US 2003/0221602 A1 · Apparatuses and methods of deploying and installing subsea equipment

Abstract

The invention describes a cost-effective alternative for deploying and installing subsea equipment using a workboat or other vessel of opportunity. The equipment is not supported directly by the vessel, but is instead supported by one or more buoys below the wave zone. The buoys are controlled by a combination of chain, wire rope, and synthetic line linking it to the workboat. As such, the buoy system described herein decouples vessel motion from the payload by supporting the payload from the buoys below the wave zone. Because the buoys are below the wave action and its associated turbulence, there is little energy and hence little tendency for motion. The result is a stable, inexpensive, maneuverable system capable of servicing large subsea payloads in a wide range of water depths.

Claims9

Dependent claims

An apparatus for deploying and installing subsea equipment from a surface vessel to the sea floor, said apparatus comprising:

a subsurface buoy;
a pendant line connecting the subsea equipment to the subsurface buoy;
a deployment line having a catenary loop below the subsurface buoy, the deployment line being supported by the subsurface buoy on one end and connected to the surface vessel on the other end, the subsea equipment, subsurface buoy, pendant line, and deployment line cooperating to establish a natural frequency for the suspended subsea equipment which is materially different from the average wave frequency acting on the surface vessel;
and
a parking pile partially embedded in the sea floor, on which the subsea equipment may be parked.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Apparatuses and methods of deploying and installing subsea equipment

Life of this patent

Apparatuses and methods of deploying and installing subsea equipment

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims9