US3842607A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Arctic islands
Assignee: Cities Service Oil Co
•
Filing: 1973-07-13
•
Granted: 1974-10-22
•
Expires: 1993-07-13
Abstract
Abstract Artificial permafrost islands are constructed in Arctic sea waters to provide offshore sites from which oil and gas wells can be drilled. Sand and gravel are dredged from the floor of the sea and are redeposited at another location where an island is desired. The dredging and redepositing of sand and gravel are continued until a suitable insular shape and height are obtained. Subsequently, a slurry of silt in sea water, also obtained from the floor of the sea, is deposited on the heap of sand and gravel. A thickener, e.g., a gellant or a viscosifier, is incorporated into the slurry to effect consolidation of the ingredients so that they do not flow back into the sea after the slurry has been deposited on the island. The water of the thickened slurry eventually freezes upon exposure to the sub-zero temperatures of the environment, thereby converting the island into a permafrost structure which serves as a solid platform for a drilling rig, materials, equipment, housing, storage, etc.
Inventors
- 👤 R Kelseaux
- 👤 J Biles
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 20:57
CPC Classifications
E; E02; E02D; E02D3/00; E02D3/11; E02D3/115; E02B; E02B1/00; E02B17/00; E02D27/00; E02D27/32; E02D27/35
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 40
Claim 1
Independent Claim
96 words
IN A PROCESS FOR BUILDING AN ARTIFICIAL PERMAFROST ISLAND IN ARCTIC SEA WATERS WHEREIN SAND AND GRAVEL ARE DREDGED FROM THE FLOOR OF THE SEA AND ARE REDEPOSITED ON THE SEA FLOOR AT A LOCATION WHERE AN ISLAND IS DESIRED AND UNTIL THE HEIGHT OF THE SAND AND GRAVEL EXTENDS ABOVE THE SURFACE OF THE WATER, THE METHOD OF CONSOLIDATING SILT WITH THE SAND AND GRAVEL OF THE ISLAND BEING BUILT WHICH COMPRISES MIXING A SLURRY THICKENER WITH A SLURRY OF SILT IN SEA WATER, AND DEPOSITING THE RESULTING THICKENER-SLURRY MIXTURE ON THE ISLAND BEING BUILT.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
96 words
IN A PROCESS FOR BUILDING AN ARTIFICIAL PERMAFROST ISLAND IN ARCTIC SEA WATERS WHEREIN SAND AND GRAVEL ARE DREDGED FROM THE FLOOR OF THE SEA AND ARE REDEPOSITED ON THE SEA FLOOR AT A LOCATION WHERE AN ISLAND IS DESIRED AND UNTIL THE HEIGHT OF THE SAND AND GRAVEL EXTENDS ABOVE THE SURFACE OF THE WATER, THE METHOD OF CONSOLIDATING SILT WITH THE SAND AND GRAVEL OF THE ISLAND BEING BUILT WHICH COMPRISES MIXING A SLURRY THICKENER WITH A SLURRY OF SILT IN SEA WATER, AND DEPOSITING THE RESULTING THICKENER-SLURRY MIXTURE ON THE ISLAND BEING BUILT.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
49 words
A process as defined in claim 1 wherein the sand and gravel are redeposited on the floor of the sea substantially in the form of a ring having an inner core, and the silt slurry having the thickener added thereto is deposited in the inner core of the ring.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
19 words
A process as defined in claim 1 wherein the thickener that is added to the slurry is a gellant.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
24 words
A process as defined in claim 3 wherein the gellant is selected from the group consisting of sodium silicate, potassium silicate, and mixtures thereof.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
23 words
A process as defined in claim 4 wherein the gellant is 40* Baume sodium silicate containing about 9% Na2O and about 29% SiO2.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
24 words
A process as defined in claim 5 wherein the volume ratio of gellant to sea water in the slurry is about 1/20 to 1/1000.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
22 words
A process as defined in claim 5 wherein the volume ratio of gellant to sea water in the slurry is about 1/100.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
27 words
A process as defined in claim 1 wherein the content of silt in the slurry is within the range of about 60 to about 80 weight percent.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
28 words
A process as defined in claim 4 wherein a divalent cationic salt is incorporated into the gellant-slurry mixture prior to the depositing thereof on the island being built.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
24 words
A process as defined in claim 9 wherein said salt is selected from the group consisting of calcium sulfate magnesium sulfate and mixtures thereof.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
30 words
A process as defined in claim 10 wherein said salt is incorporated into said gellant-slurry mixture in amounts up to about 5 grams per liter of water in the slurry.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
24 words
A process as defined in claim 9 wherein said salt is thoroughly mixed with said slurry prior to the addition of said gellant thereto.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
28 words
A process as defined in claim 3 wherein said gellant is mixed with said slurry immediately prior to depositing of the gellant-slurry mixture on the island being built.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
42 words
A process as defined in claim 9 wherein a compound selected from the member of the group consisting of trivalent cationic salts, polyelectrolytes, and mixtures thereof is incorporated into the gellant-slurry mixture prior to the depositing thereof on the island being built.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
20 words
A process as defined in claim 14 wherein said compound is selected from aluminum sulfate, ferric sulfate and mixtures thereof.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
15 words
A process as defined in claim 14 wherein said compound is methylacrylyloxyethyltrimethyl ammonium methyl sulfate.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
30 words
A process as defined in claim 15 wherein said compound is incorporated into said gellant-slurry mixture in amounts up to about 5 grams per liter of water in the slurry.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
30 words
A process as defined in claim 3 wherein the gellant is reactive with a compound which is a member of the group consisting of trivalent cations, polyelectrolytes, and mixtures thereof.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
14 words
A process as defined in claim 3 wherein the thickener is a xanthan gum.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
38 words
A process as defined in claim 19 wherein a compound selected from the group consisting of trivalent cations, polyelectrolytes, and mixtures thereof is mixed with said gellant-slurry mixture prior to the depositing thereof on the island being built.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
15 words
A process as defined in claim 20 wherein said compound is methylacrylyloxyethyltrimethyl ammonium methyl sulfate.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
43 words
A process as defined in claim 20 wherein said compound is selected from aluminum sulfate, ferric sulfate and mixtures thereof, and said compound is incorporated into said gelLant-slurry mixture in amounts up to about 0.5 grams per liter of water in the mixture.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
13 words
A process as defined in claim 1 wherein the thickener is a viscosifier.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
13 words
A process as defined in claim 23 wherein the viscosifier is a polysaccharide.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
14 words
A process as defined in claim 24 wherein the polysaccharide is a xanthan gum.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
37 words
A process as defined in claim 25 wherein the amount of xanthan gum mixed with said slurry is within the range of about 0.10 to about 2.0 weight percent based upon the water content of the slurry.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
25 words
A process as defined in claim 25 wherein the molecular weight of the xanthan gum is within the range of about 2,000,000 to about 50,000,000.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
13 words
A process as defined in claim 23 wherein the viscosifier is a cellulosic.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
16 words
A process as defined in claim 23 wherein the viscosifier is a high molecular weight protein.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
39 words
A process as defined in claim 1 wherein a said thickener-slurry mixture is deposited on the island being built and allowed to freeze, followed by another depositing of thickener-slurry mixture on said island and allowing the same to freeze.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
32 words
A process as defined in claim 1 wherein a material selected from sand, gravel and mixtures thereof is deposited on the island being built after the depositing of the slurry-thickener mixture thereon.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
20 words
A process as defined in claim 3 wherein the settling rate of solids in the thickener-slurry mixture is substantially zero.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
25 words
A process as defined in claim 23 wherein the viscosity of the thickener-slurry mixture is within the range of about 0.5 to about 80 poises.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
25 words
A process as defined in claim 23 wherein the viscosity of the thickener-slurry mixture is within the range of about 10 to about 40 poises.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
45 words
A man-made island in Arctic sea water comprising a deposit of sand and gravel which extends above the surface of the water, a slurry of silt and sea water consolidated with the deposit of sand and gravel, said slurry having a slurry thickener incorporated therein.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
45 words
A man-made island in Arctic sea water comprising a deposit of sand and gravel which extends above the surface of the water, a slurry of silt and sea water consolidated with the deposit of sand and gravel, said slurry having a slurry thickener incorporated therein.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
13 words
An island as defined in claim 32 wherein said thickener is a gellant.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
13 words
An island as defined in claim 32 wherein said thickener is a viscosifier.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
30 words
An island as defined in claim 32 wherein the sand and gravel are deposited in the form of a ring having an inner core and said slurry within said core.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-10-21 | 1978-04-22 | 1978-10-22 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-10-21 | 1982-04-22 | 1982-10-22 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-10-21 | 1986-04-22 | 1986-10-22 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |