Patent ID: 7563055

Claim:
A marine pipe laying system for laying of an offshore pipeline, wherein the system comprises: a. a main supporting structure; b. a pipe connecting station, wherein a pipe section is connected to an uppermost end of a previously launched offshore pipeline; c. a static clamp adapted for releasably securing the uppermost end of the previously launched offshore pipeline, wherein the static clamp is adapted to support a weight of the previously launched offshore pipeline; d. a hoisting device comprising: i. a tower with a tower top side provided with cable pulleys; ii. a traveling block displaceably attached to the tower, wherein the traveling block comprises: 1. a first block with cable pulleys and a traveling clamp attached to the first block, wherein the traveling clamp holds the pipe section to be connected to the offshore pipeline and lowers the offshore pipeline after the pipe section is connected to the offshore pipeline; and 2. a second block with cable pulleys, wherein the second block is adapted to be releasably coupled with the first block, wherein the first block coupled to the second block travels along the tower as a single unit and supports the weight of the offshore pipeline; and iii. a hoisting means comprising a hoisting cable and a winch, wherein the hoisting cable is guided over the cable pulleys on both the tower top side and the traveling block, wherein the traveling block is moveable with respect to the tower; and e. a locking means adapted for locking the second block to the tower wherein the locking means is adapted to lock the second block in a lowermost position at a lower side of the tower, wherein the second block remains stationary with respect to the tower and the first block travels in an upward direction towards an uppermost position along the tower.