge on said body of liquid; placing the installation to be supported on said barge; maintaining said barge in a relatively fixed position.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
100 words
A method of supporting an installation at a selected location in the permafrost area which comprises: constructing a lake-retaining means at the selected location in said permafrost area; filling said lake-retaining means with a liquid to form a body of said liquid, the depth and volume of said liquid being sufficient to buoyantly support a barge and to dampen any upward or downward heaving action of the permafrost beneath said body of said liquid; placing a floating barge on said body of liquid; placing the installation to be supported on said barge; maintaining said barge in a relatively fixed position.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method as defined in claim 1 wherein said lake retaining means is made by excavating permafrost.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method as defined in claim 1 in which said lake retaining means is made by building a retaining wall above the natural surface of the permafrost.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method as defined in claim 1 including the additional steps of: drilling a well from said barge; placing casing in said well bore.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method as defined in claim 1 in which said lake retaining means is made by a combination of digging an excavation and building a levee around such excavation.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method as defined in claim 5 including the steps of placing an oil treating facility on said barge and then treating said produced oil on said oil treating facility.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method as defined in claim 1 in which said liquid is water and including the steps of maintaining a selected level of said liquid by adding liquid thereto or removing liquid as required.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method aS defined in claim 1 including the step of making the lake a minimum depth of about 6 feet to minimize thawing of the permafrost immediately below the lake.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
95 words
A method of supporting a barge at a selected location in an area of permafrost which comprises: constructing a lake at the selected location by excavating a cavity in said permafrost when frozen; sliding a barge onto the bottom of the resulting cavity while the exposed permafrost is still frozen; leaving the barge in the cavity while allowing the surrounding permafrost to thaw and provide a body of liquid in the cavity, the depth and volume of said liquid being sufficient to buoyantly support said barge; then maintaining said barge in a relatively fixed position.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
95 words
A method of supporting a barge at a selected location in an area of permafrost which comprises: constructing a lake at the selected location by excavating a cavity in said permafrost when frozen; sliding a barge onto the bottom of the resulting cavity while the exposed permafrost is still frozen; leaving the barge in the cavity while allowing the surrounding permafrost to thaw and provide a body of liquid in the cavity, the depth and volume of said liquid being sufficient to buoyantly support said barge; then maintaining said barge in a relatively fixed position.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method as defined in claim 9 including the additional steps of: drilling a well from said barge; placing casing in said well.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method as defined in claim 9 including the steps of placing an oil treating facility on said barge and then treating said produced oil on said oil treating facility.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method as defined in claim 9 which includes the steps of maintaining a selected level of said body of liquid by adding liquid thereto or removing liquid as required.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-06-20 | 1975-12-20 | 1976-06-20 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-06-20 | 1979-12-20 | 1980-06-20 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-06-20 | 1983-12-20 | 1984-06-20 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |