System and procedure to transfer a load from a cargo barge to a substructure

Abstract: System to transfer, at sea, a load on the fixed legs (3) emerging from water of a substructure, said load (2) specially fabricated in the construction yard and transported to said substructure by means of a suitable cargo barge (1), said load (2) and substructure (3) having a corresponding number of legs, said system comprising: (a) a prelaid mooring system in front of the substructure emerging from water comprising: (a') an horizontal sheave that can be opened useful to shift the mooring wire from a position to another; (b) a system to mate said load to the substructure comprising: (b') a main transfer system or extension system, called ALS (21), installed on the load legs (3); (b") a secondary transfer system or cargo barge release system, called BRS, installed on the cargo barge; (c) a system (26-29) to protect the barge sides and the substructure legs; (d) a cargo barge arrest system.

Description: The present invention relates to a system and procedure to transfer a load from a cargo barge to a substructure. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system and procedure to transfer, at sea, a load on the fixed legs emerging from water of a substructure, said load specially fabricated in the construction yard and transported to said substructure by means of a suitable cargo barge. In the state of the art other systems are already known to transfer at sea loads from cargo barges to the platforms substructure. Said transfer has been performed, until now, by lifting the load to be transferred by means of middle/big pontoons or crane vessels, subdividing said loads in multiple modules depending on the weight of the load to be lifted. This well known method, has however always obliged to maintain the loads to be transferred within preestablished limits due to many problems among which, first of all, the availability of middle/big pontoons or crane vessels associated with their cost indeed very expensive. The document from White et al. "Offshore Installation of an Integrated Deck onto a Preinstalled Jacket" from the Offshore Technology Conference, Houston, 1986, vol.8, pages 321-330, constitutes the most pertinent prior art reference and discloses a technique of assembling a deck in an offshore platform. Such technique provides to join the deck legs and the jacket legs by stab pins lowered by hydraulic cylinders standing in the inner part of deck legs. Said stab pins are received and centred by catching cones of the jacket legs, so obtaining a resilient coupling the deck legs and jacket legs. During its assembling with the. jacket, the deck is supported by the servicing barge through a drop block assembly, an instantaneous collapsible support, that allows a fast disengagement of the barge. Many other methods have been known in the art. One of the most recent, is that one reported, for example, by W.D. Martell and S.M. Beattie of Enercon Eng. Inc. on: "Integrated float-over deck design considerations", work presented at the Offshore Technology Conference, O.T.C. 8119, held in Houston, Texas, from 6 to 9 May 1996, where the authors have detailed the installation of two large modules by means of the transfer from a cargo barge to a substructure in South China sea (M-Field) for Shell Sarawak. This installation has requested the mooring of a suitable cargo barge, suitably prepared with an integrated module therein charged, inside the opening of a substructure fixed to the bottom sea, which emerged from the sea level with two towers having four legs each; the subsequent lowering of the cargo barge is made by ballast pumped inside the transport vessel, in order to transfer gradually the weight of the load from the cargo barge to the substructure. This experience has shown, even to the participants to the installation, the real possibility to transfer big loads at sea world wide, assuming that the significant wave height and the relevant impact value between cargo barge side and substructure legs, remain within preestablished and acceptable values. The Applicant has now found a simple system and method, fast and safe, which give the opportunity to transfer, at sea, a load from a cargo barge to a substructure which, unlike the aforementioned system, combine the active and passive action of the components of the present invention accelerating, in this way, the transferring time. The present invention therefore provides an apparatus as defined in claim 1. In the present invention is called load any kind of structure, integrated module or deck, suitably built in a construction yard, meanwhile is called substructure any kind of structure, fixed or anchored to the sea bottom. In the present invention with the word cargo barge is indicated any kind of floatable means properly prepared to transport said load. Said cargo barge is equipped with an adequate ballasting system well known to those skilled in the art. The system (c) to protect, locally or totally, the cargo barge sides and the substructure legs, to damp the impact caused by the wave between the cargo barge and the substructure legs, is constituted by hard timber or any other material suitable to absorb any impact loads. The cargo barge arrest system (d) is composed by hard timber or any other material suitable to absorb any impact loads. The systems (c) and (d) permit, jointly, the automatic alignment of the load legs on the cargo barge with the substructure legs (mooring mating of the cargo barge). Falls within the aim of the present invention a method based on the afore mentioned apparatus to transfer, at sea, a load on the fixed legs emerging from water of a substructure, said load specially fabricated in the construction yard and transported to said substructure by means of a suitable cargo barge, as defined in claim 5. At the end of the step B4 of the procedure disclosed above, once that the cargo barge is out of substructure slot, said cargo barge is unmoored and returned to the shore-yard meanwhile the mooring system is recovered. Through the step B1, the hydraulic jacks (b' 3 ) stroke will be as much as to assure the partially transfer of the load to the substructure. The advantages of the present invention will be better understood by referring to the following detailed description of the attached drawings in which the Figures from 1 to 12 represent: Figure 1 : is the cargo barge mooring waiting configuration; Figure 2: is the cargo barge mooring mating configuration; Figure 3: is the horizontal sheave that can be opened; Figure 3/a: is a side elevation view of the horizontal sheave that can be opened; Figure 3/b: is a left side elevation view of the horizontal sheave that can be opened; Figure 3/c: is a right side elevation view of the horizontal sheave that can be opened; Figure 3/d: is a top plan view of the horizontal sheave that can be opened; Figure 4: is the elevation view, Solution A, showing the substructure/load in the mating configuration; Figure 4/a: is the elevation view, Solution B, showing the substructure/load in the mating configuration; Figure 5: is the activated leg in the 4000 tons typical retracted configuration (ALS); Figure 5/a: is the activated leg in the 4000 tons typical extended configuration (ALS); Figure 5/b: is the activated leg in the 2000 tons typical extended configuration (ALS); Figure 5/c: is the activated leg, solution A (ALS); Figure 5/d: is the activated leg, solution B (ALS); Figure 5/e: is the activated leg, solution C (ALS); Figure 6: is the activated leg detailed (ALS); Figures 7/b, 7/c, 7/d, 7/e: show a step by step cargo barge release system (BRS); Figure 7/a: is the detailed cargo barge release system (BRS) ; Figure 8: is the assembly of the cargo barge release system (BRS); Figure 8/a: is the detailed cargo barge release system (BRS); Figure 9: is the cargo barge release system (BRS) in the closed transport position; Figure 10: is the cargo barge release system (BRS) in the open mating position; Figure 11/a: is a general view of the mating alignment side fender; Figures 11/b, 11/c: are enlarged views of the details of the mating alignment side fender; Figure 12/a: is a general view of the mating alignment fender and stopper; Figures 12/b, 12/c: are enlarged views of the details of the mating alignment fender and stopper. The Figures 1-12 are referred to a preferred embodiment of the present invention: therefore it has to be intended that the invention is not limited by said Figures 1-12. Referring now to the drawings exhaustively, Figure 1 shows a mooring waiting configuration of a cargo barge 1 with a load 2 set on the longitudinal axis of the cargo barge, moored in front of a substructure 3. The substructure 3 comprises a number of legs 3A to 3D. The mooring of the cargo barge 1 to the substructure 3 is carried out by a serial of mooring wires 8 and anchors 9, some nylon wires 8a connected to the substructure outer legs 3/A and two steel wires (with nylon stretcher) 8b connected to the substructure inner legs 3/D. The mooring steel wires 8 with their respective anchors 9, have been prepared in advance by the common offshore art and then connected to the mooring steel wires coming from the cargo barge. Items 4 and 6 are the leading tugs, which are employed during the whole operation and which are considered as backup to the mooring system. Items 5 and 7 are the steering tugs, which are used both as mooring wires 8 and anchor 9 handling and as backup to the mooring system. Item 10 is an hinged horizontal sheave that can be opened which will be analysed, in detail, later. Those skilled in the art will recognise that the cargo barge 1 may be any floatable means and the load 2 may be set on the transversal axis, meanwhile the mooring system represented by the items 8, 8a, 8b and 9, and the distance of the cargo barge 1 from the substructure 3, may vary depending from the environmental conditions of the installation site. Analysing now Figure 2, where the mooring mating configuration is illustrated, the cargo barge 1 has been manoeuvred inside the slot of the substructure 3, in order to have automatically the alignment between the legs of the load 2 and substructure 3. Said automatic alignment will be analysed, in detail, later. The mooring wire 8, which before was passing through the hinged horizontal sheave that can be opened 10, is now passing through a normal horizontal sheave, which is well known to those skilled in the art. Figures 3/a, 3/b, 3/c and 3/d illustrate the hinged horizontal sheave that can be opened in which its hinged part 10 is supported by the fixed part 13. Said hinged sheave allows the mooring wire 8 to be shifted instantly from the middle-fore sides of the barge 1 to the middle-aft sides. It will be apparent, to those skilled in the art, that the position of the hinged horizontal sheave that can be opened 10, may vary according to the necessity of the case. By way of common offshore art, the mooring wire 8 is passed through the sheave 15 of the hinged part 10. All the assembly is welded out on a suitable grillage 16 fixed on the barge deck 1. Two lifting pins 18 are used to position the assembly. The hinged part 10 is fixed to the permanent part 13 by means of a removable pin 11 and two fixed pins 12. The removable pin 11 has a padeye 17 where a pulling steel wire, coming from a winch or a chain block or a tirfor or any other pulling means known to those skilled in the art, is connected. When the mooring wire 8 is close to the inner substructure legs, the pulling wire is actioned in order to disengage the removable pin 11. The hinged part 10 will raise automatically in order to make the mooring wire 8 passing to position 10/a (see Figure 2) through a conventional horizontal sheave. Item 14 is an impact absorber covered with hard timber, fixed on the cargo barge deck 1, in order to safeguard the integrity of the cargo barge deck 1 and of the hinged part 10. Referring now to Figure 4, it illustrates a load 2 on a cargo barge 1 inside a slot of a substructure 3 fixed or anchored to the sea bottom, in which it are underlined the main components of the present invention: item 21 is the main transfer system (ALS) fixed amidst of the cellar deck main frame 2a (solution A); item 22 is the secondary transfer system; item 23 is the grillage for the seafastening on the cargo barge 1; item 24 is the support plate inside the substructure legs 3 fixed at a predermined height; item 25 is the hydraulic power pack for the ALS jacks, as item 25a is the hydraulic power pack for the BRS jack; item 25b is the accumulator for the ALS; items 26 and 27 are the local fendering system on the cargo barge sides meanwhile, items 28 and 29, are the fendering system on inner and outer substructure legs. Figure 4/a illustrates the structural solution of the ALS 21 fixed underneath the cellar deck main frame 2a (solution B). Figure 5 depicts the typical retracted 4000 tons configuration of the ALS 21, where 2 and 3 are, respectively, the load and substructure legs, 30 is the actuated leg slided inside the load leg, 31 is the special joint which is part of the load leg 2, where the upper part 33 of the hydraulic jack 21a is connected to the padear 37 by means of the pin 34. Item 32 is the second special joint which is integral part of the actuated leg 30, where the inner part 42 of the hydraulic jack 21b (see Figure 5a) is connected to the padear 43 by means of the pin 40. Figures 5/a and 5/b depict the typical extended 4000 and 2000 tons configuration, respectively, of the ALS 21 in which the maximum stroke is indicated by the detail 21b. Item 24 is the support plate fixed inside the substructure leg 3 at a predetermined height which receives, partially, the weight transferred by the actuated leg 30. Figures 5/c, 5/d and 5/e, illustrate the various arrangement of the ALS 21 which can be fixed, respectively, amidst, underneath and on cellar deck main frame 2a. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that, as depicted in Figures 5/a and 5/b for purposes of illustration but not by way of limitation, the number of hydraulic jacks 21a and the shape of the special joints 31 and 32 may vary case by case meanwhile, Figures 5/c, 5/d and 5/e, are arrangements intended to cover all alternatives and modifications to the system but not limited to. Turning now to Figure 6, which is referred to ALS 21 illustrated in detail, item 2 is the load leg with a special joint 31, shaped with a serial of padear 37 into which is fixed the attachment part 33, with pin 34 and washer 35 of the upper part of the hydraulic jack 21/a. Item 30 is the actuated leg which slides inside the load leg 2 with a second special joint 32, shaped with a serial of padear 43 into which is fixed the attachment part 42, with pin 40 and washer 41 of the inner part of the hydraulic jack 21/b. Item 3 is the substructure leg. No mention is made to the ALS jacks power pack 25 (see Figures 4 and 4/a) and to the BRS jacks power pack 25/a (see Figures 4 and 4/a), as well as to the hydraulic jacks 25/b accelerator (see Figures 4 and 4/a), because it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that power packs and accelerators are components well known in the art. Turning now to Figures 7/b, 7/c, 7/d, 7/e, 7/a, 8, 8/a, 9 and 10, where the release system BRS 22 is illustrated, item 1 is the cargo barge with its standard skid way on top of which is incorporated the release system BRS 22, item 2 is the load with its underneath support 2b, item 44 is an hydraulic jack placed on top of a support plate 45. The assembly, hydraulic jack 44 and support plate 45, is placed on top of an adequate sand hopper 46 which ends with a reduced pipe 47 and an opening with valve 48, known to those skilled in the art, for the rapid over flow of the sand. During the transport, the hydraulic jack is in the retracted position, and the load 2, with its underneath support 2b sits on the support plate 53. When the cargo barge is in the mating configuration (see Figure 4), after that the ALS 21 has been activated transferring, jointly with the barge ballasting, the majority of the weight of the load 2 on the substructure legs 3, the hydraulic jack 44 is activated to be extended for a minimum stroke in order to release the support plates 53, which will rotate on the hinged pins 52 and when the bumper parts 50 will impact the hard timber absorber 49, the release system BRS is ready in the mating configuration. Item 51 is a rubber, or any other resilient material known to those skilled in the art, impact absorber. Referring now to Figures 11/a, 11/b, 11/c and 12/a, 12/b, 12/c, where are depicted the alignment side fenders and stoppers, the cargo barge 1 has been docked automatically inside the slot of an eight legs substructure 3, with the load legs 2 corresponding with the substructure legs 3/A, 3/B, 3/C, 3/D. On the cargo barge the fenders assembly 54 and 58 are on two different elevations to optimise the tendering system, which with their hard timber 55 and 59 will absorb any impact between cargo barge sides and substructure legs 3/A and 3/D in the mating configuration, reducing and/or eliminating any side motion, in combination with the substructure legs assembly 56 and 60 with their hard timber protection 57 and 61. While manoeuvring inside the slot of the substructure 3 by means of the mooring system 8, 8/a and 8/b (see Figure 1) with the assistance of the leading tugs 4 and 6 (see Figure 1), the cargo barge will conclude the manoeuvre automatically when the hard timber protection 62 will bumper against the hard timber protection 63 of the substructure legs 3/D reducing and/or eliminating any longitudinal motion. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that, as depicted in Figures 11/a, 11/b, 11/c and 12/a, 12/b, 12/c for purpose of illustration but not by way of limitation, the fender protections 54, 58, 56 and 60, may vary according to the necessity of the case and the shape of the stoppers 62 and 63 may vary on other suitable arrangements providing the automatic mating configuration meanwhile, the hard timber protections 55, 57, 59, 61, 62 and 63, may be composed by other reliable materials well known to the skilled in the art.

Claims: Apparatus to transfer, at sea, a load (2) on the fixed legs emerging from water of a substructure (3), said load specially fabricated in the construction yard and transported to said substructure (3) by a cargo barge (1), equipped with a ballasting system, said load (2) and substructure (3) having corresponding number of legs, said apparatus comprising: (a) a prelaid mooring system in front of the substructure emerging from water comprising an horizontal sheave (15) that can be opened useful to shift the mooring wire (8) from a position to another, (b) a system to mate said load (2) to the substructure (3) comprising (b') a main transfer system or extension system, called ALS, installable on the load legs and (b") a secondary transfer system or cargo barge release system, called BRS, installable on cargo barge (1), (c) a system (26,27,28,29) to protect the barge sides and the substructure legs, (d) a cargo barge (1) arrest system, characterised in that the ALS system comprises (b' 1 ) a first special joint (31) on the load legs (2); (b' 2 ) an actuated leg (30) slidable inside the load leg (2) with a second special joint (32) at the lower extremity for the mating with the substructure leg (3); (b' 3 ) a plurality of hydraulic jacks (21), said hydraulic jacks being removable, installable externally to the load leg (2), present in proportional number with respect to the weight of said load (2), equipped with an hydraulic circuit and connected by their upper and inner parts respectively to the first (31) and second (32) special joints; and in that the BRS system comprises (b" 1 ) two vertically positionable support plates (53) on which when in a vertical position, sits the load (2) for the transport, said support plates being hinged in the border part for the automatic release so that they rotate after the load (2) is released; (b" 2 ) a damping rubber or resilient material (51) on the internal part of said support plates (53); (b" 3 ) an hydraulic jack (44) placed on a support plate (45) for lifting the load (2) with respect to the vertically positionable support plates (53); (b" 4 ) a sand hopper (46), ending with an opening valve (48) for the rapid flow-out of the sand on top of which are placed said hydraulic jack (44) and support plate (45). Apparatus according to claim 1, in which the system (c) to protect, locally or totally, the cargo barge (1) sides and the substructures legs (3) is constituted by hard timber or any other material suitable to absorb any impact loads. Apparatus according to anyone of the previous claims, in which the cargo barge (1) arrest system (d) is composed by hard timber or any other material suitable to absorb any impact loads. Apparatus according to anyone of the previous claims, in which the system to protect the barge sides and substructure legs and the cargo barge arrest system permit, jointly, the automatic alignment of the load legs (2) on the cargo barge (1) with the substructure legs (3). Method, based on the apparatus according to claims from 1 to 4, to transfer, at sea, a load (2) on the fixed legs emerging from water of a substructure (3), said load specially fabricated in the construction yard and transported to said substructure (3) by a cargo barge (1), equipped with a ballasting system, said load (2) and substructure (3) having corresponding number of legs, said method comprising: A) to manoeuvre the cargo barge (1) on which, in the construction yard, the load (2) has been properly transferred and sea-fastened in the final transportation configuration, on the preinstalled grillage, inside the slot of a substructure (3), in such a way that the alignment of the load legs and the substructure legs is automatic, by using (a) a pre-laid mooring system in front of the substructure emerging from water comprising an horizontal sheave (15) that can be opened useful to shift the mooring wire (8) from a position to another, (c) a system (26,27,28,29) to protect the barge sides and the substructure legs, and (d) a cargo barge (1) arrest system, B) mating said load (2) to the substructure (3) by a system (b) comprising (b') a main transfer system or extension system, called ALS, installed on the load legs and (b") a secondary transfer system or cargo barge release system, called BRS, installed on cargo barge (1), characterised in that the mating procedure comprises the steps of: B1) to activate the hydraulic jacks (21) of ALS system in such a way that, the activated leg (30) mate the substructure legs (2);by closing the hydraulic circuit, the load (2) weight is so partially transferred to the substructure (3); B2) to activate the ballasting system of the cargo barge (1) in such a way of lowering the barge, meanwhile the hydraulic jack (44) on the support plate (45) is raised jointly to hydraulic jacks (21) in such a way to release the support plates (53), on which sits the load (2), entering in the non-return point of the whole operation; B3) to open the opening with the valve (48) for the flow out of the sand of the sand hopper (46), jointly with the raising of the hydraulic jacks (21), in such a way to transfer all the weight of the load (2) on the substructure legs (3), taking care of keeping the ballast system of the cargo barge (1) always running in such a way of further lowering the cargo barge (1) in order to have a safe exit from the substructure (3) of the platform; B4) to lower totally, once the cargo barge (1) is out of the substructure (3), the hydraulic jacks (21) on the substructure legs (3); B5) to remove the hydraulic jacks (21) jointly with the hydraulic circuit and weld the bevels of the platform legs (3). Methool according to claim 5, in which at the end of the step (5), once that the cargo barge (1) is out of substructure slot (3), said cargo barge (1) is unmoored and returned tp the shore-yard meanwhile the mooring system is recovered. Method according to claim 5, in which during the step (2), the hydraulic jacks (b' 3 ) stroke is such to assure the partially transfer of the load to the substructure (3).

Inventors: FALDINI ROBERTO, FALDINI, ROBERTO
Applicants: SAIPEM SPA, SAIPEM S.P.A.
Application year: 1997
Main classification: E02B17
IPC codes: E02B17, B63B21, E02B3