Patent US4651925A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent AT86663B successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3880102A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and apparatus for offshore submersible oil storage and drilling
Assignee: OFFSHORE Tech CORP
•
Filing: 1974-02-19
•
Granted: 1975-04-29
•
Expires: 1994-02-19
Abstract
Abstract An offshore submersible unit having a plurality of tanks in a hull that is submerged to a given depth by air in a first group of tanks and water ballast in a second group of tanks that provides substantially neutral buoyancy and a given submerged draft. The hull has a central supporting column with platform for drilling and oil distribution, and has a plurality of individually articulating column stabilizers fixed by universal connections to the hull for stabilizing the hull in the submerged position, which articulated columns are passively stabilized by a water free surface effect at multiple levels.
Inventors
- 👤 Frank N Biewer
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 20:12
CPC Classifications
E; E21; E21B; E21B43/00; E21B43/34; E21B43/36; B; B63; B63B; B63B35/00; B63B35/44; B63B35/4413; B63B39/00; B63B1/00; B63B1/02; B63B1/04; B63B2001/044
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 33
Claim 1
Independent Claim
243 words
A semi-submersible drilling and oil storage unit for use offshore in a body of water comprising, a plurality of individual, fluid-tight tanks secured together in a unitary, submersible fluid storage hull having upper and lower hull surfaces, said tanks are separable into a first group of tanks for containing air and oil and a second group of tanks for containing water and oil, each of said tanks having fluid input and discharge connections, fluid control means for inserting through said fluid connections air into said first group of tanks and water ballast into said second group of tanks giving said hull a given buoyancy to submerge said hull to a given submerged draft, said fluid control means including first means for inserting oil into said first and second group of tanks and simultaneously expelling air and water from said respective tanks in proportions to maintain the given buoyancy of said hull and the given submerged draft, a supporting column fixed at one end to said hull and extending upwardly therefrom, said column having sufficient length that the upper end projects above the surface of said body of water when said hull is submerged at said submerged draft, and a plurality of individually articulating column stabilizers each fixed at one end by a universal connection to the upper surface of said hull, whereby said stabilizer columns may extend upwardly from said hull, said stabilizer columns being positioned around the outer edge of said hull.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
243 words
A semi-submersible drilling and oil storage unit for use offshore in a body of water comprising, a plurality of individual, fluid-tight tanks secured together in a unitary, submersible fluid storage hull having upper and lower hull surfaces, said tanks are separable into a first group of tanks for containing air and oil and a second group of tanks for containing water and oil, each of said tanks having fluid input and discharge connections, fluid control means for inserting through said fluid connections air into said first group of tanks and water ballast into said second group of tanks giving said hull a given buoyancy to submerge said hull to a given submerged draft, said fluid control means including first means for inserting oil into said first and second group of tanks and simultaneously expelling air and water from said respective tanks in proportions to maintain the given buoyancy of said hull and the given submerged draft, a supporting column fixed at one end to said hull and extending upwardly therefrom, said column having sufficient length that the upper end projects above the surface of said body of water when said hull is submerged at said submerged draft, and a plurality of individually articulating column stabilizers each fixed at one end by a universal connection to the upper surface of said hull, whereby said stabilizer columns may extend upwardly from said hull, said stabilizer columns being positioned around the outer edge of said hull.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
47 words
An offshore semi-submersible drilling and oil storage unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein, said hull has a center hole therethrough for communicating with said supporting column, and said first and second group of tanks comprising substantially the entire volume of said hull, less said center hole.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
75 words
An offshore semi-submersible drilling and oil storage unit as claimed in claim 1 including, a platform fixed to the upper end of said supporting column, boom means positionable on said platform and extending outwardly beyond the outer edge of said hull, oil line means carried by said boom means for making an oil discharge connection with a ship, and means for removing oil from said tanks and passing said oil to said oil line means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
49 words
An offshore semi-submersible drilling and oil storage unit as claimed in claim 1 including, a platform being fixed to the upper end of said column, means for positioning a drilling rig on said platform, and said platform, column and said hull having openings to pass a drilling connection therethrough.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
72 words
An offshore semi-submersible drilling and oil storage unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein, said first and second groups of tanks are secured together in side-by-side relationship around a central point, said first group of tanks being arranged ground the center portion of said hull with the inner ends of said tanks proximal said central point, and said second group of said tanks disposed concentrically outwardly from said first group of tanks.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
49 words
An offshore semi-submersible drilling and oil storage unit as Claimed in claim 5 wherein, the inner ends of each of said first group of tanks are spaced from said central point to provide an opening through said hull, and said supporting column is positioned to communicate with said opening.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
108 words
The method of maintaining a given submerged draft of a semisubmersible offshore drilling and oil storage and production unit comprising, submerging a hull having a plurality of individual fluid-tight tanks secured together in side-by-side relationship and a central column fixed at the center of said hull, admitting air at substantially atmospheric pressure into a first group of said tanks and admitting seawater ballast into a second group of said tanks until said unit has neutral buoyancy with said tanks submerged to a given submerged draft, and inserting oil simultaneously into said first and second group of tanks in proportions to maintain said given submerged draft of said tanks.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
108 words
The method of maintaining a given submerged draft of a semisubmersible offshore drilling and oil storage and production unit comprising, submerging a hull having a plurality of individual fluid-tight tanks secured together in side-by-side relationship and a central column fixed at the center of said hull, admitting air at substantially atmospheric pressure into a first group of said tanks and admitting seawater ballast into a second group of said tanks until said unit has neutral buoyancy with said tanks submerged to a given submerged draft, and inserting oil simultaneously into said first and second group of tanks in proportions to maintain said given submerged draft of said tanks.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method as claimed in claim 7 being characterized by, said air and seawater being inserted into the first and second groups of tanks in a volume ratio of about 2 to 9.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
74 words
In the method as claimed in claim 8 including the steps of, drawing oil simultaneously from the first and second groups of tanks in a volume ratio of about two from the first group of tanks and about nine from the second group of tanks, and simultaneously replacing the oil drawn from the first group of tanks with seawater and oil drawn from the second group of tanks with air at substantially atmospheric pressure.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
193 words
A semi-submersible oil storage unit for use offshore in a body of water comprising, a plurality of individual, fluid-tight tanks secured together in a unitary, submersible fluid storage hull having upper and lower hull surfaces, said tanks being separable into a first group of tanks for containing air and oil and a second group of tanks for containing water and oil, each of said tanks having connections for fluid input and discharge, fluid control means for inserting through said fluid connections air into said first group of tanks and water ballast into said second group of tanks giving said hull a given buoyancy to submerge said hull to a given submerged draft, said fluid control means including first means for inserting oil into said first and second group of tanks and simultaneously expelling air and water from said respective tanks in proportions to maintain the given buoyancy of said hull and the given submerged draft, and a plurality of stabilizers positioned around the outer edge of said hull each said stabilizer being attached by an articulating connection to said hull and extending upwardly therefrom, whereby each said stabilizer may articulate with said hull.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
193 words
A semi-submersible oil storage unit for use offshore in a body of water comprising, a plurality of individual, fluid-tight tanks secured together in a unitary, submersible fluid storage hull having upper and lower hull surfaces, said tanks being separable into a first group of tanks for containing air and oil and a second group of tanks for containing water and oil, each of said tanks having connections for fluid input and discharge, fluid control means for inserting through said fluid connections air into said first group of tanks and water ballast into said second group of tanks giving said hull a given buoyancy to submerge said hull to a given submerged draft, said fluid control means including first means for inserting oil into said first and second group of tanks and simultaneously expelling air and water from said respective tanks in proportions to maintain the given buoyancy of said hull and the given submerged draft, and a plurality of stabilizers positioned around the outer edge of said hull each said stabilizer being attached by an articulating connection to said hull and extending upwardly therefrom, whereby each said stabilizer may articulate with said hull.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
66 words
An offshore semi-submersible oil storage unit as claimed in claim 10 wherein, said fluid control means includes second means for withdrawing oil simultaneously from said first and second group of tanks and simultaneously inserting air in to said first group of tanks and water in to said second group of tanks in proportions to maintain the given buoyancy of said hull and the given submerged draft.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
33 words
An offshore semi-submersible oil storage unit as claimed in claim 11 wherein, said first group of tanks have a fluid volume ratio to said second group of tanks of about 2 to 9.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
43 words
An offshore semi-submersible oil storage unit as claimed in claim 10 wherein, said first means of said fluid control means has means for simultaneously inserting oil in to said first and second groups of tanks in volume proportion of about 2 to 9.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
45 words
An offshore semi-submersible oil storage unit as claimed in claim 11 wherein, said second means of said fluid control means includes means for simultaneously withdrawing oil from said first and second groups of tanks in volume proportions of the ratio of about 2 to 9.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
38 words
An offshore semi-submersible oil storage unit as claimEd in claim 10 wherein, said first group of tanks have a fluid volume in ratio to the fluid volume of said second group of tanks of about 2 to 9.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
83 words
An offshore semi-submersible oil storage unit as claimed in claim 10 wherein, each of said stabilizers comprises an elongated water-tight vessel having said articulating connection attached at one end thereof and having a plurality of separate water-tight compartments, at least one of said compartments having a stabilizer liquid therein, and means in said compartment for restricting the liquid flow from one portion of the compartment to the other portions of the compartment, providing fluid flow stabilization of the articulating movement of said stabilizer.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
57 words
An offshore semi-submersible oil storage unit as claimed in claim 16 wherein, said stabilizers have a cylindrical shape, said compartment comprises a ring shaped chamber around the outer surface of said vessel, and said fluid flow restricting means including at least three uniformly spaced restrictors in said ring shaped chamber that restrict the flow of fluid therethrough.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
82 words
An offshore semi-submersible oil storage unit as claimed in claim 17 wherein, said compartment is positioned adjacent the free end of said stabilizer, said restrictors comprise tubular members positioned in substantially the radial center of said ring compartment and have a diameter less than the width of said compartment, and said stabilizer in the upright position have sufficient length that only the tips of the free ends thereof extend above the water surface when said hull is at the given submerged draft.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
44 words
An offshore semi-submersible oil storage unit as claimed in claim 10 wherein, said fluid control means includes means for selectively inserting suitable proportions of oil in selected tanks of said first and second group of tanks to maintain a desired trim to said hull.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
28 words
An offshore semi-submersible oil storage unit as claimed in claim 10 including, separator means for separating the oil from the water discharged from said second group of tanks.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
40 words
An offshore semi-submersible oil storage unit as claimed in claim 10 wherein, each of said stabilizers comprises an elongated sealed vessel having a plurality of sealed compartments for containing ballast providing each of said stabilizers with a substantially neutral buoyancy.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
70 words
An offshore semi-submersible oil storage unit as claimed in claim 10 wherein, said first and second groups of tanks are secured together in side-by-side relationship around a central point, said first group of tanks are arranged around the central portion of said hull with the inner ends of said tanks proximal said central point, and said second group of said tanks disposed concentrically outwardly from said first group of tanks.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
69 words
An offshore semi-submersible oil storage unit as claimed in claim 22 wherein, said tanks are configured in radially outwardly extending sector portions whose ends are defined by concentric arcuate members, said tanks comprise an inner tank of said first group and an outer tank of said second group, and a circumferentially continuous bulkhead separates each of said first group of tanks from said concentrically outward second group of tanks.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
29 words
An offshore semi-submersible oil storage unit as claimed in claim 23 wherein, said inner tanks are constructed of steel bulkheads, and said outer tanks are constructed of pre-stressed concrete.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
58 words
An offshore semi-submersible oil storage unit as claimed in claim 23 including, a plurality of bulkhead members radially extending from the innermost arcuate member to the outermost arcuate members, and each of said stabilizers being fixed to said hull adjacent the outer end of at least one of said radially extending bulkhead members adjacent said outermost arcuate member.
Claim 29
Independent Claim
92 words
The method of maintaining a given sUbmerged draft of a semi-submersible offshore oil storage unit comprising, submerging a hull having a plurality of individual fluid-tight tanks secured together in side-by-side relationship, pressurizing a first group of tanks with air at substantially atmospheric pressure and admitting seawater ballast into a second group of said tanks until said unit has neutral buoyancy with said tanks submerged to a predetermined submerged draft, and admitting oil simultaneously into said first and second group of tanks in proportions to maintain said predetermined submerged draft of said tanks.
Claim 30
Independent Claim
92 words
The method of maintaining a given sUbmerged draft of a semi-submersible offshore oil storage unit comprising, submerging a hull having a plurality of individual fluid-tight tanks secured together in side-by-side relationship, pressurizing a first group of tanks with air at substantially atmospheric pressure and admitting seawater ballast into a second group of said tanks until said unit has neutral buoyancy with said tanks submerged to a predetermined submerged draft, and admitting oil simultaneously into said first and second group of tanks in proportions to maintain said predetermined submerged draft of said tanks.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method as claimed in claim 26 wherein the volumes of said air and said seawater are in the ratio of about 2 to 9 respectively.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
57 words
The method as claimed in claim 26 further including the steps of, withdrawing oil simultaneously from said first and second groups of tanks in proportions to maintain said predetermined submerged draft, and simultaneously replacing the oil withdrawn from the first group of tanks with seawater and the oil withdrawn from the second group of tanks with air.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method as claimed in claim 28 wherein the volumes of oil withdrawn from said first and second groups of tanks are in the ratio of about 2 to 9 respectively.
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) | 1978-04-28 | 1978-10-28 | 1979-04-29 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-04-28 | 1982-10-28 | 1983-04-29 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-04-28 | 1986-10-28 | 1987-04-29 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |