Monohull offshore drilling vessel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016200401-A1
Application number	US-201414911979-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 14, 2014
Priority date	Aug 16, 2013
Publication date	Jul 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention relates to a monohull offshore drilling vessel comprising a hull with a bow and a stern and a moonpool extending through the hull, the hull having an upper deck. A firing line hoist system comprising a mast is mounted on the hull. A drill floor is provided at a firing line side of the mast, which covers a portion of the moonpool while the firing line extends through an opening in said drill floor. Furthermore marine equipment and drilling equipment for performing auxiliary operations for the drilling or drilling related operations is provided, which equipment is mainly provided in the hull of the vessel below the upper deck. According to the invention, the drill floor is flush with the upper deck

First claim

1 . A monohull offshore drilling vessel comprising:
a hull with a bow and a stem and a moonpool extending through the hull; an accommodation topside having crew quarters and a bridge, said accommodation topside being arranged on the hull at the bow; the hull having an upper deck between the accommodation topside and the stern of the vessel; a firing line hoist system that is mounted on the hull at said moonpool, which firing line hoist system comprising a mast, which is connected to the hull at the moonpool of the drilling vessel; a hoisting device supported by the mast, having a load attachment device displaceable along a firing line, which extends on the outside of and adjacent to a firing line side of the mast, and which firing line extends through the moonpool, wherein the hoisting device is adapted to be used for drilling or drilling related operations, which hoisting device includes one or more cables and one or more associated winches to manipulate the position of a load attachment device relative to the mast; a drill floor provided at the firing line side of the mast, which covers a portion of the moonpool while the firing line extends through an opening in said drill floor; a riser-tensioner for exerting a tensile force from the drilling vessel upon a riser, wherein the riser-tensioner is provided below the drilling floor; marine equipment; and drilling equipment for performing auxiliary operations for the drilling or drilling related operations, wherein the drilling equipment provided in the hull of the vessel below the upper deck comprises one or more of:
a pipe storage for storing drill pipes in a substantially horizontal position,
a riser storage for storing risers in a substantially horizontal position,
a BOP storage area for storing a BOP (Blow Out Preventer),
a silo room for accommodating silos,
a mud tank for storing drilling mud,
a storage tank for storing fluids,
a pump room for accommodating pumps, and
burner booms,
wherein the drill floor is flush with the upper deck, and drilling equipment and marine equipment are provided in the hull of the vessel below the upper deck.

2 . The monohull offshore drilling vessel according to claim 1 , wherein the lateral side of the hull of the vessel, below the upper deck, is provided with one or more recessed storage areas for the storage of equipment, such that the stored equipment does not project beyond the plane of the lateral side of the hull of the vessel.

3 . The monohull offshore drilling vessel according to claim 1 , wherein the drill floor is mobile between an active position in which it is flush with the upper deck and covers a portion of the moonpool at said firing line side of the mast while the firing line extends through an opening in said drill floor, and a non-active position of the drill floor, allowing equipment to be brought in the firing line above the moonpool and manipulated by the hoisting device.

4 . The monohull offshore drilling vessel according to claim 3 , wherein a BOP (Blow Out Preventer) storage area is provided in the hull of the vessel below the upper deck, adjacent the moonpool, and wherein the non-active position of the drill floor allows the BOP to be positioned below the drill floor, and wherein the hoisting device is adapted for raising and lowering the BOP to the seabed.

5 . The monohull offshore drilling vessel according to claim 4 , wherein equipment to perform dual gradient drilling is provided, and wherein the hoisting device is adapted for raising and lowering the BOP and the equipment connected to the top of the BOP to the seabed, and wherein the drill floor is mobile between the active position and an elevated non-active position, wherein the elevated non-active position of the drill floor allows both the equipment and the BOP to which it is to be connected to be brought into the firing line above the moonpool and manipulated by the hoisting device.

6 . The monohull offshore drilling vessel according to claim 1 , wherein a ventilation system is provided in the hull of the vessel, comprising ventilation intake shafts and ventilation exhaust shafts, which shafts open out at a level below the upper deck.

7 . The monohull offshore drilling vessel according to claim 1 , wherein the upper deck is provided with a grid of recesses, the vessel further comprising one or more vertical elements, and wherein each recess is adapted to receive a cooperating vertical element.

8 . The monohull offshore drilling vessel according to claim 7 , wherein flanges are provided defining the recesses, which flanges are provided countersunk, such that the flange is flush with the upper deck.

9 . The monohull offshore drilling vessel according to claim 1 , further comprising pipelay equipment, wherein the upper deck comprises a storage area for storage reels for pipes, and wherein pipelay equipment is adapted to be installed in the firing line, such that the offshore drilling vessel is adapted to be used for pipelay operations.

10 . Monohull The monohull offshore drilling vessel according to claim 1 , wherein the firing line hoist system is a multiple firing line hoist system comprising:
a first hoisting device supported by the mast and having a first load attachment device displaceable along a first firing line, which extends on the outside of and adjacent to a first firing line side of the mast; and a second hoisting device supported by the mast and having a second load attachment device displaceable along a second firing line, which extends on the outside of and adjacent to a second firing line side of the mast, wherein the first firing line side of the mast is opposite the second firing line side of the mast.

11 . The monohull offshore drilling vessel according to claim 1 , wherein the vessel further comprises one or more cranes, which are mounted to the upper deck.

12 . A system for circulating drilling mud, wherein drilling mud is pumped down through the borehole and returned to the surface of the borehole, wherein the drilling mud that is returned to the surface is transferred to a combination of a shaker device and a mud-treatment unit, connected via a fluid connection, wherein the system comprises:
a first shaker device and a first mud-treatment unit connected via a first fluid connection; and a second shaker device and a second mud-treatment unit connected via a second fluid connection, which second combination is provided in parallel with the first combination; and a transverse fluid connection between the first shaker device and the second mud-treatment unit.

13 . The system according to claim 12 , wherein the transverse fluid connection is provided between the first and second fluid connections.

14 . The system according to claim 13 , wherein a mud gutter is provided downstream of both the first and the second shaker device, which mud gutter forms the transverse fluid connection between the first and second fluid connections.

15 . The system according to claim 12 , wherein an additional transverse fluid connection is provided between the second shaker device and the first mud-treatment unit.

16 . A method for circulating drilling mud, comprising the step of using the system according to claim 1 .

17 . The method according to claim 16 , further comprising the steps of:
pumping down drilling mud through the borehole; returning drilling mud to the surface of the borehole; transferring the drilling mud that is returned to the surface to a first and/or second shaker device; transferring the drilling mud from the first and/or second shaker device via

Assignees

• Itrec Bv

Inventors

• Roodenburg Joop
• Wijning Diederick Bernardus

Classifications

• B63B3/00

  Hulls characterised by their structure or component parts (non-metallic hulls B63B5/00; designing, building, maintaining or repairing methods B63B71/00 - B63B83/00) · CPC title

• B01D33/72

  for feeding · CPC title

• B63B35/4413 Primary

  Floating drilling platforms, e.g. carrying water-oil separating devices · CPC title

• B01D33/41

  in series connection · CPC title

• E21B21/065

  Separating solids from drilling fluids · CPC title