A method and apparatus for rapid loading stacks of items aboard vessels which can include rotating palletized items to depalletize the items, and then placing the items on a lifting robot, lifting the robot and items into the hold of a vessel, removing the items from the robot using a load push lift truck, and then using the load push lift truck to stow the items in a stowage location. The empty robot can be removed from the hold of the vessel and put in a position to receive a another depalletized stack of cartons. In one option the robot has a plurality of fork channels for receiving the blades of a load push lift truck along with receiving the blades or a rotating lift truck.

An offshore drilling vessel including a hull having a moonpool, a bow and a stern, an accommodation topside having crew quarters and a bridge, said accommodation topside being arranged on the hull at the bow, a main deck between the accommodation topside and the stern of the vessel, wherein a front main deck portion of the main deck extends forward of the moonpool and a rear main deck portion of the main deck extends rearward of the moonpool, a firing line hoist system mounted on the hull at said moonpool, including a drilling structure, a hoisting device supported by the drilling structure and having a load attachment device displaceable along a firing line, the hoisting device including one or more cables and one or more associated winches to manipulate the position of the load attachment device relative to the drilling structure, one or more pivotal burner booms, each burner boom having an inner portion pivotally mounted at a lateral side of the hull and an outer portion supporting a burner, the burner boom being pivotable between a storage position generally parallel to the side of the hull and an operative position wherein the boom is directed away from the hull, the burner boom in the storage position being lower than the level of the main deck.

An offshore drilling vessel including a hull having a moonpool, a bow and a stern, an accommodation topside having crew quarters and a bridge, said accommodation topside being arranged on the hull at the bow, a main deck between the accommodation topside and the stern of the vessel, wherein a front main deck portion of the main deck extends forward of the moonpool and a rear main deck portion of the main deck extends rearward of the moonpool, a firing line hoist system mounted on the hull at said moonpool, including a drilling structure, a hoisting device supported by the drilling structure and having a load attachment device displaceable along a firing line, the hoisting device including one or more cables and one or more associated winches to manipulate the position of the load attachment device relative to the drilling structure, one or more pivotal burner booms, each burner boom having an inner portion pivotally mounted at a lateral side of the hull and an outer portion supporting a burner, the burner boom being pivotable between a storage position generally parallel to the side of the hull and an operative position wherein the boom is directed away from the hull, the burner boom in the storage position being lower than the level of the main deck.

The present invention relates to a method for operating a drilling vessel adapted to run large diameters surface casing joints having a diameter of over 20 inch (51 cm) and a length of 30-50 feet (9-15 meters), and build a surface casing string. According to the invention three or more surface casing joints are interconnected into pre-assembled surface casing stands having a length of over 100 feet (30 meters). These surface casing stands are substantially horizontally stored and transferred by a casing stand handling system to a surface casing string handling capacity hoisting device, which subsequently lowers the surface casing string.

The present invention relates to a method for operating a drilling vessel adapted to run large diameters surface casing joints having a diameter of over 20 inch (51 cm) and a length of 30-50 feet (9-15 meters), and build a surface casing string. According to the invention three or more surface casing joints are interconnected into pre-assembled surface casing stands having a length of over 100 feet (30 meters). These surface casing stands are substantially horizontally stored and transferred by a casing stand handling system to a surface casing string handling capacity hoisting device, which subsequently lowers the surface casing string.

An offshore drilling vessel including a hull having a moonpool, a bow and a stern, an accommodation topside having crew quarters and a bridge, said accommodation topside being arranged on the hull at the bow, a main deck between the accommodation topside and the stern of the vessel, wherein a front main deck portion of the main deck extends forward of the moonpool and a rear main deck portion of the main deck extends rearward of the moonpool, a firing line hoist system mounted on the hull at said moonpool, including a drilling structure, a hoisting device supported by the drilling structure and having a load attachment device displaceable along a firing line, the hoisting device including one or more cables and one or more associated winches to manipulate the position of the load attachment device relative to the drilling structure, one or more pivotal burner booms, each burner boom having an inner portion pivotally mounted at a lateral side of the hull and an outer portion supporting a burner, the burner boom being pivotable between a storage position generally parallel to the side of the hull and an operative position wherein the boom is directed away from the hull, the burner boom in the storage position being lower than the level of the main deck.

The present invention relates to a method for riser string handling on an offshore drilling vessel (1), the offshore drilling vessel comprising a multiple firing line hoist system, a riser tensioner system (50) arranged in the second firing line, and a suspended riser transfer device (60). The method comprising the steps of lowering a riser string in the first firing line, and simultaneously assembling and preparing a riser tensioner system in the second firing line, wherein the riser hang-off assembly displaces the riser string, leaving the top end of the riser string exposed, from the first firing line to the second firing line to be connected to the riser tensioner system.

The present invention relates to a method for riser string handling on an offshore drilling vessel (1), the offshore drilling vessel comprising a multiple firing line hoist system, a riser tensioner system (50) arranged in the second firing line, and a suspended riser transfer device (60). The method comprising the steps of lowering a riser string in the first firing line, and simultaneously assembling and preparing a riser tensioner system in the second firing line, wherein the riser hang-off assembly displaces the riser string, leaving the top end of the riser string exposed, from the first firing line to the second firing line to be connected to the riser tensioner system.

A monohull offshore drilling vessel includes a hull having a moonpool; a multiple firing line hoist system mounted on the hull at the moonpool and including a mast having a top side and a base connected to the hull, wherein the mast has a hollow construction with a first side and an opposed second side; a first hoisting device having load attachment means displaceable along a first firing line extending on the outside of and adjacent to the first side of the mast; a second hoisting device having load attachment means displaceable along a second firing line, which on the outside of and adjacent to the second side of the mast; wherein the first and second hoisting devices each include cable(s) and associated winch(es), the winches disposed in the hollow construction of the mast, to manipulate the position of each of the load attachment devices relative to the mast.

A monohull offshore drilling vessel includes a hull having a moonpool; a multiple firing line hoist system mounted on the hull at the moonpool and including a mast having a top side and a base connected to the hull, wherein the mast has a hollow construction with a first side and an opposed second side; a first hoisting device having load attachment means displaceable along a first firing line extending on the outside of and adjacent to the first side of the mast; a second hoisting device having load attachment means displaceable along a second firing line, which on the outside of and adjacent to the second side of the mast; wherein the first and second hoisting devices each include cable(s) and associated winch(es), the winches disposed in the hollow construction of the mast, to manipulate the position of each of the load attachment devices relative to the mast.