Abstract: A method are disclosed for establishing hydrocarbon production for offshore reservoirs in which a compliant platform is installed at a selected site, an offshore drilling vessel is docked to the compliant platform and the vessel is positioned over a selected well site for conducting drilling operations, and the production riser is transferred from the vessel to the compliant platform and secured there. Communication between a surface tree installed on the production riser and facilities supported by the compliant platform is established and these steps are repeated for each selected well site served by the compliant platform.

Abstract: A trench shoring apparatus braces the substantially vertical walls of an earthen excavation. Telescoping wall support legs permit the apparatus to be easily adjusted for use in trenches of various depths. Horizontal wall support arms joined to the wall support legs retain and stabilize trench wall soils and provide a mechanism for mounting additional soil retaining components. Flexible anchor support arms transfer the load produced by the shifting trench walls to a location remote from the trench. The trench shoring apparatus, additionally, may be partially folded and disassembled for ease in transportation and storage.

Abstract: A cylindrical ceramic foam body that can be the sole buoyant member of an oil-containment boom is produced by firing a mixture of fine particles of ceramic precursor, a source of carbon such as silicon carbide, and a metallic oxide. In the boom, a stack of the ceramic foam bodies, each of which is a cylinder, can be held together by wire mesh to provide a buoyant log. A plurality of the buoyant logs can be inserted end-to-end into a 3-layer loop, viz., an inner layer of a ceramic textile fabric, a middle layer of knitted wire mesh, and an outer layer of polymer-coated fabric.

Abstract: For the purpose of providing a more economical alternative to conventional control gates for the quasi-permanent closure of all or part of the length of the overflow spillway of a dam except when discharging extraordinary floods, the invention consists of installing on the sill of the spillway a water level raising means comprising at least one heavy element, held by gravity on the sill, the water level raising means or its element being designed to overturn at a predetermined head corresponding to a headwater level not higher than the predetermined maximum water level in order to discharge extraordinary floods, smaller floods being discharged by a separate flood discharge structure.

Abstract: An apparatus for containing and cleaning up an oil spill at an offshore oil platform in a body of water includes a hollow circular ring surrounding the oil rig and supporting a depending frustoconical skirt wall anchored to the ground by biasing springs which permits the vertical movement of the ring and skirt wall with variations in the water level. A second hollow ring is connected to the first ring by a peripheral skirt wall which confines oil floating on the water surface. A tanker along the side of the rings sucks up the ring-confined oil by suction pumps and stores and removes the oil. In an alternative form, the first skirt wall is formed of an elastomeric web and stays extending obliquely along the wall face between ground and the first ring biases the wall and ring downwardly.

Abstract: An in-situ thermal desorption system utilizes perforated or slotted pipe buried in the soil below the depth of contamination in the soil. The surface of the soil is covered with a layer of permeable insulation (to conserve heat and to provide a gas migration path on top of the soil) and a layer of impermeable material above the insulation. A vapor recovery/treatment system consists of a method of inducing a vacuum between the impermeable layer and the soil surface (e.g., a vacuum pump or an induced draft fan) and a treatment system for the contaminated vapor (e.g., a cold trap, carbon adsorption, or incineration). Fuel and compressed air are fed to a pressurized combustion chamber and combusted, the combustion products flow into the buried pipe and are distributed through the contaminated soil. Heat from the pressurized combustion products causes the organic contaminants within the soil to vaporize, pyrolyze, decompose, or react with oxygen.

Abstract: A concrete or the like mattress for laying over a pipeline on the seabed comprises an elongate recess or tunnel (5) having an insulating material (6) located therein. The mattress is laid over a subsea pipeline so that the pipeline is received within the insulant-containing tunnel. The pipeline is thus physically protected and thermally insulated. The mattress can comprise a plurality of concrete or like members (1,2,2',3,3') articulated together.

Abstract: A soil decontamination apparatus is based on a heating operation performed on soil to be contaminated to vaporize and burn off hydrocarbons. The soil is fed into a drum drier at a constant rate which is related to the moisture contents in the soil and the energy available from the burner of the drum drier. Soil particles in the form of dust which become entrained in the hot gases which are used in the decontamination process are removed from the gas stream and are recombined with the base material of the soil in a region of the drum drier which is substantially devoid of gas flow. The substantially calm atmosphere in the region of the drum drier in which the recombination takes place permits the fines to be mixed with the base material without the fines again being carried off by gaseous movement. A soil reconditioning is provided for in an isolated third zone of the drum drier.

Abstract: A two-step treatment process is disclosed for application of lead-toxic wastes to fixate and stabilize leachable lead contained therein. The process employs the use of a sulfate compound, such as gypsum, in a first step; and a phosphate reagent, such as phosphoric acid, in a second step. After thorough mixing and curing, a substantially solid end product is formed in which the lead is chemically fixed and remains in stabilized form for indefinite geologic periods. The process reduces Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure lead levels below the regulatory threshold of 5 mg/l as required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The waste also beneficially undergoes volume reduction in a short curing time, and is applicable in a variety of situations.

Abstract: Process for disposal of insoluble tailings that remain when solubilizing uncalcined or calcined trona in the process of producing soda ash, in which tailings are slurried with a saturated or substantially saturated solution of sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate and mixtures thereof, pumping said slurry into a well connected to an underground mined-out cavity with sufficient pressure to prevent the build-up of tailings from plugging the bottom of the well opening, dispersing and settling said tailings and a retained portion of the solution in the cavity, removing solution from said cavity and conveying it to the surface, recovering the removed solution for recycle and slurrying of additional tailings, and adding as make-up liquor to replace the solution retained in the cavity, a saturated or substantially saturated solution of sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate and mixtures thereof. The preferred solution employed in this process is purge solution which is discarded from a crystallizer circuit.

Abstract: A friction rock stabilizer includes a center spine, a plurality of arms extending radially outwardly therefrom, for urging a plurality of friction surfaces into resilient contact with a borehole wall. The friction surfaces are positioned on an arc of a circle measured around the center axis of the borehole, which arc spans a center angle of at least 180 degrees.

Abstract: A method is described for controlled bending of a pipeline during the laying thereof in the sea, utilizing bend controlling/stopping means which are mounted on the pipeline as a sleeve and interact with the pipeline. To achieve cold bending under controlled conditions, the pipeline is weight loaded internally at the selected bending zone. The weight loading may be achieved by means of a flexible string of weight elements and/or by introducing into the pipe a suitable heavy, readily flowable weight mass, for example, drilling fluid.

Abstract: Soil nails are entrained into the ground by vibration of a beam or compacn probe into the ground and remain behind when the beam is removed to transfix a friction soil layer and anchor it to the cohesion soil layer.

Abstract: An open seam friction rock stabilizer having a compressible body with portions alternately in contact with and not in contact with borehole wall, the contacting portions being separated by an angle between 70 degrees and 150 degrees.

Abstract: A framing module for quickly assembling frames of rectangular towers suitable for supporting protective shields within excavations comprises a horizontal wale connected by hinge to a vertical leg and a locking brace to hold the hinged members in the right angle position. The wale has a tenon and set-back at each end. The hinged end of the leg is adjacent a set-back in the wale and that set-back becomes a mortise when the leg is set at right angle to the wale. The tenon of one module is inserted in the mortise of another module to interlock the modules. A rectangular frame is easily formed with at least four interlocked modules, and duplicate frames can be stacked to reach a desired tower height.

Abstract: A walking mining prop has a skid-lifting assembly in the region of the ram which braces the roof cap with respect to the skid formed by a bridge from which lifting cylinders are articulated and suspended. The pistons of these lifting cylinders are articulated to a pressure plate which at least partly surrounds the guide rods of a guide-rod assembly on which the skid is guided, a mechanism being provided to advance the skid relative to the guide-rod assembly.

Abstract: A tension leg well jacket ("TLWJ") is disclosed which is configured to receive well operations support from an offshore drilling vessel docked thereto and to receive the production riser in transfer operations from the vessel to the TLWJ. This permits a minimal platform suitable for supporting production risers which is particularly useful in deep water applications.

Abstract: Waves are generated on the surface of a body of water, at regular intervals, by a wave generator in which water is periodically lifted and allowed to fall in a water-lift chamber. Water enters and leaves the lift chamber through an underwater opening at its bottom. It is lifted by drawing a vacuum in the top of the lift chamber and dropped by releasing that vacuum. Air is periodically exhausted from the lift chamber to create a vacuum therein by an air blower through an air buffer having a series of interconnected air chambers, to minimize air-pressure fluctuations at the air blower intake. Vacuum in the lift chamber is periodically released by opening it to the atmosphere.

Abstract: A method of forming a pile comprises driving a pile forming member (12, 40, 140) into the ground to a predetermined depth to form a passage of non-circular cross-section, preferably a circular cross-section (42) with fins (56) radiating therefrom, and while withdrawing the member (12, 40, 140) from the passage filling the passage with cementitious material so that then this material sets a pile if formed in the passage.

Abstract: The invention provides secondary contaiment for liquid carrying equipment which is in a confined area. The invention is especially well suited for retrofitting manholes containing pumps for underground gasoline distribution systems. The pumps or other equipment are removed to expose pipes or wires entering the manhole. Then, plates are bolted around the pipes or wires to engage and support a bag made of a material which resists the attack of the liquid. Holes are cut in the bag to pass the pipes or wires. The bag is placed in the hole, expanded to approximately fill hole, to rest on the plates, and is sealed to the plates, pipes, or wires. The top of the bag is gathered and closed to resist entry of ground water.