Patent ID: 8992152
Filing Date: 2015-03-31
Classification: E21B,F16L

Abstract:
1. A marine pipelay vessel adapted to perform J-lay pipelaying operations, the vessel comprising: a support; a pipeline launch tower comprising two elongated vertical beams, equipped with a lift device for lowering and/or raising a pipeline in a firing line, wherein the firing line is positioned between the vertical beams, the vertical beams being supported at lower ends on the support by a pivot structure having a horizontal pivot axis, allowing the pipeline launch tower to be tilted, the tower supporting a line-up tool for accurate positioning a pipe section when positioned in the tower in the firing line, the tower further supporting a welding station at an elevated position, below the line-up tool, which welding station is adapted to connect a pipe section positioned in the firing line in the line-up tool and aligned by the line-up tool to a previously launched pipeline via welding; a pipe section supply system adapted to supply a pipe section in a horizontal supply position in the vicinity of the lower end of the tower; and a handling apparatus for transporting a pipe section between the horizontal supply position and a position in the line-up tool of the tower, above the welding station, wherein the handling apparatus comprises: