Method for installing a self-supporting tower for extracting hydrocarbons

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9399847-B2
Application number	US-201214351592-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 19, 2012
Priority date	Oct 21, 2011
Publication date	Jul 26, 2016
Grant date	Jul 26, 2016

Abstract

A method for installing a self-supporting tower at a sea bed. An anchoring mechanism ( 32 ) is installed on the bed. A float ( 18 ) and a tubular pipe ( 68 ) are submerged and then driven towards the bed ( 12 ) to attach to one of the ends ( 72 ) of the anchoring mechanism ( 32 ), while the float ( 18 ) is fastened to the other ( 70 ) of the ends keeping the pipe ( 68 ) vertical above the anchoring mechanism ( 32 ). The tubular pipe ( 68 ) and the float ( 18 ) are supplied separately. The float ( 18 ) is kept submerged at a distance away from the anchoring mechanism ( 32 ). The tubular pipe ( 68 ) is suspended from the float via the other ( 70 ) of the ends of the pipe.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of installing a self-supporting tower for the extraction of hydrocarbons in a marine environment, wherein said marine environment has a surface opposite to a bed, said method comprising:
installing an anchorage installation on said bed;
providing a float, and providing a tubular pipe having two opposite ends;
immersing said float and said tubular pipe in said marine environment in line with said anchorage installation; and
moving said float and said tubular pipe toward said bed until and so that one of said ends of said tubular pipe can be attached to said anchorage installation while securing said float to the other of said ends of said pipe to keep said pipe vertical in said marine environment starting from said anchorage installation;
said immersing step comprising, in order, the following substeps:
immersing said float and maintaining said float immersed some distance away from said anchorage installation by at least one anchorage line attaching said float to said anchorage installation; and
attaching said tubular pipe to said float via said other of said ends of said tubular pipe before said float and said tubular pipe are moved together toward said bed.

2. The method of installing as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising extending a flexible pipe between said float and said surface for coupling said flexible pipe to said other of said ends of said tubular pipe.

3. The method of installing as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said tubular pipe is rigid.

4. The method of installing as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said other of said ends of said tubular pipe has a bulge, and said float comprises an attachment yoke;
the method further comprising engaging said tubular pipe laterally through said attachment yoke so that said bulge of said tubular pipe presses against said attachment yoke.

5. The method of installing as claimed in claim 4 , further comprising holding said tubular pipe from said surface by said other of said ends of said tubular pipe and engaging said other of said ends of said tubular pipe through said attachment yoke.

6. The method of installing as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising releasing said float from said at least one anchorage line when said one of said ends of said tubular pipe is attached to said anchorage installation.

7. The method of installing as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising driving said one of said ends of said tubular pipe toward said anchorage installation to cause said float and said tubular pipe to move toward said bed.

8. The method of installing as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising connecting a hauling cable to said one of said ends of said tubular pipe so that said hauling cable extends firstly through return members mounted on said anchorage installation and extends secondly toward said surface enabling hauling of said hauling cable from said surface.

9. The method of installing as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
said float comprising two parts spaced apart and a connecting beam joining said two parts together to form a U-shape part of said float and define an empty space between said two parts of said float;
a yoke at said beam between connections of said connecting beam to each of said two parts of said float; and
the method further comprising connecting said yoke at a location along said connecting beam away from said connections of said two parts of said float to said connecting beam.

10. The method of installing as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said float comprises two parts spaced apart and a connecting beam joining said two parts together to form a U-shape part of said float and define an empty space between said two parts of said float.

Assignees

• Technip France

Inventors

• Luppi Ange

Classifications

• B63B27/19

  Other loading or unloading equipment involving an intermittent action, not provided in groups B63B27/04 - B63B27/18 · CPC title

• E21B17/012

  with buoyancy elements (E21B17/015 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16L1/15

  vertically · CPC title

• E21B43/0135 Primary

  using a pulling cable · CPC title

• E02B17/02 Primary

  placed by lowering the supporting construction to the bottom, e.g. with subsequent fixing thereto · CPC title