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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8186912 | Hybrid riser tower and methods of installing same Disclosed is a riser comprising a plurality of pipelines. In one example there are three such pipelines, extending from the seabed toward the surface and having an upper end supported at a depth below the sea surface, wherein, in one embodiment a first of said pipel... | 05/29/2012 |
| 8083439 | Riser support system for use with an offshore platform A riser support system for use in a body of water comprises a buoyant and ballastable support structure and a plurality of substantially vertical and rigid risers each of which is attached to the inside of the support structure at a location below the center of buoy... | 12/27/2011 |
| 7766581 | System, method, and apparatus for independent retention of a locking device on mooring connections A tendon or riser connector has a separate lock-down device that overrides the connector's ability to unlock if the riser or tendon goes slack. The connector has a lock ring that engages a groove profile on a receptacle and is prevented from accidentally unlocking w... | 08/03/2010 |
| 7744314 | Clamping device for buoyancy bodies Buoyancy unit for use on a riser for sub sea applications, particularly for great depths, with a clamp 11 to be tensioned around the riser 16, and with a tensioning member 18 to damp the clamp 11. Buoyancy bodies 26, 27 are provide... | 06/29/2010 |
| 7686544 | Method and arrangement by a workover riser connection A method and arrangement for well completion and intervention operations where a workover riser 4 projecting from a wellhead 6 and up to a vessel 2 is used, and where the upper portion of the workover riser 4 is designed to be displaced f... | 03/30/2010 |
| 7556452 | Control of flexible riser curvature at the keel of a floating structure A bend-limiting conduit controls the curvature of a catenary riser extending from the seafloor as it enters the centerwell of a spar-type offshore platform through the keel of the platform. The conduit has a bore dimensioned to receive the riser, and it extends from... | 07/07/2009 |
| 7540692 | System, method, and apparatus for locking down tendon or riser moorings A tendon or riser connector has a separate lock-down device that overrides the connector's ability to unlock if the riser or tendon goes slack. The locking device has blocks that are radially actuated through a hole in a receptacle to engage a profile in the connect... | 06/02/2009 |
| 7537416 | Riser support system for use with an offshore platform A riser support system for use in a body of water comprises a buoyant and ballastable support structure and a plurality of substantially vertical and rigid risers each of which is attached to the inside of the support structure at a location below the center of buoy... | 05/26/2009 |
| 7517173 | Bearing element The invention relates to a bearing element, a universal joint and an offshore construction, comprising such a bearing element. The bearing element comprises a rotation axis, a rotation body concentric with and rotatable around said axis, the rotation body defining a... | 04/14/2009 |
| 7413384 | Floating offshore drilling/producing structure A deep draft semi submersible structure wherein the semi-submersible has a center of gravity below its center of buoyancy and the structure is a floating vessel with at least three vertically oriented buoyant columns. Each of the vertically oriented buoyant columns ... | 08/19/2008 |
| 7393158 | Shrink for centralizer assembly and method A centralizer system is provided for use in a marine riser system, the centralizer being preferably heat-shrink fitted to an upset portion of a keel joint, the upset portion having tapered sections on the upper and lower ends that gradually blend into the outer diam... | 07/01/2008 |
| 7373986 | Riser connector A riser connector connects the upper portion of a riser (12) having a latching enlargement (32) to a receptacle (14) on a vessel (16), so the riser upper end (22) can connect to a fluid coupling (42) leading to a conduit ( | 05/20/2008 |
| 7367750 | Riser installation vessel and method of using the same A vessel for exploration of hydrocarbons includes one or more risers extending from the vessel to the seabed, a hydrocarbon processing unit connected to the one or more risers and to a storage or transport structure for storing the processed hydrocarbons. The vessel... | 05/06/2008 |
| 7337848 | Preloaded riser coupling system An offshore riser system has riser joints, each having a pin and a box. The pin has an external grooved profile that is engaged by a locking element carried by the box of another riser joint. An actuating ring engages with the locking element to move it into the loc... | 03/04/2008 |
| 7334967 | Method and arrangement by a workover riser connection A slip joint for a riser between a well and a floating petroleum installation, for example an oil platform. The slip joint includes, an outer pipe and an inner pipe, the pipes arranged to enable telescopic movement relative to one another in order to compensate for ... | 02/26/2008 |
| 7331395 | Riser make-up tool An offshore riser system has riser joints, each having a pin and a box. The pin has an external grooved profile that is engaged by a locking element carried by the box of another riser joint. An actuating ring engages with the locking element to move it into the loc... | 02/19/2008 |
| 7328747 | Integrated buoyancy joint A buoyancy system includes a plurality of buoyancy joints distributed along a riser system. Each joint can include a riser pipe, an external frame disposed around a riser and a vessel, and a buoyant cladding disposed between the vessel and the frame. ... | 02/12/2008 |
| 7328741 | System for sensing riser motion A riser monitoring assembly is provided to monitor and manage a riser extending between subsea well equipment and a floating vessel. A riser measurement instrument module is connected adjacent a selected portion of the riser provides dynamic orientation data for the... | 02/12/2008 |
| 7325840 | Arrangement for connecting a fiber-reinforced plastic pipe to a stainless steel flange Arrangement for connecting a fiber-reinforced plastic pipe (18) to a stainless steel flange (12, 16), in which the end of the fiber-reinforced plastic pipe (18) is accommodated in a ring-shaped groove (12a, 16a) in th... | 02/05/2008 |
| 7318387 | Water intake riser A water intake riser that can be suspended from a vessel having a riser connected to a riser hanger, which riser hanger includes a first tubular element, a second tubular element to which the riser is connected, a flexible load transfer element joining the tubular e... | 01/15/2008 |
| 7293940 | Guide tube for a flexible pipe for transporting hydrocarbons A guide tube for a flexible pipe for transporting hydrocarbons comprising an internal tubular element of a substantially rectilinear section extending along an axis (A) and extended by a free section having a curvature along its length and a wall which is internal w... | 11/13/2007 |
| 7291936 | Submersible electrical power generating plant A self-supporting, submersible generating plant for producing electricity from ocean currents, consisting of two counter-rotating, rear-facing turbines with a plurality of rotor blades extending radially outward from two separate horizontal axis that convey the kine... | 11/06/2007 |
| 7287936 | Shallow water riser configuration A shallow water riser extending between a seabed connection and a floating support connection and of a length through the shallow water to be in wave form with at least one and, as illustrated, two wave areas in contact with the seabed. A protective sheath optionall... | 10/30/2007 |
| 7287935 | Tendon assembly for mooring offshore structure An offshore system for petroleum production has a buoyant platform. A tendon assembly secures to the platform and extends down to a counterweight located near the lower end. A piling is embedded in the sea floor. A socket at the counterweight telescopingly slides ov... | 10/30/2007 |
| 7281880 | Subsea vehicle assisted pipeline commissioning method The present invention is directed to a method for completing the commissioning of a subsea pipeline by purging with a compressed gas to dewater and dry the line wherein the operation is done on the seabed. More specifically, the method is carried out with a subsea v... | 10/16/2007 |
| 7262360 | Underwater power generation using underwater thermocline Underwater power generation for an underwater vessel is provided when the vessel transits through an underwater thermocline. At least a portion of the shell of the vessel is made from a thermally conductive material. Thermo-to-electric energy converters are electric... | 08/28/2007 |
| 7255517 | Ballasting offshore platform with buoy assistance A method for deploying a floating platform includes storing buoys on a hull of the platform. Tension devices are mounted to the hull, each being connected by a line to one of the buoys. The operator tows the hull to a ballast down site while the buoys are stored on ... | 08/14/2007 |
| 7217067 | Riser keel joint assembly A riser joint keel assembly. A tapered riser joint is connected to a larger diameter outer sleeve through a connection that allows the tapered section and outer sleeve to function as one unit. In the combined design, the outer sleeve provides the required sliding in... | 05/15/2007 |
| 7210531 | Protective element for a riser segment A protective element for a riser segment, including an elongated buffer body, at least one foot connected with the buffer body, the at least one foot being provided with an engagement part arranged to engage on a main pipe of a riser segment, the distance between th... | 05/01/2007 |
| 7191836 | Dry tree subsea well communications apparatus and method using variable tension large offset risers Disclosed are compliant variable tension risers (106) to connect deep-water subsea wellheads (102) to a single floating platform (104). The variable tension risers (106) allow several subsea well-heads (102), in water depths from 4... | 03/20/2007 |
| 7189029 | Multi-catenary type rising column An undersea pipe of the riser type providing a connection between a floating support and the sea bottom. The riser has a rigid pipe of the catenary type extending from the floating support to a point of contact with the sea bottom. The catenary riser comprises a low... | 03/13/2007 |
| 7179144 | Off-shore mooring and fluid transfer system Apparatus for transferring cryogenic fluid from a first vessel (5) to a second vessel in an offshore environment. The apparatus includes a semi-submersible floating dock with variable buoyancy structure (14, 15) operable to alter the draught of the doc... | 02/20/2007 |
| 7163062 | Riser A riser for conveying fluids from a subsea location to a surface vessel comprises an upper section which is located in a confining conduit, said upper section being allowed to deform elastically into a helical configuration against the inside of the confining condui... | 01/16/2007 |
| 7156583 | Compensating suspension element configuration A compensating suspension element that includes a flexible cable, a flexible pipe and a catenary riser pipe and a connecting device connecting the flexible cable, the flexible pipe and the riser without buoyancy. ... | 01/02/2007 |
| 7156039 | Keel guide system A technique for guiding a riser in an offshore environment. The technique utilizes a keel guide that permits the passage of connectors or other components therethrough. A bushing is mounted within the keel guide to guide the relative linear motion of the riser assem... | 01/02/2007 |
| 7150324 | Method and apparatus for riserless drilling An offshore riserless drilling system drills a subsea borehole from a platform and through a cased borehole. The system comprises a lightweight drill string suspending a bottomhole assembly and extending from the platform downwardly through a depth of water into the... | 12/19/2006 |
| 7140807 | Hybrid composite steel tendon for offshore platform A tendon for an offshore floating platform has a tubular section formed of joints of steel pipe secured together. The tubular section has an interior sealed from sea water to provide buoyancy. A composite fiber section is secured to a lower end of the tubular sectio... | 11/28/2006 |
| 7131496 | Portable drill string compensator A closed system drill string compensator having a hydraulic fluid accumulator, at least one air pressure vessel, and a piston and a piston rod slidably engaged within a cylinder. The drill string compensator provides tensioning force for supporting a drill string an... | 11/07/2006 |
| 7128159 | System and method for limiting vortex-induced vibrations on an offshore production riser The present invention relates to a method and to a system for limiting vortex-induced vibrations on a riser suspended at one end from a support and subjected to substantially transverse fluid flows. The system comprises suspension means (10) for hanging the r... | 10/31/2006 |
| 7124460 | Construction cable The cable, in particular of the stay cable type, comprises a set of traction reinforcements, two devices for anchoring the reinforcements in two respective zones of the construction, the reinforcements being spaced apart from one another at the anchoring devices, me... | 10/24/2006 |