Subsea pig reloader
AssigneeKellogg Brown & Root LLC
InventorsJason McCanna, Jay S. Mandke
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for supplying pigs to a subsea pig launcher using a system carried and controlled by a remotely operated vehicle. The pigs are carried in racks that hold multiple pigs. The racks are extended and the pigs are allowed to drop into the barrel of the subsea pig launcher. The system is also equipped with a system that retracts the racks if hydraulic and electrical power is lost during the reloading process so that the remotely operated vehicle can be retrieved to the surface safely. The reloading process can be carried out by a remotely operated vehicle support vessel without the need for heavy lifting equipment or a large deck area.
Claims15
A pig loader, for use with a remotely operated subsea vehicle, comprising:
- at least one rack, said rack being slidable with respect to the vehicle and supporting at least one canister for containing a pig, and
- a drive mechanism engaging said rack, said drive mechanism advancing said rack such that the pig is released from its canister.
A method for loading pigs into a subsea pig launcher barrel from a vessel at the sea surface, the method comprising:
- loading one or more pigs into a pig loader;
- lowering the pig loader from the surface to the subsea pig launcher barrel;
- transferring the pigs from the pig loader into the barrel;
- and
- retrieving the pig loader to the surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.