Saipem S.a.

Bouygues Offshore

Other

Salpem S.a.

Rocher, Xavier

Xavier Rocher

Michel Pierre Baylot

François-Régis Pionetti

Raymond Hallot

Marc Bonnissel

Laurent Chenin

Eric Kerdiles

Regis Pionetti

Francois-Régis Pionetti

Michel Gassert

Francois Régis Pionetti

Rapha&euml;l Dauphin

Micha&euml;l Gassert

Val&eacute;rie Quiniou

Xuan Chi Nguyen

Alain Safakhah

François-Régìs Pionetti

Régis Pionetti

A device for fabricating structures of large dimensions, layer by layer. The invention relates to a device making use of positioning an extrusion head in three dimensions by means of cables in order to deposit a pasty material continuously in thin layers, e.g. a mortar comprising either a hydraulic binder or thermoplastic compounds or thermosetting compounds or curable compounds. The invention is for making industrial elements of very large dimensions, and more particularly for making buildings.

Device and method for producing three-dimensional structures created in successive layers

A modular storage and holder device for a plurality of flexible lines having a circular turntable arranged on a plane such as the deck of a ship and having reversibly attached thereto a central cylinder around which at least a first line is wound in carousel mode with a plurality of coaxial layers of helically superposed touching turns, internal posts serving as a winding support for at least one second flexible line itself retained by a series of second intermediate posts around which it is possible to wind at least one third flexible line, itself retained by peripheral retaining posts at the periphery of the turntable, the second and third lines being wound in rotary basket type mode having superposed pluralities of layers of juxtaposed concentric touching turns resting on a common plane.

Modular device for the storage and handling of a plurality of flexible pipes

The present invention relates to a curvature limiter device constituted by fastening tubular sleeves () end-to-end, the tubular sleeves being fitted at their longitudinal ends with fastener-and-hinge devices () on their top faces and with bottom abutments () diametrically opposite on their bottom faces. The present invention also provides a bottom-to-surface connection installation between undersea equipment such as an undersea well head or the end of an undersea pipe resting on the sea bottom () and a floating support () on the surface, the installation comprising an undersea flexible line () having its curvature controlled by a said curvature limiter device () of the invention, said curvature limiter device being arranged at an intermediate depth between the sea bottom () and the surface ().

Curvature limiter for a flexible undersea line, and seabed-to-surface linking equipment including same

A ship for laying flexible undersea lines at sea, the ship having a deck including a cavity receiving said turntable and a motor-driven device for rotating the turntable and fastened to the carrier structure of the hull of the ship, also known as the 'hull girder'. The top face of the circular turntable does not project significantly above the plane of the deck that is juxtaposed therewith. The turntable presents attachment elements for attaching a modular storage and handling device for storing and handling flexible lines by winding and unwinding the flexible lines.

Ship having a deck comprising a cavity with a built-in rotary plate

A pipe having at least two steel pipe elements with internal lining that are assembled together end to end, with the ends of the two pipe elements being welded together. A tubular junction sleeve is interposed inside the pipe at the abutting ends of the two pipe elements so that the end terminal portions of the sleeve are at least in part in leaktight contact with respective ones of the terminal portions at the ends of the internal linings of the two pipe elements. The leaktight contact zone is a zone of fusion welding together the materials in mutual contact constituting at least a portion of each terminal portion of the sleeve and of each respective terminal portion of the lining. At each of the terminal portions of the sleeve in the leaktight contact zone, the tubular junction sleeve presents a Joule effect heater wire arranged in a double spiral on the outer surface of each terminal portion at the ends of the sleeve.

Plastic tubular connecting sleeve for a pipe with internal liner

A method of using a buoyancy fluid presenting density that is less than that of sea water, and that is confined in a rigid or flexible leaktight casing, so as to constitute an immersed buoyancy element, wherein the buoyancy fluid is a compound that is naturally in a gaseous state at ambient atmospheric temperature and pressure, and in a liquid state at the underwater depth to which the buoyancy element is immersed. A method is also disclosed for placing a buoyancy element in place between the surface and the bed of the sea, wherein fluid is stored in a tank on a surface ship as a liquid in the cooled or compressed liquid state, and is injected in the liquid state into a pipe from the surface where it is stored to an immersed casing at an underwater depth at which the underwater pressure is not greater than the vapor pressure of the gas corresponding to the compound at the temperature at the depth.

Buoyancy device and a method for stabilizing and controlling the lowering or raising of a structure between the surface and the bed of the sea

A method of making steel undersea pipes designed to convey corrosive fluids including water, the method including acting in a workshop on land to assemble together respective ends of at least two unitary pipe elements with carbon-steel first welds to form pipe strings, the first welds being protected by first linings, and acting at sea from a laying ship to assemble together respective ends of the strings by use of anti-corrosion second welds of stainless steel or of anti-corrosion alloy to form a pipe. Each of the ends of the strings are provided with an anti-corrosion cladding which extends over the inside surface made of carbon steel of each end unitary pipe element over a first length of at least 4 times the thickness of the wall of the pipe.

Method of making an undersea pipe including anticorrosion linings and welds

A method of using a buoyancy fluid presenting density that is less than that of sea water, and that is confined in a rigid or flexible leaktight casing, so as to constitute an immersed buoyancy element, wherein the buoyancy fluid is a compound that is naturally in the gaseous state at ambient atmospheric temperature and pressure, and in the liquid state at the underwater depth to which the buoyancy element is immersed. The present invention also relates to a method of putting a buoyancy element into place between the surface and the bed of the sea, wherein the fluid is stored in a tank on a surface ship as a liquid in the cooled or compressed liquid state, and it is injected in the liquid state into a pipe from the surface where it is stored to an said immersed casing at an underwater depth at which the underwater pressure is not greater than the vapor pressure of the gas corresponding to the compound at the temperature at the depth.

Buoyancy device and method for stabilizing and controlling lowering or raising of a structure between the surface and the sea floor

An insulating complex having a metal case and insulating material confined in a vacuum between the inner wall and the outer wall of the case and wherein each of the walls has a metal strip, at least one of which includes corrugations. An insulated pipe and a set of two coaxial pipes are also provided wherein the coaxial pipes are arranged as an inner pipe and an outer pipe, preferably undersea pipes for great depths.

Metal-clad insulating complex for a pipe

The present invention relates to a reinforced undersea unit pipe element () suitable for being laid empty at great depth. The element includes a tubular wall, having at least one external peripheral reinforcing element () creating a plurality of localized zones on the outside surface of the wall, the radial distance (d) between the outside surface of the pipe and the longitudinal axis (XX') of the wall in the zones being greater than the outside radius (R) of the tubular wall portions lying between the successive zones in the longitudinal direction (XX&#x2032;), two successive ones of the zones being spaced apart in the longitudinal direction (XX&#x2032;) of the tubular wall by a distance (D) equal to &#xbd; to 4 times the outside diameter (d) of the tubular wall portions, the successive zones preferably being spaced apart regularly.

Reinforced submarine pipeline and assembly of two coaxial pipelines comprising same

The present invention concerns a device for heat-insulating at least one sub-marine pipe. The sub-marine pipe includes a heat insulation covering including a material subject to migration, the covering surrounding the pipe and being covered by a sealed protective envelope having a tubular shape and a longitudinal axis of symmetry. The envelope being constituted by a flexible or semi-rigid material able to remain in contact with the external surface of the insulation covering when the latter warps. The device includes at least two sealed transversal partitions, each being constituted by a closed rigid piece traversed by and integral with the pipe and with the envelope.

Thermal insulation device for at least one underwater pipe compressing sealed partitions

The present invention relates to a device for the heat insulation of at least one underwater pipe () intended to be laid on the sea bed at great depth, comprising an insulating coating surrounding the latter and a protective envelope (), characterized in that said insulating coating comprises a virtually incompressible liquid/solid phase change material () with a melting temperature Thigher than that Tof the medium surrounding the pipe in operation and less than that Tof the effluents circulating in the pipe, and said material () preferably being impregnated in an absorbent matrix () surrounding the pipe (), preferably nearest its outer surface, which protective envelope () is resistant and deformable and ensures a containment against and about said insulating coating.

Device and process for the heat insulation of at least one underwater pipe at great depth

An apparatus for holding and guiding a floating riser relative to a floating support. The apparatus includes a guidance mechanism secured to the floating support for enabling the riser to rotate about a horizontal axis perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the riser; and for enabling the riser to slide longitudinally along the longitudinal axis and lateral displacement of the riser to be guided in a horizontal plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the riser. The guidance mechanism includes friction pads mounted on a pad support for enabling the pads to pivot. The pads preferably cooperate with wheels such that the wheels bear against the riser and enable it to slide, and the riser comes to bear against the pads only when the wheels are moved away under the effect of lateral displacements of the riser.

Device and method for maintaining and guiding a riser, and method for transferring a riser onto a floating support

The present invention relates to a floating support of the type having a cavity ( ) within which a plurality of risers ( ) can be positioned. According to the invention, the cavity ( ) has a plurality of compartments ( ) at the ends of which said risers ( ) are in a production position ( ), said compartments communicating with a central channel ( ) at the end of which there is situated ( ) a drilling derrick ( ), said compartments being disposed transversely relative to said central channel ( ).

Floating support including a central cavity comprising a plurality of compartments

A bottom-to-surface link system includes a submarine pipe assembled to at least one float. At least one coaxial can surrounds the pipe. Junctions, which join the can to the pipe at the top and bottom orifices through which the pipe passes, include leakproof joints assembled around the pipe. Furthermore, the leakproof joints are flexible and resilient and are of the laminated abutment type.

Growing community of inventors

Chatou, France

Xavier Rocher