Patent ID: 7770655
Filing Date: 2010-08-10
Classification: B63B,E21B

Abstract:
1. A method of installing conductor casings at a designated location on the seafloor comprising the steps of: providing a plurality of conductor casings; providing a vessel having a winch mounted thereon; providing an elongate flexible member selected from the group consisting of cables, chains and ropes; winding the elongate flexible member onto the winch; providing a barge; initially positioning the plurality of conductor casings on the barge; connecting the distal end of the elongate flexible member to a first of the plurality of conductor casings on the barge; removing the first conductor casing from the barge and thereafter utilizing the winch and the elongate flexible member to lower the first conductor casing to the seafloor at a predetermined drilling location thereon; utilizing the weight of the first conductor casing to initially embed the conductor casing into the seafloor; providing a source of suction; connecting the source of suction to the first of the conductor casings following the initial embedding thereof in the seafloor and thereby further embedding the conductor casings into the seafloor; removing the distal end of the elongate flexible member from the first conductor casing and attaching the distal end to a second conductor casing; removing the second conductor casing from the barge and thereafter utilizing the winch and the elongate flexible member to lower the second conductor casing to the seafloor at a predetermined drilling location thereon to from an array of conductor casings on the seafloor; utilizing the weight of the second conductor casing to initially embed the conductor casing into the seafloor; connecting the source of suction to the second of the conductor casings following the initial embedding thereof in the seafloor and thereby further embedding the conductor casing into the seafloor; removing the distal end of the elongate flexible member from the second conductor and placing the remainder of the plurality of conductors into predetermined drilling locations with the winch and elongate flexible members to form an array of conductor casings initially embedded into the seafloor under the weight of the casings and then further embedded into the seafloor under the application of suction to the conductor casings; providing a hydraulic pile driving hammer; initially positioning the hydraulic pile driving hammer on the vessel; after the array of conductor casings has been formed, utilizing the winch and the elongate flexible member to lower the hydraulic pile driving hammer into engagement with each of the conductor casings in the array; and utilizing the hydraulic pile driving hammer deployed from the vessel to further embed the plurality of conductor casings in the array.