Abstract: A method of spooling a plurality of operational lines onto a vessel having a plurality of reels for storage of the operational lines, one of which lines is a rigid walled pipeline, the vessel having a level wind apparatus, a pipeline support drum, and a motor unit for each of the storage reels.

Abstract: A pipelaying system adapted for deployment on a vessel for use in a body of water and having at least one reel for storage and layout of a rigid walled pipeline and including pipe take-off drum for mounting on the vessel for rotation about a horizontal drum axis, a pipe take-off structure pivotally mounted on the axis of rotation of the drum, and a drive unit operably connected to the reel and adapted to permit control of the rate of layout of the pipeline, with the vessel convertible between a pivotal ramp type and an arcuate type.

Abstract: A pipelaying system is adapted for deployment on a vessel for use in a body of water. The system has at least one reel for storage and layout of a rigid walled pipeline, a pipeline support comprising a pipe takeoff drum for mounting on the vessel for rotation about a horizontal drum axis, a pipe takeoff structure pivotally mounted on the axis of rotation of the drum, and a drive unit operably connected to the reel. Such an arrangement is adapted to permit control of the rate of layout of the pipeline.

Abstract: A marine operations structure for use in arctic seas having steel/concrete composite ice walls positioned to permit multi-year ice ridges to be broken up with lower vertical forces imposed on the structure than heretofore possible. The structure provides for simultaneous contacting and fracturing of both surface ice floe and multi-year ice ridges by proportioning of the ratio of the annular dimension of a first sloped surface to the radius of the structure within the range of about from 0.15 to 0.30. The structure is fabricated by modular construction techniques which lowers total construction costs. The structure is in the form of a sixteen-sided polygonal sloped walled marine structure with internal ballast tanks for providing gravity founding of the structure on the sea floor. Modular drilling equipment is provided for and supported by the structure for use through two rectangular shaped moon pools extending vertical throughout the central core of the structure.

Abstract: A reel pipelaying vessel having multiple reels for laying operational lines in a wide range of water depths. An operational lines laying device is mounted on the vessel in order to provide supporting means for the simultaneous layout of a plurality of operational lines at a common velocity and in a predetermined relationship to one another. Motive means are interconnected to the multiple reels in order to control the rate of layout. Separate or combined straightening and tensioning devices can be employed for handling the rigid walled pipeline contained within the operational lines. The straightening and tensioning devices can be mounted for pivotal movement with respect to the vessel deck or can be operated in fixed planes with respect to the deck. Six or more operational lines can be simultaneously laid out with the vessel described.

Abstract: A marine operations structure for use in arctic seas having steel/concrete composite ice walls positioned to permit multi-year ice ridges to be broken up with lower vertical forces imposed on the structure than heretofore possible. The structure provides for simultaneous contacting and fracturing of both surface ice floe and multi-year ice ridges by proportioning of the ratio of the annular dimension of a first sloped surface to the radius of the structure within the range of about from 0.15 to 0.30. The structure is fabricated by modular construction techniques which lowers total construction costs. The structure is in the form of a sixteen-sided polygonal sloped walled marine structure with internal ballast tanks for providing gravity founding of the structure on the sea floor. Modular drilling equipment is provided for and supported by the structure for use through two rectangular shaped moon pools extending vertical throughout the central core of the structure.

Abstract: A reel pipelaying vessel having multiple reels for laying operational lines in a wide range of water depths. An operational lines laying device is mounted on the vessel in order to provide supporting means for the simultaneous layout of a plurality of operational lines at a common velocity and in a predetermined relationship to one another. Motive means are interconnected to the multiple reels in order to control the rate of layout. Separate or combined straightening and tensioning devices can be employed for handling the rigid walled pipeline contained within the operational lines. The straightening and tensioning devices can be mounted for pivotal movement with respect to the vessel deck or can be operated in fixed planes with respect to the deck. Six or more operational lines can be simultaneously laid out with the vessel described.

Abstract: A pipeline vessel for laying out and coating a pipeline from a storage reel onto the bottom of a body of water. The vessel equipment provides for both straightening and tensioning of the pipeline as well as coating with a wide range of concrete and/or polymer coats. Both extrusion type thermoplastic coatings and reacted in situ thermoset resins are employed. The process of laying a relatively inflexible pipeline from such a reel pipelaying vessel and coating the pipe as it is laid out is also provided.

Abstract: A reel pipelaying vessel having multiple reels for laying operational lines in a wide range of water depths. An operational lines laying device is mounted on the vessel in order to provide supporting means for the simultaneous layout of a plurality of operational lines at a common velocity and in a predetermined relationship to one another. Motive means are interconnected to the multiple reels in order to control the rate of layout. Separate or combined straightening and tensioning devices can be employed for handling the rigid walled pipeline contained within the operational lines. The straightening and tensioning devices can be mounted for pivotal movement with respect to the vessel deck or can be operated in fixed planes with respect to the deck. Six or more operational lines can be simultaneously laid out with the vessel described.

Abstract: A pipe initiation anchor forming a fixed anchor point for use in laying underwater pipelines comprises a ground engaging member in the form of a ballast box or a ground pile, a socket for receiving an end portion of a pipeline, and a locking member for retaining the end portion of the pipeline within the socket. The locking member is pivotally mounted on the anchor and is biased towards a locking position by a counterbalance weight.

Abstract: A marine operations structure for use in arctic seas having steel/concrete composite ice walls positioned to permit multi-year ice ridges to be broken up with lower vertical forces imposed on the structure than heretofore possible. The structure provides for simultaneous contacting and fracturing of both surface ice floe and multi-year ice ridges by proportioning of the ratio of the annular dimension of a first sloped surface to the radius of the structure within the range of about from 0.15 to 0.30. The structure is fabricated by modular construction techniques which lowers total construction costs. The structure is in the form of a sixteen-sided polygonal sloped walled marine structure with internal ballast tanks for providing gravity founding of the structure on the sea floor. Modular drilling equipment is provided for and supported by the structure for use through two rectangular shaped moon pools extending vertical throughout the central core of the structure.

Abstract: A reel pipelaying vessel having multiple reels for laying operational lines in a wide range of water depths. An operational lines laying device is mounted on the vessel in order to provide supporting means for the simultaneous layout of a plurality of operational lines at a common velocity and in a predetermined relationship to one another. Motive means are interconnected to the multiple reels in order to control the rate of layout. Separate or combined straightening and tensioning devices can be employed for handling the rigid walled pipeline contained within the operational lines. The straightening and tensioning devices can be mounted for pivotal movement with respect to the vessel deck or can be operated in fixed planes with respect to the deck. Six or more operational lines can be simultaneously laid out with the vessel described.

Abstract: A mobile sea barge having a unitary lower hull which has sufficient buoyancy to float the entire barge, an upper hull spaced from the lower hull by a single, centrally-positioned, vertical member, and a movable stabilizing hull arranged about the central support member for controlled movement between the upper and lower hulls is provided. Controlled movement of the stabilizing hull permits the operational modes of submerging and emerging of the lower hull into or from a bottom-founded gravity-forced mode from which drilling operations can be carried out. In the bottom-founded mode on the sea floor the barge functions as a gravity platform. Movement of the stabilizing hull is provided by a plurality of jacking legs and jacking units which constitute the control devices. The barge can be quickly switched between the surface-floating and the gravity-forced, bottom-founded modes. Controlled vertical descent to the sea floor is provided by the static stability of the stabilizing hull.

Abstract: A mobile sea barge having a unitary lower hull which has sufficient buoyancy to float the entire barge, an upper hull spaced from the lower hull by a single, centrally-positioned, vertical member, and a movable stabilizing hull arranged about the central support member for controlled movement between the upper and lower hulls is provided. Controlled movement of the stabilizing hull permits the operational modes of submerging and emerging of the lower hull into or from a bottom-founded gravity-forced mode from which drilling operations can be carried out. In the bottom-founded mode on the sea floor the barge functions as a gravity platform. Movement of the stabilizing hull is provided by a plurality of jacking legs and jacking units which constitute the control devices. The barge can be quickly switched between the surface-floating and the gravity-forced, bottom-founded modes. Controlled vertical descent to the sea floor is provided by the static stability of the stabilizing hull.

Abstract: In the mining of various minerals from the earth, large mining shafts extending from the surface down to the deposited mineral layers or seams in the earth can be provided through the use of large diameter bore hole drilling equipment. With the drilling equipment stationed on the surface of the earth, a drilling member is drilled down into the earth for forming a shaft in excess of 10 feet to a depth of at least 2000 feet. As the earth is broken up during the drilling operation, the broken fragments are removed from the drilled hole by a reverse circulation drilling operation. During the drilling operation, the drilling bit is maintained in proper alignment with the shaft being drilled by the use of non-rotating stabilizers having an outer diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the hole being drilled.

Abstract: In the mining of minerals from the earth, it is necessary to drill deep bore holes typically between 3000 and 6000 feet in the earth. In order to protect those entering the hole for additional mining operations, after drilling the hole, the hole is lined with a stack of specially constructed lining segments. These segments are formed of either prestressed concrete or steel. The segments are lowered one at a time into the bore hole so as to build up a stack within the hole, thereby lining the hole. The segments are carried to the hole on a transporter and then lowered by the transporter into the hole. Guide cables are threaded through guide conduits provided within the segments so as to maintain the orientation of such segments during the operation.

Abstract: A device for removing encrusted marine growth from submerged structures and for Non-Destructive testing of welds and the like is disclosed. The device includes a flexible transparent sleeve or housing for encapsulating an area of the structure to be cleaned and a reservoir for admitting a corrosive chemical into the housing to dissolve the marine growth. The housing may also contain embedded conductors forming a magnetic yoke which, when coupled to a source of electric energy, will subject to area to desired AC and DC fields. Magnetic particle can then be admitted through the reservoir for magnetic particle testing.

Abstract: A procedure for constructing a concrete lined underground chamber along a bore hole drilled within the earth. Such chambers serve as access work chambers for carrying out other various drilling and mining operations, such as, for example, horizontal drilling operations for steam enhanced recovery of oil. In constructing the lined chamber, the bore hole is initially drilled in the earth to a predetermined depth at which the chamber is to be constructed. In a first belling operation, a first bell-shaped chamber is formed. A substantial portion of the floor of this first chamber is then covered with a mound of gravel material. The remainder of the first chamber is then filled with concrete. Subsequently the bore hole is redrilled to a depth extending below the bottom of the first chamber and a second belling operation is carried out for forming a second bell-shaped chamber.

Abstract: In conjunction with the mining of minerals from the earth, it is necessary to construct deep verticle shafts normally between 10 and 20 feet in diameter and typically between 3000 and 6000 feet in depth in the earth. Technology has been developed for blind drilling of such shafts. After drilling the shaft however, in order to protect those entering the hole for additional mining operations the shaft needs to be lined with a stack of specially constructed lining segments. These segments are formed of prestressed concrete. The concrete segments are lowered one at a time into the bore hole shaft, which is filled with fluid, so as to build up a stack within the hole, thereby lining the hole. Each concrete segment has a top portion with an approximately V-shaped cross-sectional area with a flat top section and a bottom portion having an asymmetrically cross-sectional shape but such shape partially corresponding to the shape of the top portion so that the segments can be stacked.

Abstract: The derrick barge comprises a pair of laterally spaced elongated hulls having a plurality of upstanding columns spaced therealong supporting a working platform and a heavy duty derrick or crane in spaced relation above the hulls. The hulls bouyantly support the vessel including its deck load in the floating condition with the hulls having freeboard. The hulls have ballast compartments to submerge the hulls and portions of the stabilizing columns to a distance of approximately one-half the effective height of the stabilizing columns to maintain the vessel in a semisubmerged floating condition with the platform and derrick elevated above the waterline. However, the vessel also may be ballasted or deballasted to submerge or emerge to a greater or lesser extent from the semisubmerged condition such that the distance between the mean water surface and either the underside of the deck or top side of the hull is not less than 0.75 of the mean wave height.