Offshore vessel for production and storage of petroleum products

Abstract

The present invention relates to a longitudinal vessel for production and/or storage of hydrocarbons. The vessel comprises a hull which extends along a longitudinal axis between a bow and a stern of the vessel. The hull is provided with a longitudinal well for a multiple riser arrangement. The longitudinal well is located on or adjacent to a centerline along the longitudinal axis of the hull and extends vertically through the hull.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A longitudinal vessel for production and/or storing of hydrocarbons arranged to float in a body of water,
 the vessel comprising
 a hull extending between a bow and a stern along the longitudinal axis, 
 wherein the hull is provided with at least one longitudinal well for a multiple riser arrangement comprising an upper section and a lower section, the longitudinal well being located on or adjacent to a centerline along the longitudinal axis of the hull and extending vertically through the hull. 
   
     
     
         22 . The vessel according to  claim 21 , wherein the at least one longitudinal well extends over at least 20% of a length of the hull. 
     
     
         23 . The vessel according to any one of  claims 21 - 22 , wherein each of the at least one longitudinal well extends maximum 10% of a maximum width of the hull. 
     
     
         24 . The vessel according to  claim 21 , wherein the upper section comprises at least one winch, the at least one winch being movable along at least a part of a length of the longitudinal well through a first track arrangement. 
     
     
         25 . The vessel according to  claim 21 , wherein the upper section comprises at least one support structure for the connection of risers. 
     
     
         26 . The vessel according to  claim 21 , wherein the lower section comprises a plurality of guide-pipes, each guide-pipe being configured to guide a riser vertically through the well. 
     
     
         27 . The vessel according to  claim 21 , wherein the lower section comprises at least one support structure for the connection of risers. 
     
     
         28 . The vessel according to  claim 21 , wherein the lower section of the well further comprises at least one platform for handling risers situated above the at least one support structure, wherein the at least one platform is movable horizontally along at least a part of a length of the longitudinal well, through a second track arrangement. 
     
     
         29 . A spread moored vessel for production and/or storage of hydrocarbons, the vessel comprising
 a laterally extending main deck,   a mooring arrangement for mooring the vessel to a seabed when the vessel is floating in a body of water,   a longitudinal hull comprising
 a bow, 
 a midbody, 
 a stern and 
 a protrusion protruding out from the longitudinal hull, below the vessel's maximum draft, for reducing movement of the vessel due to waves, 
   wherein   the ratio between a maximum length and a maximum breadth of the longitudinal hull, at the vessel's maximum draft, is less than 2.   
     
     
         30 . The vessel according to  claim 29 , wherein the ratio between the maximum length and the maximum breadth of the longitudinal hull, at the vessel's maximum draft, is less than 1.5. 
     
     
         31 . The vessel according to  claim 29  or  30 , wherein the protrusion protrudes out from the bow, the midbody and the stern, below the vessel's maximum draft. 
     
     
         32 . The vessel according to  claim 29 , wherein the protrusion protrudes laterally from a lowermost part of the hull. 
     
     
         33 . The vessel according to  claim 29 , wherein the midbody comprises a port side portion and a starboard side portion, where the longitudinal length of the midbody are flat and oriented parallel to a center plane of the hull, the center plane being the plane intersecting the hull midway between the port and starboard side portions and aligned perpendicular to the laterally extending main deck. 
     
     
         34 . The vessel according to  claim 29 , wherein the lateral cross section of the midbody and the stern at the vessel's maximum draft has a rectangular shape. 
     
     
         35 . The vessel according to  claim 29 , wherein the transition region between the bow and the midbody forms abrupt change of angle at the vessel's maximum draft, relative to a center plane, the center plane being the plane intersecting the hull midway between the port and starboard side portions and aligned perpendicular to the laterally extending main deck. 
     
     
         36 . The vessel according to  claim 29 , wherein the mooring arrangement comprising a plurality of mooring lines, wherein
 at least one mooring line is moorable from a location at or near the center of the bow relative to the hull's breadth,   at least one mooring line is moorable from a location adjacent the stern at the port hull side and   at least one mooring line is moorable from a location adjacent the stern at the starboard hull side.   
     
     
         37 . The vessel according to  claim 36 , wherein the protrusion displays recesses at the lateral locations of the plurality of mooring lines when the vessel is moored to the seabed. 
     
     
         38 . The vessel according to  claim 29 , wherein
 the longitudinal length of the vessel is separated into storage tanks, ballast tanks and fuel tanks.   
     
     
         39 . The vessel according to  claim 38 , wherein the ballast tanks are situated adjacent to the storage tanks. 
     
     
         40 . The vessel according to  claim 37 , wherein the fuel tanks are located within the bow. 
     
     
         41 . The vessel according to  claim 29 , wherein the longitudinal hull comprises at least two walls having a space therebetween, into which at least one ballast tank is located. 
     
     
         42 . The vessel according to  claim 29 , wherein the projected lateral surface area of the hull at the vertical position of the main deck is larger than the projected lateral surface area of the hull at the vertical position of the vessel's maximum draft. 
     
     
         43 . The vessel according to  claim 41  or  42 , wherein the onset of increase of the projected lateral surface area of the hull from the vertical position of the vessel's maximum draft to the vertical position of the main deck commences at or above the vessel's maximum draft. 
     
     
         44 . The vessel according to  claim 42 , wherein the increase of the projected lateral surface area of the hull from the vertical position of the vessel's maximum draft to the vertical position of the main deck is constant.