Patent ID: 8240954

Claim:
A marine pipeline installation system for laying an offshore pipeline and/or installing a subsea riser, said system being adapted to carry out the reel lay method and the J-lay method, said system comprising: a vessel having a moonpool and a deck having a clear deck area; one or more storage reels on said vessel for storage of a pipeline to be installed; a pipeline launch tower arranged on said vessel, said tower being adapted for launching the pipeline into the sea through said moonpool; a pipeline guide at an elevated position on said tower for guiding said pipeline to a pipeline launch trajectory along said tower; one or more tensioners, each tensioner comprising a tensioner frame and multiple tracks supported by said tensioner frame, said tracks being adapted for engaging the pipeline and supporting at least part of the weight of the launched pipeline, the tensioner frame being supported via an associated support assembly, wherein the support assembly of at least one tensioner frame is adapted to allow for displacement of the tensioner frame between an active position, wherein the pipeline launch trajectory extends through the tensioner frame between the tracks, so that the tracks can engage on a pipeline, and a retracted and non-operable position; a pipeline support device arranged below said one or more tensioners and adapted to support the weight of the launched pipeline; and a J-Lay installation, said J-Lay installation including: a pipe loader for sequentially supplying pipe sections to an elevated position above an upper end of the previously launched pipeline, aligned with the pipeline launch trajectory; a pipe section alignment device for aligning a pipe section with the upper end of the previously launched pipeline; and a pipe section work station adapted for connecting the pipe section to the launched pipeline.