Elevating support vessel and methods thereof

Abstract

A vessel is provided that is an improvement over previously disclosed jack-up rigs and lift boats. The vessel has at least three thrusters and is self-propelled. The vessel additionally has a raised and hollow crane support on which a crane may be mounted. The crane support is preferably affixed to tracks, which permit the crane to slide along the deck of the vessel. The raised and hollowed feature of the crane support permits the storage of equipment and things beneath the crane support without hindering the movement of the crane along the tracks. Optionally, the vessel further has an extension assembly atop which may be deployed a workover rig assembly. The crane may be used to assemble the extension assembly and thus aid in the construction, remediation, and demolition of offshore oil and gas platforms and wells.

1 ) An Elevating Support Vessel comprising:
 a. a hull having a hull periphery, wherein the hull periphery has a bow, a center section, a transom, a bow sloped section between the bow and the center section, and a transom sloped section between the transom and the center section, and the transom is wider, along the vertical axis, than the bow, and the bow and transom are at least half as deep as the center section;   b. at least two rear jack-up legs movably attached to the hull;   c. at least one front jack-up leg movably attached to the hull;   d. a powered jacking mechanism connected to each of the jack-up legs for elevating and lowering each jack up leg relative to the hull between elevated and lowered positions;   e. at least two rear azimuthing thrusters affixed to a lower side of the transom; and   f. at least one front azimuthing thruster affixed to a lower side of the bow.   
   
   
       2 ) The Elevating Support Vessel of  claim 1 , wherein the rear azimuthing thrusters are affixed to a flat portion of the lower side of the transom. 
   
   
       3 ) The Elevating Support Vessel of  claim 1 , wherein the front azimuthing thruster is affixed to a flat portion of the lower side of the bow. 
   
   
       4 ) The Elevating Support Vessel of  claim 1 , wherein the slope of the bow sloped section is between about 15 and 30 degrees and slope of the transom sloped section is between about 15 and 30 degrees. 
   
   
       5 ) The Elevating Support Vessel of  claim 1 , wherein the slope of the bow sloped section is about 21 degrees and slope of the transom sloped section is about 21 degrees. 
   
   
       6 ) The Elevating Support Vessel of  claim 1 , wherein the hull comprises 355 MPa steel. 
   
   
       7 ) The Elevating Support Vessel of  claim 1 , wherein the hull is from about 5 meters to about 15 meters deep. 
   
   
       8 ) The Elevating Support Vessel of  claim 1 , wherein the air gap is between about 11 meters and about 16 meters. 
   
   
       9 ) The Elevating Support Vessel of  claim 1 , wherein the at least two rear azimuthing thrusters are affixed at a location along the transom between a distal point along the horizontal axis of the Elevating Support Vessel and the rear jack-up legs, and between a distal point along the vertical axis of the Elevating Support Vessel and the rear jack-up legs. 
   
   
       10 ) The Elevating Support Vessel of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one front azimuthing thruster is affixed in front of the front jack-up leg. 
   
   
       11 ) The Elevating Support Vessel of  claim 1 , wherein each of the azimuthing thrusters have ducted propellers and produce at least 500 kilo-watts of power. 
   
   
       12 ) The Elevating Support Vessel of  claim 11 , wherein each of the azimuthing thrusters produce at least 2,500 kilo-watts of power. 
   
   
       13 ) The Elevating Support Vessel of  claim 1 , wherein the at least two jack-up legs and the at least one jack-up leg comprise a lattice configuration. 
   
   
       14 ) The Elevating Support Vessel of  claim 13 , wherein the at least two jack-up legs and the at least one jack-up leg have an overall length of about 130 meters. 
   
   
       15 ) The Elevating Support Vessel of  claim 1 , wherein the Elevating Support Vessel weighs from about 4,500 metric tons to about 11,000 metric tons at light ship. 
   
   
       16 ) The Elevating Support Vessel of  claim 15 , wherein the Elevating Support Vessel weighs about 6,800 metric tons at light ship. 
   
   
       17 ) The Elevating Support Vessel of  claim 1 , wherein the Elevating Support Vessel weighs from about 6,800 metric tons to about 15,500 metric tons at full displacement. 
   
   
       18 ) The Elevating Support Vessel of  claim 17 , wherein the Elevating Support Vessel weighs about from about 9,000 metric tons to about 13,500 metric tons at full displacement. 
   
   
       19 ) The Elevating Support Vessel of  claim 1 , wherein a minimum of about 345 kilopascals per leg is exerted on the sea floor. 
   
   
       20 ) An Elevating Support Vessel comprising:
 a. a hull having a hull periphery, wherein the hull periphery has a bow, a center section, a transom, a bow sloped section between the bow and the center section, and a transom sloped section between the transom and the center section, and the transom is wider, along the vertical axis, than the bow, and the bow and transom are at least half as deep as the center section;   b. at least two rear jack-up legs movably attached to the hull;   c. at least one front jack-up leg movably attached to the hull;   d. a powered jacking mechanism connected to each of the jack-up legs for elevating and lowering each jack up leg relative to the hull between elevated and lowered positions;   e. at least two rear azimuthing thrusters affixed to a lower side of the transom; and   f. at least one front azimuthing thruster affixed to a lower side of the bow;   g. a crane support further comprising,
 i. at least two vertical members with each vertical member having a first and second end, the first end of the first vertical member is affixed to a first track, the first end of the second vertical member is affixed to a second track, the first and second tracks are affixed to a deck of an Elevating Support Vessel, the second end of the first vertical member is affixed to a first side of a platform, the second end of the second vertical member is affixed to a second side of the platform; and 
 ii. a column having a proximate and distal end, the proximate end is affixed to the platform, and a crane is rotatably affixed to the distal end of the column, the platform has a lower side disposed at least about 2 meters above the deck, the crane support apparatus is movable along the track; 
   h. a first extension beam removeablely affixed to the deck of the Elevating Support Vessel, along a first direction with respect to the Elevating Support Vessel;   i. a second extension beam removeablely affixed to the deck of the Elevating Support Vessel, along a substantially parallel direction with respect to the first extension beam, and spaced a first distance from the first extension beam, wherein the first and second extension beams are affixed to the deck of the Elevating Support Vessel independent of each other, and at least a portion the first and second extension beams extend beyond the transom of the Elevating Support Vessel; and   j. a modular traverse beam removeablely affixed to the first and second extension beams along a substantially perpendicular direction with respect to the first direction, wherein the modular traverse beam is adapted to receive a work-over rig.