Patent ID: 7451821

Claim:
An offshore well drilling assembly, comprising: a support platform for location at sea; a drilling platform cantilevered to the support platform, the drilling platform having a bow end spaced from the drilling platform and two lateral sides extending from the bow end to the support platform, the drilling platform extending from the support platform for positioning over a subsea well; a derrick mounted on the drilling platform; a staging platform for use in loading and unloading of wellhead equipment, the staging platform being mounted to and along only one of the lateral sides of the drilling platform, the staging platform being moveable along said only one of the lateral sides of the drilling platform in directions toward and away from the support platform, the staging platform having a horizontal support assembly for supporting the wellhead equipment, the horizontal support assembly not being located beneath the drilling platform while the drilling platform is in an operational position; and a transverse conveyor under the drilling platform for transporting wellhead equipment from a position under the drilling platform to the staging platform.