Abstract: Composite tank apparatus and methods of making and using same. An array of flat-sided co-dependent cells with relatively thin skins made of metallic or non-metallic materials. Each cell has at least two flat wall panel portions connected by radiused sections arranged such that all of the flat wall panel portions are either in flush contact with each other or in flush contact with flat supporting panels of an enclosing structure or thermal insulating material lining an interior thereof. The cells are sealed with each other around a perimeter of at least one pair of matching lightening through-wall holes provided in adjacent pairs of the wall panel portions of the cells to resist relative movement and prevent leakage of fluid therefrom. The composite tank apparatus may include an enclosing structure, and optionally, one or more layers of thermally insulating material lining the interior surface or the exterior surface of the enclosing structure.

Abstract: Composite tank apparatus and methods of making and using same. An array of flat-sided co-dependent cells with relatively thin skins made of metallic or non-metallic materials. Each cell has at least two flat wall panel portions connected by radiused sections arranged such that all of the flat wall panel portions are either in flush contact with each other or in flush contact with flat supporting panels of an enclosing structure or thermal insulating material lining an interior thereof. The cells are sealed with each other around a perimeter of at least one pair of matching lightening through-wall holes provided in adjacent pairs of the wall panel portions of the cells to resist relative movement and prevent leakage of fluid therefrom. The composite tank apparatus may include an enclosing structure, and optionally, one or more layers of thermally insulating material lining the interior surface or the exterior surface of the enclosing structure.

Abstract: A mobile offshore drilling unit is converted to provide drilling, completion and workover access to multiple dry tree wells from a drilling derrick to allow production and export of oil and gas from high pressure, high temperature reservoirs in deep offshore waters. Existing practice has been for the drilling derrick on a production platform supporting dry tree wells to be moved over a fixed well slot. The present invention provides a movable wellbay that supports multiple top-tensioned subsea well tieback risers, which may be positioned directly below the derrick's rotary table and/or beneath another operating device. The use of top-tensioned subsea well tieback risers supported by the movable wellbay allows the converted facility to drill, complete, maintain, improve and produce from subsea wells through dry trees.

Abstract: A mobile offshore drilling unit is converted to provide drilling, completion and workover access to multiple dry tree wells from a drilling derrick to allow production and export of oil and gas from high pressure, high temperature reservoirs in deep offshore waters. Existing practice has been for the drilling derrick on a production platform supporting dry tree wells to be moved over a fixed well slot. The present invention provides a movable wellbay that supports multiple top-tensioned subsea well tieback risers, which may be positioned directly below the derrick's rotary table and/or beneath another operating device. The use of top-tensioned subsea well tieback risers supported by the movable wellbay allows the converted facility to drill, complete, maintain, improve and produce from subsea wells through dry trees.

Abstract: A mobile offshore drilling unit is converted to provide drilling, completion and workover access to multiple dry tree wells from a drilling derrick to allow production and export of oil and gas from high pressure, high temperature reservoirs in deep offshore waters. Existing practice has been for the drilling derrick on a production platform supporting dry tree wells to be moved over a fixed well slot. The present invention provides a movable wellbay that supports multiple top-tensioned subsea well tieback risers, which may be positioned directly below the derrick's rotary table and/or beneath another operating device. The use of top-tensioned subsea well tieback risers supported by the movable wellbay allows the converted facility to drill, complete, maintain, improve and produce from subsea wells through dry trees.

Abstract: A mobile offshore drilling unit is converted to provide drilling, completion and workover access to multiple dry tree wells from a drilling derrick to allow production and export of oil and gas from high pressure, high temperature reservoirs in deep offshore waters. Existing practice has been for the drilling derrick on a production platform supporting dry tree wells to be moved over a fixed well slot. The present invention provides a movable wellbay that supports multiple top-tensioned subsea well tieback risers, which may be positioned directly below the derrick's rotary table and/or beneath another operating device. The use of top-tensioned subsea well tieback risers supported by the movable wellbay allows the converted facility to drill, complete, maintain, improve and produce from subsea wells through dry trees.

Abstract: A mobile offshore drilling unit is converted to provide drilling, completion and workover access to multiple dry tree wells from a drilling derrick to allow production and export of oil and gas from high pressure, high temperature reservoirs in deep offshore waters. Existing practice has been for the drilling derrick on a production platform supporting dry tree wells to be moved over a fixed well slot. The present invention provides a movable wellbay that supports multiple top-tensioned subsea well tieback risers, which may be positioned directly below the derrick's rotary table and/or beneath another operating device. The use of top-tensioned subsea well tieback risers supported by the movable wellbay allows the converted facility to drill, complete, maintain, improve and produce from subsea wells through dry trees.

Abstract: A mobile offshore drilling unit is converted to provide drilling, completion and workover access to multiple dry tree wells from a drilling derrick to allow production and export of oil and gas from high pressure, high temperature reservoirs in deep offshore waters. Existing practice has been for the drilling derrick on a production platform supporting dry tree wells to be moved over a fixed well slot. The present invention provides a movable wellbay that supports multiple top-tensioned subsea well tieback risers, which may be positioned directly below the derrick's rotary table and/or beneath another operating device. The use of top-tensioned subsea well tieback risers supported by the movable wellbay allows the converted facility to drill, complete, maintain, improve and produce from subsea wells through dry trees.

Abstract: A container has a pair of opposing heads, and a wall section between the heads has a square cross-section and planar side walls joined together by rounded corners. The side walls tend to deflect outwardly while under pressure, but are supported externally by a support system such as the walls of a cargo hold. Another container comprises an outside tank and a flexible membrane tank inside the outside tank, an annular space being defined in between, where a first fluid is charged into the membrane tank and a second fluid is charged into the annular space in order to discharge the first fluid. In another embodiment, a long tube having a square cross-section is coiled in a support structure and made gas-tight for holding a compressed fluid, and adjacent coils and the support structure limit expansion of the tube.

Abstract: Methods for loading a compressed fluid into and discharging the compressed fluid out of containment are provided. Compressed fluid is injected into a bottom portion of a container system for storage and/or transport until a target pressure is reached after which gas is withdrawn from an upper portion of the container system at a rate to maintain the target pressure while the compressed fluid is injected in the bottom portion. The compressed fluid is cooled through an expansion valve and by refrigerated chillers or by injecting a cold liquid of the same chemical composition as the compressed fluid into the compressed fluid prior to injection into the container system. Discharge from the container system to a receiving facility begins with blow down from the bottom portion of the container system without a displacement fluid and continues until pressure falls below an acceptable differential pressure.

Abstract: Methods for loading a compressed fluid into and discharging the compressed fluid out of containment are provided. Compressed fluid is injected into a bottom portion of a container system for storage and/or transport until a target pressure is reached after which gas is withdrawn from an upper portion of the container system at a rate to maintain the target pressure while the compressed fluid is injected in the bottom portion. The compressed fluid is cooled through an expansion valve and by refrigerated chillers or by injecting a cold liquid of the same chemical composition as the compressed fluid into the compressed fluid prior to injection into the container system. Discharge from the container system to a receiving facility begins with blow down from the bottom portion of the container system without a displacement fluid and continues until pressure falls below an acceptable differential pressure.

Abstract: Methods for loading a compressed fluid, such as natural gas, into and discharging the compressed fluid out of containment are provided. The compressed fluid is injected into a bottom portion of a container system for storage and/or transport until a target pressure is reached after which gas is withdrawn from an upper portion of the container system at a rate to maintain the target pressure while the compressed fluid is injected in the bottom portion. The compressed fluid is cooled through an expansion valve and by refrigerated chillers or by injecting a cold liquid of the same chemical composition as the compressed fluid, such as liquid natural gas, into the compressed fluid prior to injection into the container system. Withdrawal or discharge from the container system to a receiving facility begins with blow down from the bottom portion of the container system without a displacement fluid and continues until pressure falls below an acceptable differential pressure.

Abstract: A container and a method for storage and/or transport of a compressed fluid such as compressed natural gas are provided. The container has a pair of opposing heads and a wall section between the heads, the wall section defining a square cross-section comprising substantially planar sides joined together by rounded corners. The container is designed for the side walls to deflect outwardly while under pressure, but to be supported externally by a support system that restricts outward expansion of the side walls. The support system can be provided as the walls of a cargo hold in a marine or land transport vessel, an ISO shipping container or an underground shaft. Multiple containers can be located side by side in the external support system so that the sides of adjacent containers rest against each other for support while under pressure.

Abstract: Methods for loading a compressed fluid, such as natural gas, into and discharging the compressed fluid out of containment are provided. The compressed fluid is injected into a bottom portion of a container system for storage and/or transport until a target pressure is reached after which gas is withdrawn from an upper portion of the container system at a rate to maintain the target pressure while the compressed fluid is injected in the bottom portion. The compressed fluid is cooled through an expansion valve and by refrigerated chillers or by injecting a cold liquid of the same chemical composition as the compressed fluid, such as liquid natural gas, into the compressed fluid prior to injection into the container system. Withdrawal or discharge from the container system to a receiving facility begins with blow down from the bottom portion of the container system without a displacement fluid and continues until pressure falls below an acceptable differential pressure.

Abstract: The methods and apparatus for transporting compressed gas includes a gas storage system having a plurality of pipes connected by a manifold whereby the gas storage system is designed to operate in the range of the optimum compressibility factor for a given composition of gas. The pipe for the gas storage system is preferably large diameter pipe made of a high strength material whereby a low temperature is selected which can be withstood by the material of the pipe. Knowing the compressibility factor of the gas, the temperature, and the diameter of the pipe, the wall thickness of the pipe is calculated for the pressure range of the gas at the selected temperature. The gas storage system may either be modular or be part of the structure of a vehicle for transporting the gas. The gas storage system further includes enclosing the pipes in an enclosure having a nitrogen atmosphere. A displacement fluid may be used to offload the gas from the gas storage system.

Abstract: The methods and apparatus for transporting compressed gas includes a gas storage system having a plurality of pipes connected by a manifold whereby the gas storage system is designed to operate in the range of the optimum compressibility factor for a given composition of gas. The pipe for the gas storage system is preferably large diameter pipe made of a high strength material whereby a low temperature is selected which can be withstood by the material of the pipe. Knowing the compressibility factor of the gas, the temperature, and the diameter of the pipe, the wall thickness of the pipe is calculated for the pressure range of the gas at the selected temperature. The gas storage system may either be modular or be part of the structure of a vehicle for transporting the gas. The gas storage system further includes enclosing the pipes in an enclosure having a nitrogen atmosphere. A displacement fluid may be used to offload the gas from the gas storage system.

Abstract: The methods and apparatus for transporting compressed gas includes a gas storage system having a plurality of pipes connected by a manifold whereby the gas storage system is designed to operate in the range of the optimum compressibility factor for a given composition of gas. The pipe for the gas storage system is preferably large diameter pipe made of a high strength material whereby a low temperature is selected which can be withstood by the material of the pipe. Knowing the compressibility factor of the gas, the temperature, and the diameter of the pipe, the wall thickness of the pipe may be calculated for the pressure range of the gas at the selected temperature. The gas storage system may either be modular or be part of the structure of a vessel for transporting the gas to the storage system. Since the pipe provides a bulkhead around the gas, the gas storage system may be used in a single hull vessel. The gas storage system further includes enclosing the pipes in a nitrogen atmosphere.

Abstract: A system for transporting a payload in a marine environment that utilizes a converted vessel having at least one internal space, at least one interface system securingly attached to said vessel to support in a seaworthy fashion a payload above and/or at the vessel's deck.

Abstract: The methods and apparatus for transporting compressed gas includes a gas storage system having a plurality of pipes connected by a manifold whereby the gas storage system is designed to operate in the range of the optimum compressibility factor for a given composition of gas. The pipe for the gas storage system is preferably large diameter pipe made of a high strength material whereby a low temperature is selected which can be withstood by the material of the pipe. Knowing the compressibility factor of the gas, the temperature, and the diameter of the pipe, the wall thickness of the pipe may be calculated for the pressure range of the gas at the selected temperature. The gas storage system may either be modular or be part of the structure of a vessel for transporting the gas to the storage system. Since the pipe provides a bulkhead around the gas, the gas storage system may be used in a single hull vessel. The gas storage system further includes enclosing the pipes in a nitrogen atmosphere.

Abstract: The methods and apparatus for transporting compressed gas includes a gas storage system having a plurality of pipes connected by a manifold whereby the gas storage system is designed to operate in the range of the optimum compressibility factor for a given composition of gas. The pipe for the gas storage system is preferably large diameter pipe made of a high strength material whereby a low temperature is selected which can be withstood by the material of the pipe. Knowing the compressibility factor of the gas, the temperature, and the diameter of the pipe, the wall thickness of the pipe is calculated for the pressure range of the gas at the selected temperature. The gas storage system may either be modular or be part of the structure of a vehicle for transporting the gas. The gas storage system further includes enclosing the pipes in an enclosure having a nitrogen atmosphere. A displacement fluid may be used to offload the gas from the gas storage system.