Ballast system for offshore construction and procedure for placement of such offshore construction

摘要

A ballasting system for an offshore structure of generally conical shape which has an external shell which generally converges upwardly and inwardly to form a ramp-like outer surface, includes a plurality of radially and circumferentially disposed ballast tanks which are positioned within the external shell of the structure to form a plurality of concentrically arranged discrete rings of ballast tanks. Ballast is admitted into the tanks so that the structure is lowered in a substantially level manner to its maximum stable draft. Ballast is then transferred from one side of the structure to the other until the structure is tilted to a sufficient degree so that only a portion of the bottom of the structure is in contact with the sea floor. Additional ballast is then admitted into the tanks to position the structure on the sea floor. IMAGE