Williams Field Services Gulf Coast Company, L.p.

Oceaneering International, Inc.

Richard W McCoy

David J Hicks

Larry Decker

Donald W Cross

Gern D Exley

Oran Tarlton

Luis J Gutlerrez

A diverless process of tapping a pressurized subsea pipeline without removing the pipeline from service. The process includes the steps of lowering and landing a measurement tool onto the pipeline in order to check ovality and straightness of the pipeline with the measurement tool. Pipe lift frames are lowered and landed onto the pipeline spaced from a chosen location. The pipeline is lifted by hydraulic actuators or mechanical screws on the lift frames. A hot tap fitting and accompanying orientation frame are lowered and landed on the pipeline between the pipe lift frames. The pipe lift frames are incrementally raised until the pipeline is fully seated in the hot tap fitting and orientation frame. A fitting clamp is secured to the pipeline. A hot tap machine is lowered onto the hot tap fitting and orientation frame. The pipeline is then tapped with the hot tap machine. The pipeline is thereafter lowered by deflating the lift frame bags.

Diverless subsea hot tap system

A diverless process of tapping a pressurized subsea pipeline without removing the pipeline from service. The process includes the steps of lowering and landing a measurement tool onto the pipeline in order to check ovality and straightness of the pipeline. Pipe lift frames are lowered and landed onto the pipeline spaced from a chosen location. The pipeline is lifted by hydraulic actuators or mechanical screws on the lift frames. A hot tap machine and accompanying orientation frame are lowered from the surface and landed on the pipeline between the pipe lift frames. A fitting clamp is secured to the pipeline. A hot tap machine is lowered onto the hot tap fitting and orientation frame. The pipeline is then tapped with the hot tap machine.

Diverless subsea hot tap system with lateral pipe tie-in

An underwater apparatus for servicing subsea pipelines provides a telescoping frame which can be lowered to the vicinity of the pipeline. The frame has an open section so that it can straddle the pipeline and outer jacket and fixate itself releasably so that it can be selectively repositioned. A cutting apparatus is secured to a telescoping sub frame. The cutting structure can be rotated about the longitudinal axis of the sub frame, as well as advanced along the direction of the longitudinal axis of the frame due to the telescoping feature of the sub frame. The cutting structure can also be moved pivotally about an axis of rotation which is outside and generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the pipe. Thus, combining the telescoping feature with the pivoting feature and the feature of being able to rotate about the longitudinal axis, a variety of different cuts can be made. The principal advantage of the apparatus is to be able to cut through an outer jacket of a jacketed pipeline transversely and longitudinally to remove it in pieces without cutting through the pipeline.

Pipeline cutting apparatus

Growing community of inventors

Houston, TX, United States of America

Richard W McCoy