DR. ANDREW STEPHEN HUNTER, PHARM.D.
Pharmacy at Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX

4669916, Jun 2, 1987

Mar 17, 1986

6/840235

Charles N. White - Houston TX
Andrew F. Hunter - Houston TX

Conoco Inc. - Ponca City OK

E02B 1700

405224

In a Tension Leg Platform, the common practice is to locate the well and anchor templates on the sea floor. This practice results in unequal lengths for the mooring elements which extend to the base of the floating structure and the well risers which extend to a well deck level which is elevated above the base of the floating structure. As a consequence, complicated tensioning systems having an extremely long stroke may be required for the well risers. The present invention provides for a well template which is elevated above the anchor templates at a level which equalizes the lengths of the mooring elements and the well risers. The well and anchor templates are constructed in a unitary structure to facilitate installation and assure proper spacing of the templates with respect to each other. In preferred embodiments of the invention, subsea storage is provided as well as curved conductors which facilitate angular deviation of the wellbores away from the template and J-tubes for the pull-in of subsea flowlines.

6378451, Apr 30, 2002

Dec 21, 2000

09/746353

Stephen B. Wetch - Sugar Land TX
Andrew Hunter - Houston TX

Union Oil Company California - El Segundo CA

B63B 3544

114265, 114125

A simplified ballast system designed for a tension leg platform from which drilling and/or production activities are to be performed in a body of water provides for rapid deballasting via large capacity dump valve(s) and for ballasting for trim operations by use of an eductor at the bottom of a drain well fluidly connected by drain lines to ballast compartments.

4784529, Nov 15, 1988

Oct 6, 1987

7/105941

Andrew F. Hunter - Houston TX

Conoco Inc. - Ponca City OK

B63B 3544, E02D 554

405227

A method for securely mooring a floating tension leg platform to an anchoring base template. The method involves swinging an end of a neutrally bouyant, one piece tendon which has an enlarged connector downwardly into position adjacent an anchoring receptacle, pulling the enlarged connector through a side-entry opening in the receptacle, lifting the tendon to seat the enlarged connector in a load ring of the receptacle, adjusting the effective length of the tendon to place it in tension and repeating these steps for each of the mooring tendons.

4425056, Jan 10, 1984

Aug 17, 1981

6/293734

Andrew F. Hunter - Houston TX

Conoco Inc. - Ponca City OK

E02D 574

405224

The present invention provides methods and apparatus for tension compensation in the tension legs used to moor a floating platform to the sea floor. The apparatus includes one or more hydraulic jacks, each having a cylinder coupled through a load block to a tension leg, and having a piston cooperating with a load block plug coupled to the floating platform. An accumulator supplies hydraulic fluid to the jacks to compensatingly adjust the relative position of the piston and cylinder to selectively maintain the tension loading of the tension leg.

4320993, Mar 23, 1982

Jul 28, 1980

6/172628

Andrew F. Hunter - Houston TX

Conoco Inc. - Ponca City OK

B63B 2150

405224

A connector apparatus for connecting a tension leg platform mooring tether to a subsea foundation, the apparatus comprising: a plug positioned on the lower end of the mooring tether for mating union with a receptacle positioned in the foundation so that the plug is readily positioned in the receptacle to maintain the mooring tether in connection with the foundation with the plug being readily removable from the receptacle when desired.

5439321, Aug 8, 1995

Mar 11, 1993

8/029743

Andrew F. Hunter - Houston TX

Conoco Inc. - Ponca City OK

E02B 1700

4051951

The interruptive mobile production (IMP) system comprises a floating semisubmersible structure with equipment and facilities for hydrocarbon production in association with a small tension leg wellhead platform (TLWP) having direct vertical access. The small TLWP has an upper deck positioned above the surface of the water with wellhead equipment thereon and has risers generally vertically connecting subsea wells to the upper deck. Lateral bending restraints of the risers and tendons are preferably located at about the same horizontal level as the lower pontoon section. The semisubmersible structure can be conveniently disconnected from its moorings and from the wellhead platform for demobilizing to another location while the TLWP remains tethered in place.

5147149, Sep 15, 1992

May 16, 1991

7/701498

Steven M. Craig - Terryville CT
Douglas H. Warren - West Springfield MA
Lee M. Sandora - East Granby CT
Robert R. Masecar - Meriden CT
Norman W. Hein - Katy TX
Andrew F. Hunter - Houston TX

Conoco Inc. - Ponca City OK

E02B 1702

4052231

An apparatus and method are provided for dewatering an interior of a hollow tension leg connecting a tension leg platform to a floor of a body of water. The apparatus includes a pump having a suction inlet defined on its lower end and a discharge outlet on its upper end. An elongated storage tank is attached to the upper end of the pump above the pump and has a tank interior communicated with the discharge outlet. The assembly is lowered on an electric wireline through which power is conducted to the pump. The pump fills the tank and then the assembly is withdrawn from the tension leg and the water is drained therefrom. The assembly can be repeatedly lowered into the tension leg and withdrawn therefrom until the tension leg is substantially completely dewatered. Solid debris can be removed from the tension leg prior to dewatering.

4848970, Jul 18, 1989

Aug 11, 1988

7/232396

Andrew F. Hunter - Houston TX
James D. Bozeman - Houston TX

Conoco Inc. - Ponca City OK

E02D 574

405224

A method for securely mooring a floating tension leg platform and an anchoring base template. The method involves swinging an end of a neutrally buoyant, one piece tendon which has an enlarged connector downwardly into position adjacent an anchoring receptacle, pulling the enlarged connector through a side-entry opening in the receptacle, lifting the tendon to seat the enlarged connector in a load ring of the receptacle, adjusting the effective length of the tendon to place it in tension and repeating these steps for each of the mooring tendons. A one-piece, thin-walled, neutrally buoyant tendon is also disclosed.

4797035, Jan 10, 1989

Jun 5, 1987

7/058488

Andrew F. Hunter - Houston TX

Conoco Inc. - Ponca City OK

E02B 1702

405205

A method of placing a template on the seafloor beneath a floating vessel. The method comprises suspending the template beneath at least one sling-mounted pendant buoy and using a tow cable and restraint cable to position the template in a position generally centered beneath the vessel. An extendable support, such as a drill string, may be connected to a previously attached descent sling, control lines and buoy slings detached, additional ballast added as needed, and the template lowered to the seafloor.