Importance

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Abstract

A mini-jacket is installed using a caisson. The caisson is a tubular pipe that is either pre-existing in the field or specifically installed before hand, such that the bottom end of the caisson is driven into the ocean floor and its top end extends above the water surface. The mini-jacket is a structural frame with pile sleeves at the comers and a caisson sleeve located within the perimeter of the frame. The mini-jacket is configured and installed such that in its installed position its top surface is above water surface while its lower end remains above the ocean floor. During installation, the mini-jacket is lifted and lowered so that its caisson sleeve slides over the caisson. The caisson sleeve has weight bearing plates welded at the top. The mini-jacket is lowered until the weight bearing plates rest on the caisson, thereby transferring the weight of the mini-jacket to the caisson. The caisson alone supports the weight of the mini-jacket during the pile installation. In pile installation, the piles are driven through the pile sleeves of the mini-jacket into the ocean floor. The piles are then rigidly connected to the pile sleeves at the top. The deck of the mini-jacket is thus supported on the piles. Once the mini-jacket is installed, one or more wells can be drilled through the caisson in the conventional manner, and more wells that are supported at the mini-jacket can be added subsequently.

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First Claim