Title:

Polygonal section spar platform for drilling and production

United States Patent Application 20020069810

Kind Code:

A1

Abstract:

The present invention relates to a polygonal section spar platform for drilling and production, which can raise efficiency in process and production and reduce manufacturing costs by making a section of a drilling and production spar platform in a polygonal shape. The drilling and production spar platform comprises a ballast tank, a spar hull, a mooring fairleader, a trim tank and a fixed ballast, wherein the spar hull, which is an underwater portion of the drilling and production spar platform, has a section being in the form of a polygon. By such spar platform, the present invention can largely increase the manufacturing performance and production and promote a general operational efficiency.

Inventors:

Min, Keh-sik (Seoul, KR)
Park, In-kyu (Seoul, KR)
Sin, Hyun-soo (Ulsan-Si, KR)

Application Number:

09/797681

Publication Date:

06/13/2002

Filing Date:

03/05/2001

Export Citation:

Click for automatic bibliography generation

Assignee:

HYUNDAI HEAVY INDUSTRIES CO. LTD.

Primary Class:

114/264

International Classes:

E02B17/00; B63B1/04; B63B35/44; (IPC1-7): B63B35/44

View Patent Images:

Download PDF 20020069810

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Primary Examiner:

BASINGER, SHERMAN D

Attorney, Agent or Firm:

ARENT FOX KINTNER PLOTKIN & KAHN, PLLC (Washington, DC, US)

Claims:

What is claimed is:

1. A drilling and production spar platform comprising a ballast tank, a spar hull, a mooring fairleader, a trim tank and a fixed ballast, wherein the spar hull which is an underwater portion of the drilling and production spar platform, has a section being in the form of a polygon.

Description:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to a polygonal section spar platform for drilling and production, and more particularly, to a polygonal section spar platform for drilling and production, which can largely promote a general operational efficiency and reduce manufacturing costs by sharply increasing the manufacturing performance and production of the spar platform, which operates in the deep sea.

[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0004] In general, there are fixed type or floating type drilling ships or rigs to search oil and to drill for oil: the fixed type being a jack-up drilling rig, a jacket and the likes, which are fixed on the seabed, and the floating type being a semi-submersible drilling rig, a tension-leg platform, a spar and the likes.

[0005] Recently, according to the exhaustion of oil resources, there is a difficulty in use of the fixed type drilling ships or rigs because the search and the drilling for oil are performed in deeper water, and therefore, the use of the floating type drilling ships or rigs is on an increasing trend all over the world. In particular, a drilling and production spar platform of the floating type drilling ships or rigs has lately attracted considerable attention.

[0006] As shown in FIG. 3, a typical drilling and production spar platform 20 has a section being in the form of a round. However, such spar has a difficulty that a steel sheet must be bent into a round of 30 m to 50 m in diameter in the manufacturing process. Furthermore, there are several problems that the manufacturing process is very difficult and complex and many man-hours and efforts are required since a frame 21 of a transverse strength element or a strength web frame 22 and a longitudinal strength element 23 are made in the form of a circle, and must be exactly bonded and welded to an external sheet of a circle form.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a polygonal section spar platform for drilling and production, which can raise efficiency in process and production and reduce manufacturing costs by making a section of a drilling and production spar platform in a polygonal shape.

[0008] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a drilling and production spar platform comprising a ballast tank, a spar hull, a mooring fairleader, a trim tank and a fixed ballast, wherein the spar hull, which is an underwater portion of the drilling and production spar platform, has a section being in the form of a polygon. By such spar platform, the present invention can largely increase the manufacturing performance and production and promote a general operational efficiency.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Further objects and advantages of the invention can be more fully understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

[0010] FIG. 1 is an exemplary view of a section of a drilling and production spar platform according to the present invention;

[0011] FIG. 2 is an exemplary view of the drilling and production spar platform; and

[0012] FIG. 3 is an exemplary view of a typical drilling and production spar platform.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0013] The present invention will now be described in detail in connection with preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. For reference, like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout several views.

[0014] FIG. 1 is an exemplary view of a section of a drilling and production spar platform according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an exemplary view of the drilling and production spar platform. As shown in FIG. 2, a drilling and production spar platform 10, which is a cylindrical floating structure having a diameter of about 30 m to 50 m and a length of about 200 m, includes a ballast tank 11, a spar hull 12, a mooring fairleader 13, a trim tank 14 and a fixed ballast 15. As being small in vibration caused by wave, the drilling and production spar platform 10 has little vibration even in poor surroundings of deep water and high wave, thereby performing a production work throughout the year, using only a common riser without using a high-priced flexible riser, and easily securing a space for storing produced crude oil.

[0015] In the present invention, the spar hull 12 of the drilling and production spar platform 10 having a round shape has a section of a polygonal shape having a specific angle depending on preference of a designer or a user and on the surroundings of a navigation area, and a frame of a transverse strength element and a longitudinal strength element are bonded and welded to the polygonal spar hull.

[0016] That is, as shown in FIG. 1, the spar hull 12, which is an underwater portion of the drilling and production spar platform, is made in the form of a triangle 121, a quadrangle 122, a pentagon 123, a hexagon 124, an octagon 125, a nonagon 126, . . . , and all possible polygons to be suitable for the surroundings of the navigation area, and the frame of the transverse strength element or a wed frame and the longitudinal strength element are bonded and welded to the spar hull having the polygonal section.

[0017] Furthermore, because the section of the spar hull 12 of the drilling and production spar platform 10 is formed in a polygonal shape, it is possible to reinforce and use a corner part of the polygonal spar hull or the spar hull part having the polygonal section, to which the frame of the transverse strength element or the wed frame and the longitudinal strength element are boned and welded.

[0018] As previously described, the section of the drilling and production spar platform is formed not in the round shape but in the polygonal shape, thereby reducing the manufacturing costs, largely increasing the manufacturing performance and production of the spar platform, and promoting an operational efficiency.

[0019] While the present invention has been described with reference to the particular illustrative embodiments, it is not to be restricted by the embodiments but only by the appended claims. It is to be appreciated that those skilled in the art can change or modify the embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.

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