An oil storage, loading and offloading system includes a submerged oil storage tank with multiple vertically placed flexible containers. The system directly connects to the topsides of an offshore oil production platform above water to assist oil loading and offloading operations. During loading, oil is pumped in and stored inside flexible containers, which are expanded to displace equivalent amount of water out of the oil storage tank; during offloading, oil is pumped out from flexible containers and the reduced volume of each contracted container is then filled in by the equivalent amount of water from the surroundings There is no physical contact between water and oil. The submerged tank on-bottom weight has a limited variation during the loading and offloading operations. This disclosed system can be utilized for fixed offshore platforms, especially for shallow water marginal field developments, and for deepwater floating platforms such as SPAR and semi-submersible (SEMI) structures.

An oil storage, loading and offloading system includes a submerged oil storage tank with multiple vertically placed flexible containers. The system directly connects to the topsides of an offshore oil production platform above water to assist oil loading and offloading operations. During loading, oil is pumped in and stored inside flexible containers, which are expanded to displace equivalent amount of water out of the oil storage tank; during offloading, oil is pumped out from flexible containers and the reduced volume of each contracted container is then filled in by the equivalent amount of water from the surroundings There is no physical contact between water and oil. The submerged tank on-bottom weight has a limited variation during the loading and offloading operations. This disclosed system can be utilized for fixed offshore platforms, especially for shallow water marginal field developments, and for deepwater floating platforms such as SPAR and semi-submersible (SEMI) structures.

An offshore support structure is provided, including at least one upper support structure section for supporting at least one functional device with a functional mass, at least one lower support structure section for founding the offshore support structure at a seabed of a sea and at least one transition support structure section which is arranged between the upper support structure section and the lower support structure section for physically connecting the upper support structures section and the lower support structure section. The lower support structure section forms a foundation of an offshore tower installation. With such an arrangement, it is possible that the transition support structure section is developed with a lower mass in comparison to an arrangement where the transition support structure section is in the water. The offshore tower installation is used for offshore wind power plants.

An underwater pile foundation comprises a pump in fluid communication with an internal chamber of the pile to pump water out of or into the chamber. This reduces or increases the pressure of water in the chamber relative to ambient pressure of water outside the chamber during installation or removal of the pile. While that pumping phase is ongoing, and potentially before or after that pumping phase, a pressure variator in fluid communication with the chamber imparts oscillations in the pressure of the water in the chamber. The resulting pressure waves in water within the chamber reduce resistance to movement of the pile relative to soil in which the pile is embedded.

The present disclosure generally relates to a system and method for installing a tubular element, such as a suction pile, in a bottom of a body of water. The system comprises a tubular element and a deintensifier in fluid communication with the tubular element. The deintensifier is configured to be exposed to an ambient pressure external to the tubular element and reduce pressure within the tubular element. The method comprises lowering the tubular element to the bottom of the body of water, filling the tubular element with water at ambient pressure, and exposing the water within the tubular element to a deintensified external ambient pressure so as to withdraw the water out of the tubular element.

A device for and methods of reducing sound vibrations in a liquid resulting from a sound source arranged below the liquid level of a body of water are disclosed. The device includes an elongate tube which can be arranged over the sound source, the tube comprising an outer wall and inner wall with an intermediate space between the inner and outer wall.

A offshore structure (10) comprising a tube (12) having a longitudinal axis (32) and comprising an open-ended lower end (22) whose peripheral edge (24) is adapted to cut into the sea bed (14) as the offshore structure (10) is driven into it, the offshore structure (10) comprising: a plurality of stabilisers (18) each comprising a main body portion forming a hollow interior volume (23) and having an open lower end (22) whose peripheral edge (24) is adapted, in use, to cut into the sea bed (14), whereby in use, a trapped volume of fluids is retained in the hollow interior volume between the main body portion and the sea bed (14), each stabiliser (18) further comprising an outlet (34) communicating with its respective hollow interior volume (23) and a control means (36) to control, in use, the egress of the trapped volume of fluids from the hollow interior volume (23) of each respective stabiliser (18), and wherein the geometric centres of the hollow interior volumes (23) of the stabilisers (18) are radially offset (44) from the longitudinal axis (32) of the offshore structure (10).

The present relates to a suction foundation in which is penetrated into the seabed by a vacuum pressure of a suction pump, thereby providing a desired foundation support force. The suction foundation includes a hollow caisson having an opening at a lower end thereof, where the suction pump is connected to the hollow caisson and the suction pump allows the hollow caisson to penetrate into the seabed while discharging a fluid in the hollow caisson to an outside thereof by using the vacuum pressure of the suction pump, a lower skirt provided along a circumference of the opening of the hollow caisson and formed into a wave shape having a series of teeth, and having wedge-shaped cross-sections, and a stiffener increasing rigidity of the lower skirt by increasing thickness of a predetermined portion of the lower skirt.

A foundation includes connection points. The connection points are configured to permit components to be connected to the foundation and permit loads to transfer from the components into the foundation. The foundation may be a suction anchor.

A marine foundation such as a jacket or a tripod foundation for a wind turbine comprises suction piles that are subjected, in service, to cyclical loading of compression phases and tension phases in alternation. Each pile has a one-way valve that opens and closes autonomously in response to pressure differentials between the internal chamber and the surrounding water. The valve opens during the compression phases to effect fluid communication between an internal chamber of the pile and surrounding water. Water is thereby ejected from within the chamber through the valve. Conversely, during the tension phases, the valve closes and water is admitted into the pile only through soil within a skirt of the pile. Thus, a unidirectional, generally upward flow of water is driven through the soil within the skirt during the compression and tension phases, maximising water flow friction and reducing the risk of liquefaction of the soil.