| 摘要 |
A semi-submersible, multicolumn, deep draft, floating offshore oil and gas drilling and production platform (16) comprises a floating hull having an adjustably buoyant base (18), a plurality of columns (20) vertically upstanding from the base (18), and an equipment deck (22) that is supported atop the columns (20) when the platform (16) is operationally deployed. Each of the columns (20) comprises a cellular structure that includes a plurality of elongated tubes (24) having a variety of cross-sectional shapes extending from the base to the top of the column. Each of the tubes (24) defines one or more closed compartments (26). At least one of the compartments (26) has a buoyancy that is fixed, and at least another one of the compartments (26) has a buoyancy that is adjustable. The buoyancy of the compartments (26) and the base (18) can be controllably adjusted with pressurized air to provide a safer and less costly method for deploying the platform (16) for offshore operations. |
