Installation of subsea risers

Abstract

A method of installing a subsea riser includes placing an elongate negatively-buoyant support on the seabed and, when laying the riser on the seabed, guiding a riser portion onto the support to extend along and be cradled by the support. A hogbend region of the riser is then formed by conferring positive buoyancy on the support to lift the support and the riser portion away from the seabed. An element of the support includes a riser support disposed in a longitudinally extending open-ended gap between buoyancy volumes disposed on opposite sides of the gap. Coupling formations such as hinge portions can couple the element to a like element. When so coupled, the gaps of those elements align to define an upwardly opening, longitudinally extending groove to receive the riser.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.