Stephen William Balint
Engineering in Houston, TX

6309141, Oct 30, 2001

Dec 23, 1997

8/996774

Bobby Eugene Cox - New Orleans LA
Stephen W. Balint - Houston TX
Donald Wayne Allen - Katy TX
Dean Leroy Henning - Needville TX

Shell Oil Company - Houston TX

B63B 3544, E02B 1700

405224

A spar platform is disclosed having a deck supported by a buoyant tank assembly having a first buoyant section connected to the deck and defining a central moonpool and a second buoyant section disposed beneath and axially vertically aligned with the first buoyant section. A buoyant section spacing structure connects the first and second buoyant sections in a manner providing a horizontally extending vertical gap therebetween and a counterweight spacing structure connects the counterweight to the buoyant tank assembly. A flexjoint receptacle connected to the exterior base of the second buoyant section receives a receptacle connection on the exterior of the riser to support a catenary section of the riser between the receptacle connection and the seafloor. An exterior section of the riser mounts to the exterior of the second buoyant section and an ingress section passes through the horizontally extending vertical gap to the moonpool. An interior section of the riser then extends to the deck through the moonpool within the first buoyant section.

6227137, May 8, 2001

Dec 23, 1997

8/997630

Donald Wayne Allen - Katy TX
Dean Leroy Henning - Needville TX
Stephen W. Balint - Houston TX
David Wayne McMillan - Deer Park TX

Shell Oil Company - Houston TX

B63B 3544

114264

The present invention is a spar platform having a deck supported by a buoyant tank assembly having a first buoyant section connected to the deck, a second buoyant section disposed beneath the first buoyant section; and a buoyant section spacing structure connecting the first and second buoyant sections in manner providing a horizontally extending vertical gap therebetween. A counterweight is connected to the buoyant tank assembly through a counterweight spacing structure.

6161620, Dec 19, 2000

Dec 23, 1997

8/997631

Bobby Eugene Cox - Kenner LA
Stephen W. Balint - Houston TX
Anders G. C. Ekvall - Houston TX

Shell Oil Company - Houston TX

E21B 1701, E21B 712

166367

A deepwater riser assembly is disclosed for a riser connecting subsea equipment to a surface wellhead. A buoyancy can assembly provides an open ended buoyancy can tube which surrounds the upper end of the riser and an upper seal which effectively closes the annulus between the riser and the buoyancy can tube. A load transfer connection in the buoyancy can assembly then connects the riser to buoyancy can tube. A pressure charging system communicates with the annulus between the riser and the buoyancy can tube below the upper seal. Injecting gas into this annulus then provides support to the riser.

6092483, Jul 25, 2000

Dec 23, 1997

8/997417

Donald Wayne Allen - Katy TX
Dean Leroy Henning - Needville TX
Stephen W. Balint - Houston TX
David Wayne McMillan - Deer Park TX

Shell Oil Company - Houston TX

B63B 3544

114264

A method for reducing VIV is disclosed for a spar platform having a deck, a cylindrical hull having a buoyant tank assembly, a counterweight and an counterweight spacing structure. The overall aspect ratio of the hull is reduced by providing one or more abrupt changes in hull diameter below the waterline.

6263824, Jul 24, 2001

Dec 23, 1997

8/997418

Stephen W. Balint - Houston TX
Donald Wayne Allen - Katy TX
Dean Leroy Henning - Needville TX
Ferdinand Joseph Fischer - Houston TX
Bobby Eugene Cox - Kenner LA
David Wayne McMillan - Deer Park TX
Anders Gustaf Conny Ekvall - Houston TX

Shell Oil Company - Houston TX

B63B 3544

114264

A spar platform is disclosed having a deck, a buoyant tank assembly supporting the deck, and a counterweight. A counterweight spacing structure connects the counterweight to the buoyant tank assembly. The buoyant tank assembly has a first buoyant section connected to the deck and a second buoyant section disposed beneath and axially vertically aligned with the first buoyant section. The second buoyant section has a substatially larger diameter than the first buoyant section and a buoyant section spacing structure connects the first and second buoyant sections in a manner providing a horizontally extending vertical gap therebetween. Another aspect of the invention is a method for reducing VIV in spar platform by providing a substantially open horizontally extending vertical gap in the cylindrical buoyant tank assembly between a first buoyant section and a second buoyant section. The first and second buoyant sections are vertically aligned and are selected to combine first and second buoyant sections of substantially different diameters.