Patent ID: 7191836

Claim:
An apparatus to communicate with a plurality of subsea wells located at a depth from the surface of a body of water, the apparatus comprising: a floating platform including a dry tree apparatus configured to communicate with and service the subsea wells; and a plurality of variable tension risers comprising a negatively buoyant region, a positively buoyant region, and a neutrally buoyant region between the negatively and positively buoyant regions, and configured to extend from the wells to the floating platform; and a spacer ring making a connection between the neutral buoyancy regions and the negatively buoyant regions of the variable tension risers to restrict relative lateral movement and allow axial movement of the variable tension risers; wherein the negatively buoyant region hangs below the floating platform and exhibits positive tension, the neutrally buoyant region is located between the negatively and positively buoyant regions and characterized by a curved geometry configured to traverse a lateral offset of at least 300 feet between the floating platform and the subsea well, and the positively buoyant region is positioned above the subsea well and exhibits positive tension.