Patents by Inventor Gene D. Thompson

Gene D. Thompson has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Offshore structure in frigid environment
    Patent number: 4205928
    Abstract: An artificial ice structure for use as, for example, a base for oilfield operations or a road, is constructed in an offshore frigid environment where the water is covered by a sheet of floating ice. A berm or dike enclosing a predetermined area is built on the ice sheet to contain flood water and a trench is cut through the ice sheet around the perimeter of the dike to separate the predetermined area from the parent ice sheet and thereby form an island. The island of predetermined area is flooded with water and the water is allowed to freeze and weight the island down until essentially the entire ice mass of the island is resting on the ground underlying the body of water. After the structure is grounded, flooding with water is continued until the island has sufficient mass, in combination with other defensive measures, to resist the forces imposed by movement of the surrounding fast ice.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 1978
    Date of Patent: June 3, 1980
    Assignee: Exxon Production Research Company
    Inventors: Gene D. Thompson, Hans O. Jahns
  • Offshore structure in frigid environment
    Patent number: 4094149
    Abstract: An artificial ice structure for use as, for example, a base for oilfield operations or a road, is constructed in an offshore frigid environment where the water is covered by a sheet of floating ice. A berm or dike enclosing a predetermined area is built on the ice sheet to contain flood water and a trench is cut through the ice sheet around the perimeter of the dike to separate the predetermined area from the parent ice sheet and thereby form an island. The island of predetermined area is flooded with water and the water is allowed to freeze and weight the island down until essentially the entire ice mass of the island is resting on the ground underlying the body of water. After the structure is grounded, flooding with water is continued until the island has sufficient mass, in combination with other defensive measures, to resist the forces imposed by movement of the surrounding fast ice.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1976
    Date of Patent: June 13, 1978
    Assignee: Exxon Production Research Company
    Inventors: Gene D. Thompson, Hans O. Jahns
  • Artificial ice pad for operating in a frigid environment
    Patent number: 4080797
    Abstract: An artificial ice structure for use as a base for oilfield operations is constructed on land in a frigid environment. A containment wall encloses a predetermined area on the land to contain flood water which is allowed to freeze. The area is flooded with water until the ice structure is a desired size. A silo arrangement, which extends through the ice structure and into the underlying ground, is utilized to house well control equipment, the below ground part thereof being separable from the above ground part thereof. A core may be formed about the silo and other cores may be formed in other parts of the ice structure to provide foundations or supports for equipment installed on the ice structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1976
    Date of Patent: March 28, 1978
    Assignee: Exxon Production Research Company
    Inventor: Gene D. Thompson