# US 4,397,582 A · Method of creating a cold water conduit to be used in ocean thermal energy conversion systems

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- Number: US 4,397,582 A
- Document ID: US4397582A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 06/249,580
- Filed: 1981-03-31
- Granted: 1983-08-09
- Earliest claimed: 1981-03-31
- Assignees: McDermott Incorporated
- Inventors: William L. Green; Dennis E. Calkins; Edward A. Landers, Jr.; Daniel W. Gray
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US4397582A

## CPC

- E21B 7/12: Underwater drilling (using heave compensators E21B19/09)
- E21B 7/00: Special methods or apparatus for drilling
- E21B 7/043: {for underwater installations}
- E21B 7/143: {underwater}
- E21B 7/28: Enlarging drilled holes, e.g. by counterboring
- E21B 43/305: {comprising at least one inclined or horizontal well}
- F03G 7/05: Ocean thermal energy conversion, i.e. OTEC
- Y02E 10/20: Hydro energy
- Y02E 10/30: Energy from the sea, e.g. using wave energy or salinity gradient
- E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- F03G: SPRING, WEIGHT, INERTIA OR LIKE MOTORS; MECHANICAL-POWER PRODUCING DEVICES OR MECHANISMS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR OR USING ENERGY SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (arrangements in connection with power supply in vehicles from force of nature B60K16/00; electric propulsion with power supply in vehicles from force of nature B60L8/00)
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

A method of creating a cold water conduit for use with an ocean thermal energy conversion plant by drilling and blasting at least one passageway completely through an underwater land formation.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of creating a conduit to be used in association with ocean thermal energy conversion systems and the like, said method comprising the steps of drilling at least one passageway through an underwater land formation, wherein the passageway is directionally drilled so that the top of the passageway is located on an underwater land shelf and the bottom of the passageway is located on an underwater land slope, and repeatedly introducing and then detonating at least one explosive charge in the passageway at progressively higher elevations.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the passageway is drilled so that the angle formed by the passageway and the horizontal is greater than the angle of repose of the rubble created by detonating the explosive charge.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein a plurality of substantially parallel passageways are drilled through said underwater land formation, said passageways being arranged with respect to one another in a substantially circular pattern.