Pulling Structures into Water

Abstract

A structure such as a pipeline bundle is pulled into or through shallow water, for example when launching the structure, by applying a tensile pulling force to the structure through rigging that extends to the structure from a winch of a first vessel. The pulling force is at least partially reacted through a pennant line that extends from the first vessel to a second vessel and that hangs between the first and second vessels to engage the seabed soil frictionally. The vessels may also self-propel to contribute their thrust to the pulling force. The pennant line includes a clump weight such as a bundle of chains that can be repositioned easily for additional pulls by being lifted between the vessels before being lowered to the seabed at a new location.

Claims

1. A method of pulling a structure into or through water, the method comprising: applying a tensile pulling force to the structure through rigging that extends to the structure from a first vessel; and reacting the pulling force through a pennant line that extends from the first vessel to a second vessel and that frictionally engages seabed soil between the first and second vessels.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising frictionally engaging the seabed soil with at least one clump weight of the pennant line.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the or each clump weight comprises two or more chains attached to, or in series with, the pennant line.

4. The method of any preceding claim, comprising also reacting the pulling force by propelling the first and/or second vessels away from the structure.

5. The method of claim 4, comprising imparting tension in the pennant line by propelling the second vessel away from the structure.

6. The method of claim 5, comprising resisting movement of the pennant line toward the structure by propelling the second vessel away from the structure.

7. The method of claim 6, comprising moving the pennant line away from the structure by propelling the second vessel away from the structure.

8. The method of any preceding claim, comprising resisting movement of the pennant line toward the structure by engaging the seabed with an anchor of the pennant line.

9. The method of any preceding claim, comprising operating a winch aboard the first vessel to apply the pulling force to the structure.

10. The method of any preceding claim, further comprising: relaxing the pulling force applied to the structure through the rigging; lifting the pennant line to reduce or to interrupt frictional engagement with the seabed soil; moving the first and second vessels and the pennant line away from the structure; lowering the pennant line to increase or to resume frictional engagement with the seabed soil; and reapplying the pulling force to the structure through the rigging.

11. The method of claim 10, comprising lifting substantially all of the pennant line clear of the seabed soil.

12. The method of claim 10 or claim 11, comprising lifting at least a portion of the pennant line onto the second vessel.

13. The method of claim 12, comprising moving the second vessel toward the first vessel for lifting the pennant line.

14. The method of any of claims 10 to 13, comprising keeping the pennant line coupled to the first and second vessels while lifting, moving and lowering the pennant line.

15. The method of any of claims 10 to 14, comprising paying out the rigging from the first vessel while moving the first vessel away from the structure.

16. The method of any of claims 10 to 15, comprising keeping the rigging coupled to the structure and the first vessel while moving the first vessel away from the structure.

17. The method of any preceding claim, comprising floating the rigging on water between the first vessel and the structure.

18. The method of any preceding claim, comprising suspending respective ends of the pennant line from the vessels in a catenary configuration.

19. The method of any preceding claim, wherein the first vessel is located in shallower water than the second vessel.

20. The method of any preceding claim, employed when pulling the structure across a shore and into water, wherein the first vessel is a near-shore tug and the second vessel is a far-shore tug.

21. A pulling arrangement for pulling a structure into or through water, the arrangement comprising: first and second towing vessels disposed in series with each other and with the structure; rigging that extends to the structure from the first vessel; and a pennant line that extends from the first vessel to the second vessel and that frictionally engages seabed soil between the first and second vessels.

22. The arrangement of claim 21, wherein the rigging extends to the structure from a winch of the first vessel.

23. The arrangement of claim 20 or claim 21, wherein the pennant line comprises at least one clump weight.

24. The arrangement of claim 23, wherein the or each clump weight comprises two or more chains attached to, or in series with, the pennant line.

25. The arrangement of any of claims 21 to 24, wherein the pennant line comprises at least one contingency anchor that is arranged to bury itself into the seabed soil in the event of longitudinal movement of the pennant line toward the structure.

26. The arrangement of claim 25, wherein the or each contingency anchor is arranged to disengage from the seabed soil in the event of longitudinal movement of the pennant line away from the structure.

27. The arrangement of any of claims 21 to 26, wherein the pennant line is coupled to a winch of the second vessel.

28. The arrangement of any of claims 21 to 27, wherein the rigging is positively buoyant.

29. The arrangement of any of claims 21 to 28, wherein the first vessel is located in shallower water than the second vessel.

30. The arrangement of any of claims 21 to 29, wherein the structure is at a shore location, the first vessel is a near-shore tug and the second vessel is a far-shore tug.

Description

[0038] In order that the invention may be more readily understood, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0039] FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a pulling arrangement of the invention, comprising near-shore and far-shore tugs stationed in shallow water close to the shore and connected in series by an inter-ship pennant laid partially on the seabed;

[0040] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view corresponding to Detail II of FIG. 1;

[0041] FIG. 3 is a further enlarged view of the tugs and the inter-ship pennant shown in FIG. 2;

[0042] FIG. 4 is a plan view of a portion of the inter-ship pennant shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, including a chain clump weight and an optional contingency anchor; and

[0043] FIGS. 5a to 5f are a sequence of schematic side views that show a pulling arrangement of the invention during a launch operation when pulling a structure from land across the shore and into the sea.

[0044] Referring firstly to FIGS. 1 to 3 of the drawings, a pulling arrangement 10 of the invention comprises a near-shore tug 12 and a far-shore tug 14. The tugs 12, 14 float on the surface 16 of the sea in shallow water above a gently-shelving seabed 18. The tugs 12, 14 are in mutual alignment along a common heading that is substantially perpendicular to the shore 20.

[0045] The near-shore tug 12 is as close to the shore 20 as the shallowness of the water may safely allow. The tugs 12, 14 are spaced apart by several hundred metres, for example, 700 m apart. Thus, by virtue of the downward slope of the seabed 18 away from the shore 20, the far-shore tug 14 is in slightly deeper water than the near-shore tug 12. Consequently, the propellers of the near-shore tug 12 may apply somewhat less thrust than those of the far-shore-tug 14 during a launch operation.

[0046] As best seen in FIG. 3, rigging 22 extends toward the shore 20 from an aft winch of the near-shore tug 12. The rigging 22 is coupled to a structure or product such as a pipeline bundle, not shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, that is to be pulled across the shore 20 and into the sea. Preferably, as shown, the rigging 22 is positively buoyant to float clear of the seabed 18, hence reducing friction along most of its considerable length.

[0047] The tugs 12, 14 are connected in series by an inter-ship pennant 24 that extends from the bow of the near-shore tug 12 to the stern of the far-shore tug 14. Here, the pennant 24 is a cable and/or chain that extends between and hangs from the near-shore tug 12 and the far-shore tug 14. In accordance with the invention, the negatively-buoyant pennant 24 is laid partially on the seabed 18. In this example, a substantial central portion 24A of the pennant 24 lies on the seabed 18, representing approximately half of the overall length of the pennant 24. End portions 24B, 24C of the pennant 24 hang as catenaries between the respective tugs 12, 14 and the central portion 24A on the seabed 18.

[0048] A near-shore end portion 24B of the pennant 24 coupled to the near-shore tug 12 is shown here under greater tension, and hence shallower inclination, than the far-shore end portion 24C of the pennant 24 coupled to the far-shore tug 14. The increased tension in the near-shore end portion 24B of the pennant 24 is in reaction to pulling force exerted on the rigging 22 by the winch of the near-shore tug 12.

[0049] It will be apparent that applying this tension in the near-shore end portion 24B requires resistance to longitudinal movement of the central portion 24A of the pennant 24 relative to the seabed 18. For this purpose, the central portion 24A comprises an elongate clump weight 26 that engages the seabed 18 by virtue of its mass and friction. The clump weight 26 is in series with, or incorporated into, the pennant 24. Most or all of the remainder of the pennant 24 is also negatively buoyant and so contributes additional mass and friction when in contact with the seabed 18.

[0050] FIG. 4 shows the central portion 24A of the pennant 24 comprising an example of the clump weight 26. In this example, the clump weight 26 comprises six 35 m lengths of six-inch (152.4 mm) chain bundled together in parallel, together weighing approximately one hundred tonnes.

[0051] The remainder of the pennant 24, or at least the remainder of the central portion 24A, comprises a single six-inch (152.4 mm) chain 28. For example, one 150 m length of six-inch (152.4 mm) chain 28, weighing approximately seventy tonnes, leads to an aft winch/chain locker of the far-shore tug 14.

[0052] A delta flipper anchor 30, weighing approximately five tonnes, is added to the pennant 24 as a contingency against sliding across the seabed 18. The anchor 30 is incorporated into the pennant 24 at an end of the clump weight 26. The anchor 30 is oriented to have directional effect, in particular to engage with and bury itself into the seabed 18 if pulled toward the near-shore tug 12, that is, to the left as shown in FIG. 4.

[0053] FIGS. 5a to 5f show, schematically, how the pulling arrangement 10 of the invention may be used during a launch operation when pulling a structure 32 from land across the shore 20 and into the sea.

[0054] In FIG. 5a, the near-shore tug 12 is positioned as close as possible to the shore 20 in readiness for the launch operation to begin. For this purpose, rigging 22 extends between an aft winch of the near-shore tug 12 and the structure 32. In accordance with the invention, the tugs 12, 14 are connected in series by the inter-ship pennant 24 comprising the clump weight 26, which is laid on the seabed 18. The pennant 24 extends from the bow of the near-shore tug 12 to an aft winch of the far-shore tug 14 and hangs as a catenary between the tugs 12, 14 and the seabed 18.

[0055] FIG. 5b shows the start of the launch operation. Reacting against frictional engagement with the seabed 18 of the pennant 24 including the clump weight 26, the winch of the near-shore tug 12 applies tension to the rigging 22 to pull the structure 32 across the shore 20 toward the sea.

[0056] The near-shore tug 12 may also apply thrust through its propellers to propel itself away from the shore 20 in reaction to the pulling force that its winch exerts on the rigging 22. Whilst the contribution of this thrust is limited by the shallowness of the water under the near-shore tug 12, the supplemental reaction force conferred by tension in the pennant 24 between the near-shore tug 12 and the clump weight 26 allows the winch of the near-shore tug 12 to apply additional tension to the rigging 22.

[0057] Thus, the tension in the rigging 22 that applies pulling force to the structure 22 is determined by the aggregate of tension in the pennant 24 and self-propulsion of the near-shore tug 12. Consequently, the supplemental reaction force attributed to tension in the pennant 24 reduces the thrust required from the propellers of the near-shore tug 12 to apply a given pulling force to the structure 32 via the rigging 22.

[0058] The frictional resistance to movement of the pennant 24 relative to the seabed 18, due largely to the mass of the pennant 24 including the clump weight 26, may be supplemented by engagement of the anchor 30 shown in FIG. 4 with the seabed 18. Specifically, if the pennant 24 starts to slip across the seabed 18 toward the shore 20, the anchor 30 will tend to bury itself in the seabed 18 to arrest that slippage. This resists movement of the pennant 24, and hence of the near-shore tug 12, relative to the seabed 18 in consequence of tension applied to the rigging 22.

[0059] The far-shore tug 14 may also apply thrust through its propellers to propel itself away from the shore 20, hence to apply tension to the pennant 24 in a direction away from the shore 20. That tension may further resist slippage of the pennant 24, and hence of the near-shore tug 12, relative to the seabed 18 toward the shore 20 in response to tension applied to the rigging 22.

[0060] Tension applied to the pennant 24 by any such thrust of the far-shore tug 14 need only be sufficient for the pennant 24 including the clump weight 26 to hold station, that is, to remain substantially stationary relative to the seabed 18 despite tension applied to the rigging 22 by the winch of the near-shore tug 12.

[0061] In this example, when the structure 32 has begun to enter the sea as shown in FIG. 5b, the winch of the near-shore tug 12 has pulled in the rigging 22 to the extent that the tugs 12, 14 must be repositioned to respective stations further from the shore 20 for a second pull to continue or to complete the launching operation. FIG. 5c shows that the launching operation is paused for this purpose while the clump weight 26 is lifted temporarily from the seabed 18 by the winch of the far-shore tug 14.

[0062] It will be apparent that, by virtue of its directional operation and orientation, the anchor 30 will not resist the clump weight 26 and the rest of the pennant 24 being lifted from the seabed 18 by the winch of the far-shore tug 14. To the contrary, if engaged with the seabed 18, the anchor 30 will be disengaged from the seabed 18 as the winch of the far-shore tug 14 pulls on the pennant 24.

[0063] When being lifted and moved, the clump weight 26 may be suspended as part of the pennant 24 held in tension between the tugs 12, 14, as shown, or may be pulled on board the far-shore tug 14 before being deployed back to the seabed 18. Constructing the clump weight 26 from one or more chains makes the clump weight 26 easy to lift in shallow water and for the far-shore tug 14 to handle. Further to ease lifting of the clump weight 26, the far-shore tug 14 may temporarily advance toward the shore 20 to close the distance to the near-shore tug 12 as shown in FIG. 5c.

[0064] FIG. 5d shows the near-shore tug 12 repositioned further from the shore 20 and the structure 32 after paying out the rigging 22 to accommodate the increasing distance between itself and the structure 32. Advantageously, the positively-buoyant rigging 22 floats on the surface 16 as shown to avoid frictional resistance from the seabed 18.

[0065] The clump weight 26 is then lowered back to the seabed 18 further from the shore 20 as shown in FIG. 5e. Resistance to movement of the clump weight 26 relative to the seabed 18 is then available to react against tension in the rigging 22 during a second pull as shown in FIG. 5f. Again, either or both of the tugs 12, 14 may apply self-propulsive force by directing their propellers toward the shore 20 during the second pull.

[0066] In this example, the structure 32 is fully in the water at the end of the second pull as shown in FIG. 5f. The structure 32 is then held clear of the seabed 18 by its buoyancy and so is relatively easy to move away from the shore 20 without further recourse to the invention, potentially using only one of the tugs 12, 14. However, the pulling arrangement 10 of the invention could continue to be used to pull the structure 32 further from the shore 20 if desired.

[0067] Many other variations are possible within the inventive concept. For example, the far-shore tug 14 could, in principle, apply sufficient thrust to drag the pennant 24 including the clump weight 26 across the seabed 18 away from the shore 20 while the winch of the near-shore tug 12 continues to apply tension to the rigging 22. In this way, the thrust of the far-shore tug 14 could contribute to the aggregate reaction force opposed to tension in the rigging 22, thus allowing a further increase in the pulling force that can be applied to the structure 32 by the winch of the near-shore tug 12.

[0068] Consequently, the launching operation does not necessarily have to be paused to allow the tugs 12, 14 to be repositioned before an additional pull. It would instead be possible for the tugs 12, 14 to move continuously away from the shore 20 in unison to continue pulling the structure 32 into the water. When doing so, the tugs 12, 14 will balance tension in the rigging 22 against their aggregate thrust, reacting against resistance to movement of the pennant 24 including the clump weight 26.

[0069] Even if the launching operation is paused to allow the positions of the tugs 12, 14 to be reset, the clump weight 26 need not be lifted completely clear of the seabed 18. The clump weight 26 need only be lifted to the extent that the far-shore tug 14 can overcome resistance of the clump weight 26 to being dragged across the seabed 18 away from the shore 20.

[0070] In a broad sense, the invention could be used not only to pull a load from land into water but also across a body of water. Thus, the invention could involve at least one first tug and at least one second tug in series with the first tug, the or each first tug being disposed between the load and the or each second tug.

[0071] There could be at least one additional tug in series with the first and second tugs, with an additional pennant line lying on the seabed between the additional tug and the second tug.