Subsea Pig Launchers
AssigneeSubsea 7 Norway AS
InventorsOivind Stangeland, Karl Erik Suphellen
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Abstract
A compact subsea pig launcher comprises a tubular magazine for holding a plurality of pipeline pigs in longitudinal succession ready for launching successively into a subsea pipeline. The magazine is shaped to define at least one turn such as a coil around an upright axis. Thus, a series of pigs are stored in longitudinal succession along a path that is curved in plan view around the upright axis. During launching, at least one of the series of pigs is advanced along the path with angular movement around the upright axis.
Claims31
1-33. (canceled)
A subsea pig launcher comprises a tubular magazine for holding a plurality of pipeline pigs in longitudinal succession ready for launching successively into a subsea pipeline, wherein the magazine is shaped to define at least one turn around an upright axis, the or each turn of the magazine completing a full or partial loop, so that the magazine comprises a succession of full, intercommunicating loops stacked or layered along the upright axis.
A method of launching pipeline pigs subsea, tine method comprising:
- providing a series of pigs stored in longitudinal succession along a path that is curved in plan view around an upright axis;
- and
- advancing at least one of the series of pigs along the path with angular movement at least 720° around the upright axis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.