Renewable Power Generation System for Offshore Operations

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A system for generating electricity in the offshore oil and gas industry comprises a wind turbine that can easily be moved along with a drilling rig or marine platform. The system provides a renewable and alternative to generating electricity, in the form of wind, and addresses portability demands by industry without using petroleum product to operate offshore. A platform supports the turbine and is held in safe proximity to the offshore platform by an anchoring element in the form of a buoy or seafloor tether. An electrical communication element interfaces between the turbine and the offshore platform.

While operating offshore, electricity is the foundation of all oil and gas operations. These operations run on diesel generators. Having diesel fuel supplied to locations hundreds of miles off-shore is expensive, in some cases costing $10-12 per gallon. The high cost of the petroleum products currently used to generate electricity substantially increases the cost of operations. Some estimates suggest as much as $250 million is spent on a thirty year supply of fuel for typical three-generator operations.

Currently, all offshore wind based power generation is permanently affixed to the ground. They are designed to be anchored and non-portable. Power is fed back to land by cabling disallowing any industry to tap into this supply. There are currently no portable, renewable alternatives, to burning petroleum products for generating electricity for offshore oil and gas operations.

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  • ABOUT THE ENTRANT

  • Name:
    Matt Hunter
  • Type of entry:
    individual
  • Patent status:
    pending