(19)
(11) EP 0 039 589 A3

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88) Date of publication A3:
26.05.1982 Bulletin 1982/21

(43) Date of publication A2:
11.11.1981 Bulletin 1981/45

(21) Application number: 81301923

(22) Date of filing: 01.05.1981
(84) Designated Contracting States:
FR GB IT NL

(30) Priority: 02.05.1980 US 146362
23.04.1981 US 8100531

(71) Applicant: GLOBAL MARINE INC.
 ()

(72) Inventor:
  • Horton, Edward Everett
     ()

   


(54) Submerged buoyant offshore drilling and production tower and apparatus and method for defining and installing same


(57) A submerged tubular tower (10) (see Fig. 1) is connected at its lower end (15) to an ocean floor (11) at a site where at least one subsea hydrocarbon well is to be drilled. A riser duct (22) (see Fig. 5) for each well to be drilled extends from an upwardly accessible connection point (20) at the upper end (14) of the tower to the lower end of the tower. The tower is positively buoyant to stand erect in an unguyed manner. The upper end (18) of the tower is located a substantial distance above the ocean floor at a depth sufficiently small to enable wells to be drilled through the riser ducts, through equipment (19) landed on the top of the tower, using floating drilling equipment (12) designed for use in substantially shallower water depths.







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