Mobile, arctic drilling and production platform

Claim 1

A marine platform adapted to be removably positioned at an offshore body of water, the latter being in an environment subject to floating ice, which platform includes; a submergible base including buoyancy means incorporated therein for controllably regulating the disposition of said base between the floating position at the water''s surface, and a resting position at the floor of said body of water, said base having means forming a vertical transverse opening therethrough, a guide column having upper and lower ends, the latter being fixed to and extending upwardly from said base in alignment with said vertical transverse opening, the column upper end being of sufficient length to extend beyond the water''s surface when said base is positioned at said floor, a caisson disposed internally of and contiguous with said guide column, extending longitudinally thereof and having the lower end embedded into the substrate beneath said platform whereby to anchor the latter during a drilling operation, and to subsequently permit upward guided movement of said platform along the caisson when the platform is raised from a submerged position, an elongated shell characterized by a generally conical external surface, having the broad end connected to said base and having the upper constricted end in engagement with said guide column adjacent the upper end thereof, and a deck operably carried on said guide column upper end being longitudinally movable therealong for positioning a desired distance beyond the water''s surface.