Flotable subsea platform (FSP)
A subsea facility for hydrocarbon recovery in deep waters and methods of installation are provided. More specifically, the subsea facility equipment is on multiple modules equipped with a buoyancy system to allow the modules to sink to the sea floor. The modules can be attached and unattached to each other, thus allowing for a module to be raised to the surface for repairs without affecting the rest of the subsea facility.
1. A method of installing a floatable subsea platform on a sea floor, comprising:
providing a subplatform base, a plurality of connectable modules with subsea equipment positioned on each module, and a buoyancy system with at least one buoyancy tank operably connected to a buoyancy control assembly;
latching the plurality of connectable modules to the subplatform base;
towing the subplatform base with the plurality of connectable modules by a barge to a sea bottom oil site, wherein the buoyancy system floats the subplatform in water during the towing after the latching;
wherein the subplatform base is placed in a moon pool of the barge and is hence disposed in water and surrounded by the barge while being towed;
mooring a template to the sea floor at the sea bottom oil site;
lowering the subplatform base to the template using the buoyancy system; and
latching the subplatform base to the template.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the subsea equipment is different on a first one of the plurality of connectable modules than a second one of the plurality of connectable modules.