Fixed turret subsea hydrocarbon production terminal

US4301840A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• AMTEL CORPORTATION · US

Inventor

• Martin Jansen · Bonn, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 18, 1979
• Grant date: Nov 24, 1981
• Expiry date: Jun 18, 1999

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10T137/8807
• WIPO field: Transport
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

An offshore oil production terminal system is described which includes a transfer structure having a nonrotatable turret anchored to the sea floor and a rotatable portion fixed to a dedicated storage vessel, and also a fluid conduit extending from the seabed up through the turret to a fluid swivel and from the rotatable portion of the fluid swivel to the vessel, which facilitates use of a moderate cost fluid swivel. A choke located on the nonrotatable turret, decreases the high pressure of oil from the seabed (e.g. 2000 psi) to a moderate pressure (e.g. 200 psi) for passage through the fluid swivel, so that a moderate pressure fluid swivel can be utilized. The turret has a control deck at the same level as the vessel deck, to facilitate entry of personnel to operate controls directly connected to valves at the seabed without requiring rotational joints between the controls and the devices they operate. Power to produce pressured hydraulic fluid for controlling valves and the like, is obtained by flowing moderate pressure air (e.g. 200 psi) through a fluid swivel on top of the turret to an air-motor-hydraulic pump combination on the fixed turret, to produce high pressure hydraulic f…