deballast, v.
(diːˈbæləst)
[de- II. + ballast n. and v.]
trans. To remove ballast from (esp. an oil-rig platform or barge). Also deˈballasting vbl. n.
| 1962 Oil & Gas Jrnl. 20 Aug. 78/1 In this control room, one man can ballast and deballast the barge to offset changing loads. 1965 Economist 16 Jan. 221/2 The deballasting system which might have been adequate for a conventional submarine. 1975 Lamp (Exxon Corp.) Winter 18/2 From a sheep pasture, the platform is seen deballasted and ready for towing, with Stavanger harbor and town in the background. 1976 Offshore Platforms & Pipelining 51/1 Deballast the temporary launching barge until the end of the buoyant tower floats. 1976 Offshore Engineer Apr. 9/3 Barge deballasting was scheduled to start so that they rose to make contact just before high tide on Monday, 5 April. 1980 Jrnl. R. Soc. Arts July 526/1 De-ballasting lines and ballast treatment plant would be very expensive to instal [sic] and operate. 1982 Sci. Amer. Apr. 38/1 After mating, the hull and topside assembly is towed to the installation site, submerged to allow its tethers to be connected to preset foundations and deballasted to tension the tethers. |