Patent ID: 9631742
Date: 2017-04-25
CPC Classifications: B63B,F16L

Claim:
1. A marine pipeline installation vessel for laying a pipeline on the seabed, said vessel at least being adapted to carry out the reel lay method, wherein the vessel comprises: at least a first storage reel fore of a moonpool and a second storage reel aft of the moonpool for storage of the pipeline to be laid, the storage reels being positioned in or onto the vessel; a pipeline launch tower mounted to the vessel, the pipeline launch tower being adapted to launch the pipeline in a firing line along said tower; and a pipeline guide mounted at an elevated position to the pipeline launch tower, the pipeline guide having a pipeline guide surface member providing an essentially circular or semi-circular pipeline guide surface, and the pipeline guide being adapted to, in a primary pipelaying position thereof relative to the tower, guide a pipeline from a first storage reel over the pipeline guide into the firing line, wherein said pipeline contacts the pipeline guide surface at a first contact point fore of the firing line and departs said surface at a first departure point into the firing line, wherein a pipeline guide displacement drive is provided, the pipeline guide displacement drive being adapted to displace the pipeline guide with respect to the tower between the primary pipelaying position and a secondary pipelaying position thereof, the pipeline guide being adapted to, in the secondary pipelaying position, guide a pipeline from a second storage reel over the pipeline guide into the firing line, wherein said pipeline contacts the pipeline guide surface at a second contact point aft of the firing line and departs said surface at a second departure point into the firing line, wherein the first and second departure points are both in the firing line, wherein the first and second contact points are positioned fore and aft of the firing line, respectively, and wherein the first contact point of the pipeline guide surface faces towards one of the at least two storage reels and the second contact point of the pipeline guide surface faces towards another one of the at least two storage reels.