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AssigneeRegan Offshore International, Inc.
InventorsBruce J. Watkins, Albert M. Regan, William P. Slota
Estimating the term…
A flexible supportive joint is provided between a buoyancy chamber of flotation means and a sub-sea well riser conduit upon which the flotation means is mounted. In a preferred exemplary embodiment, such flexible supportive joint comprises an assembly of coaxial, telescopically oriented pipe sections with a cylindrical elastomeric member bonded therebetween to flexibly join the two sections in load bearing relation, one section being connected to the riser conduit with the other section being connected to the flotation means buoyancy chamber. In a first alternative exemplary embodiment, the flexible supportive joint is provided by a ball and socket-like connection while in a second alternative construction, the flexible supportive joint is provided by a combination of an elastomeric member in load bearing relation with coaxial conduit sections and a ball and socket-like joint between the sections.
In a flotation for a subsea well riser including at least one buoyancy chamber, the improvement comprising the provision of:
In a flotation means for a subsea well riser conduit run to a subsea well, said flotation means including one or more buoyancy gas receiving chambers and means for mounting each of said chamber to said riser conduit, the improvement in mounting means comprising:
A subsea riser and flotation means construction of improved flexibility for use in conducting subsea drilling operations comprising:
An assembly of a marine conductor conduit section and buoyancy chamber of improved flexability comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.