Apparatus and Method for Subsea Testing
AssigneeNautilus Minerals Pacific Pty Ltd
InventorGlen Smith
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Abstract
An apparatus and method for subsea testing of a core sample are provided. The apparatus includes a seafloor drilling rig that drills a borehole and obtains a sample from the seabed, and a sensor mounted on the seafloor drilling rig that analyses a portion of the sample after it is obtained. The sensor preferably includes an x-ray fluorescence sensor, a neutron activation analysis sensor, and/or a magnetic susceptibility sensor, and sends data about the core sample in real time, or at least near real time, to a surface vessel or platform.
Claims27
An apparatus for subsea testing of a core sample from a seabed, the apparatus comprising:
- a seafloor drilling rig adapted to drill a borehole and obtain a sample from the seabed;
- and
- a sensor mounted on the seafloor drilling rig that analyses at least a portion of the sample after the sample is obtained.
A method of subsea testing of a core sample from a seabed, the method comprising the steps of:
- operating a seafloor drilling rig to obtain a sample from the seabed;
- and
- analysing at least a portion of the sample with a sensor that is mounted on the seafloor drilling rig.
A method of generating data relating to a core sample from a seabed, the method comprising the steps of:
- operating a seafloor drilling rig to obtain a sample from the seabed;
- analysing at least a portion of the sample with a sensor that is mounted on the seafloor drilling rig;
- and
- generating data relating to the core sample from the sensor analysing the sample.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.