Patent ID: 6968795

Claim:
A method for at least constructing a very large hydrocarbon production vessel of at least 40,000 tons of steel weight which has a hull and equipment on the hull, the hull having a plurality of hull sections including bow and stern end sections and having a midship section for lying between the bow and stern sections, wherein one of the sections includes a riser coupling for connecting to a riser extending to a seafloor reservoir, and wherein said hull sections are each constructed by fastening together large steel plate sections, comprising: constructing said midship hull section in a first fabrication yard, and constructing said bow and stern end sections in a least a second fabrication yard; floating and moving along a body of water, at least one of said hull sections to a single assembly dry dock and fastening said plurality of hull sections together in tandem in said assembly dry dock; said step of constructing including fastening plates across a first end of at least one of said hull sections that is floated and moved along a body of water to said assembly dry dock to keep out water, while establishing a second end of said one of said hull sections so it is water tight.