METHOD FOR SELF-ELEVATING OFFSHORE PLATFORM IMPROVEMENT Russian patent published in 2007 - IPC E02B17/00 

FIELD: hydraulic structures, particularly artificial islands mounted on piles or like supports, for example, platforms on raisable legs.

SUBSTANCE: offshore platform has support-elevating device including frame with vertical posts and main horizontal beams, as well as columns with main racks and connection members. Improvement method involves cutting lower parts of vertical frame posts by forming horizontal cuts, wherein cut-off lower part includes lower main horizontal beams; cutting frame into sections so that each section comprises two halves of posts, wherein the sections are connected with each other by main horizontal beams by cutting remainder post parts in center thereof by creating horizontal cuts; moving apart the obtained sections along with racks in centrifugal direction and forming new vertical frame posts by adding vertical beams to each section from outer side thereof and by connecting bases to lower section sides; fastening the bases to said new vertical frame posts, wherein each base has cross-section corresponding to that of said new vertical post; connecting the sections through additional horizontal beams installed at main horizontal beam level; forming columns by rigidly connecting additional racks to main ones and substituting rack connection members for new ones made as horizontal and inclined struts.

EFFECT: extended field of drilling platform utilization due to possibility of platform usage at large depths and decreased labor inputs for platform improvement.

2 cl, 9 dwg