Underwater pipe connection apparatus

Claim 2

In apparatus wherein a guidance system is disposed at and extends upwardly from the floor of a body of water and through which a well bore has been drilled into the underlying formation, the combination therewith of a flowline guide structure movable downwardly along said system to a predetermined position, flowline alignment means secured to said flowline guide structure, fluid flow apparatus including one or more first flowlines and lowered along said system into communication with the well bore with end poRtions of said one or more flowlines facing said alignment means, one or more second flowlines adapted to be lowered through the body of water, after said flowline guide structure has been lowered to said predetermined position, connector means secured to said one or more second flowlines and engageable with said alignment means to position said connector means in alignment with said end portions of said one or more first flowlines, guide means adjacent to and disposed to one side of said flowline alignment means, means operatively connected to said guide means for moving said connector means and one or more second flowlines toward said guide structure to engage said connector means with said alignment means, and means for operatively connecting said one or more first flowlines and one or more second flowlines to each other, whereby fluid can flow therebetween.

Claim 3

In apparatus wherein a guidance structure is disposed at and extends upwardly from the floor of a body of water and through which a well bore has been drilled into the underlying formation, the guidance structure including upwardly extending guide posts and guide lines extending upwardly from the posts, the combination therewith of a flowline guide structure movable along one or more selected guide lines and over one or more guide posts connected thereto, flowline alignment means secured to said flowline guide structure, fluid flow apparatus including one or more first flowlines and lowered down the guide lines and over the guide posts into communication with the well bore with end portions of said one or more flowlines facing said alignment means, one or more second flowlines adapted to be lowered through the body of water after said flowline guide structure has been moved over said one or more guide posts, connector means secured to said one or more second flowlines and engageable with said alignment means whereby said connector means is positionable in alignment with said end portions of said one or more first flowlines, guide means adjacent to and disposed to one side of said flowline alignment means, means operatively connected to said guide means for moving said connector means and one or more second flowlines toward said guide structure to engage said connector means with said alignment means, and means for operatively connecting said one or more first flowlines and one or more second flowlines to each other, whereby fluid can flow therebetween.

Claim 4

In apparatus wherein a guidance structure is disposed at and extends upwardly from the floor of a body of water and through which a well bore has been drilled into the underlying formation, the guidance structure including upwardly extending guide posts and guide lines extending upwardly from the posts, the combination therewith of a flowline guide structure movable along one or more selected guide lines and over one or more guide posts connected thereto, flowline alignment means secured to said flowline guide structure, fluid flow apparatus including one or more first flowlines and lowered down the guide lines and over the guide posts into communication with the well bore with end portions of said one or more flowlines facing said alignment means, one or more second flowlines adapted to be lowered through the body of water after said flowline guide structure has been moved over said one or more guide posts, connector means secured to said one or more second flowlines and engageable with said alignment means whereby said connector means is positionable in alignment with said end portions of said one or more first flowlines, guide means adjacent to and disposed to one side of said flowline alignment means, means operatively connected to said guide means for moving said connector means and one or more second flowlines toward said guide structure to engage said connector means with said alignment means, and means for operatively connecting said one or more first flowlines and one or more second flowlines to each other, whereby fluid can flow therebetween.

Claim 5

In apparatus as defined in claim 2; and means for securing said flowline guide structure to said guidance structure.

Claim 6

In apparatus as defined in claim 2; and means for securing said connector means to said alignment means, whereby said connector means will be in alignment with said end portions of said one or more first flowlines.

Claim 7

In apparatus as defined in claim 2; means for securing said flowline guide structure to said guidance structure; and means for securing said connector means to said alignment means in alignment with said end portions of said one or more first flowlines.

Claim 8

In apparatus as defined in claim 2; said connecting means including means for shifting said one or more first flowlines toward said connector means.

Claim 9

In apparatus as defined in claim 2; means for securing said flowline guide structure to said guidance structure; and means for securing said connector means to said alignment means in alignment with said end portions of said one or more first flowlines, said connecting means including means for shifting said one or more first flowlines toward said connector means.

Claim 10

In apparatus wherein a guidance system is disposed at and extends upwardly from the floor of a body of water and through which a well bore has been drilled into the underlying formation, the combination therewith of a flowline guide structure movable downwardly along said system to a predetermined position, flowline alignment means secured to said flowline guide structure, fluid flow apparatus including one or more first flowlines and lowered along said system into communication with the well bore with end portions of said one or more flowlines facing said alignment means, a guide assembly lowered along said system to a location adjacent to said flowline guide structure, a carrier, one or more second flowlines carried by said carrier and adapted to be lowered therewith through the body of water after said flowline guide structure has been moved to said predetermined position, connector means secured to said one or more second flowlines, and means interconnecting said guide assembly and carrier for pulling said carrier, connector means and one or more second flowlines toward said guide assembly and flowline guide structure to engage said connector means with said alignment means whereby said connector means is positionable in alignment with said end portions of said one or more first flowlines, and means for operatively connecting said one or more first flowlines and one or more second flowlines to each other, whereby fluid can flow therebetween.

Claim 11

In apparatus wherein a guidance system is disposed at and extends upwardly from the floor of a body of water and through which a well bore has been drilled into the underlying formation, the combination therewith of a flowline guide structure movable downwardly along said system to a predetermined position, flowline alignment means secured to said flowline guide structure, fluid flow apparatus including one or more first flowlines and lowered along said system into communication with the well bore with end portions of said one or more flowlines facing said alignment means, a guide assembly lowered along said system to a location adjacent to said flowline guide structure, a carrier, one or more second flowlines carried by said carrier and adapted to be lowered therewith through the body of water after said flowline guide structure has been moved to said predetermined position, connector means secured to said one or more second flowlines, and means interconnecting said guide assembly and carrier for pulling said carrier, connector means and one or more second flowlines toward said guide assembly and flowline guide structure to engage said connector means with said alignment means whereby said connector means is positionable in alignment with said end portions of said one or more first flowlines, and means for operatively connecting said one or more first flowlines and one or more second flowlines to each other, whereby fluid can flow therebetween.

Claim 12

In apparatus wherein a guidance structure is disposed at and extends upwardly from the floor of a body of water and through which a well bore has been drilled into the underlying formation, the guidance structure including upwardly extending guide posts and guide lines extending upwardly from the posts, the combination therewith of a flowline guide structure movable along one or more selected guide lines and over one or more guide posts connected thereto, flowline alignment means secured to said flowline guide structure, fluid flow apparatus including one or more first flowlines and lowered down the guide lines and over the guide posts into communication with the well bore with end portions of said one or more flowlines facing said alignment means, a guide assembly lowered along said one or more selected guide lines and over said one or more guide posts connected thereto, a carrier, one or more second flowlines carried by said carrier and adapted to be lowered therewith through the body of water after said flowline guide structure has been moved over said one or more guide posts, connector means secured to said one or more second flowlines, and means interconnecting said guide assembly and carrier for pulling said carrier, connector means and one or more second flowlines toward said guide assembly and flowline guide structure to engage said connector means with said alignment means whereby said connector means is positionable in alignment with said end portions of said one or more first flowlines, and means for operatively connecting said one or more first flowlines and one or more second flowlines to each other, whereby fluid can flow therebetween.

Claim 13

In apparatus wherein a guidance structure is disposed at and extends upwardly from the floor of a body of water and through which a well bore has been drilled into the underlying formation, the guidance structure including upwardly extending guide posts and guide lines extending upwardly from the posts, the combination therewith of a flowline guide structure movable along one or more selected guide lines and over one or more guide posts connected thereto, flowline alignment means secured to said flowline guide structure, fluid flow apparatus including one or more first flowlines and lowered down the guide lines and over the guide posts into communication with the well bore with end portions of said one or more flowlines facing said alignment means, a guide assembly lowered along said one or more selected guide lines and over said one or more guide posts connected thereto, a carrier, one or more second flowlines carried by said carrier and adapted to be lowered therewith through the body of water after said flowline guide structure has been moved over said one or more guide posts, connector means secured to said one or more second flowlines, and means interconnecting said guide assembly and carrier for pulling said carrier, connector means and one or more second flowlines toward said guide assembly and flowline guide structure to engage said connector means with said alignment means whereby said connector means is positionable in alignment with said end portions of said one or more first flowlines, and means for operatively connecting said one or more first flowlines and one or more second flowlines to each other, whereby fluid can flow therebetween.

Claim 14

In apparatus as defined in claim 9; means releasably securing said guide assembly to said flowline guide structure, and means for releasing said securing means.

Claim 15

In apparatus as defined in claim 9; and means releasably securing said carrier to said one or more second flowlines.

Claim 16

In apparatus as defined in claim 9; means releasably securing said guide assembly to said flowline guide structure, means for releasing said securing means, and means releasably securing said carrier to said one or more second flowlines.

Claim 17

In apparatus as defined in claim 9; said guide assembly including one or more funnels, said carrier including one or more probes receivable in said one or more funnels to engage said connector means with said alignment means, said pulling means including one or more lines connected to said one or more probes and passing through said one or more funnels.

Claim 18

In apparatus as defined in claim 9; said guide assembly including one or more funnels, said carrier including one or more probes receivable in said one or more funnels to engage said connector means with said alignment means, said pulling means including one or more lines connected to said one or more probes and passing through said one or more funnels; means releasably securing said guide assembly to said flowline guide structure, and Means for releasing said securing means.

Claim 19

In apparatus as defined in claim 9; said guide assembly including one or more funnels, said carrier including one or more probes receivable in said one or more funnels to engage said connector means with said alignment means, said pulling means including one or more lines connected to said one or more probes and passing through said one or more funnels; means releasably securing said guide assembly to said flowline guide structure, and means for releasing said securing means; and means releasably securing said carrier to said one or more second flowlines.