Patent ID: 8127852

Claim:
A method for connecting a lower marine riser package to a lower blowout preventer stack, the method comprising: lowering a frame of the lower marine riser package toward a frame of the lower blowout preventer stack such that a first half of a feed-thru component attached to the frame of the lower marine riser package contacts a second half of the feed-thru component attached to the frame of the lower blowout preventer stack; floating at least one of the first half of the feed-thru component or the second half of the feed-thru component while the frame of the lower marine package is further lowered toward the frame of the lower blowout preventer stack, wherein floating comprises allowing a part of the first half of the feed-thru component to move with respect to the frame of the lower marine riser package or allowing a part of the second half of the feed-thru component to move with respect to the frame of the lower blowout preventer stack; and after further lowering the lower marine riser package toward the lower blowout preventer stack, engaging the first half of the feed-thru component to the second half of the feed-thru component to create a communication link between the lower marine riser package and the lower blowout preventer stack, wherein engaging the first half with the second half is achieved without using an external pressure provided by an accumulator.