CLAMP ASSEMBLY FOR PIPE-LAYING VESSEL AND METHOD OF LAYING A PIPELINE

• US 20130279989A1
• Filed: 01/26/2012
• Published: 10/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saipem SPA (Saipem)
• Original Assignee: Saipem SPA (Saipem)
• Inventors: Ardavanis, Kimon Tullio, Baylot, Michel Pierre Armand, Hajeri, Yann, Bianchi, Stefano
• Granted Patent: US 9,874,295 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 405/156
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 1/19 the pipes being J-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 1/207 Pipe handling apparatus

Abstract

A pipe-laying vessel including a pipe-laying tower extending upwardly from the vessel, the vessel including a welding station for joining a new pipestring to an end of the pipeline held by the tower, a clamp assembly on the tower for engaging a pipestring with a lower end adjacent to the end of the pipeline held by the tower and with the pipestring extending upwardly from its lower end alongside the tower, wherein the clamp assembly includes a pipestring clamp that serves both the function of a transfer clamp for transferring the pipestring from a position alongside the tower but displaced from the pipe-laying path to a position approximately aligned with the pipe-laying path, and the function of a line-up clamp for lining up the pipestring with the end of the pipeline.

Claims

1. A pipe-laying vessel including a pipe-laying tower extending upwardly from the vessel, the vessel comprising:

a welding station for joining a new pipestring to an end of the pipeline held by the tower,

a clamp assembly on the tower for engaging a pipestring with a lower end adjacent to the end of the pipeline held by the tower and with the pipestring extending upwardly from its lower end alongside the tower,

wherein the clamp assembly comprises a pipestring clamp that serves both the function of a transfer clamp for transferring the pipestring from a position alongside the tower but displaced from the pipe-laying path to a position approximately aligned with the pipe-laying path, and the function of a line-up clamp for lining up the pipestring with the end of the pipeline.

2. A pipe-laying vessel according to claim 1, in which the pipestring clamp is a friction clamp.

3. A pipe-laying vessel according to claim 1, in which the pipestring clamp is arranged to bear at least the major part of the weight of the pipestring.

4. A pipe-laying vessel according to claim 1 further including one or more further line-up clamps for lining up the pipestring with the end of the pipeline.

5. A pipe-laying vessel according to claim 1, in which the clamp assembly is mounted for pivotal movement about an axis substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tower.

6. A pipe-laying vessel according to claim 1, in which the clamp assembly is mounted for translational movement in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tower.

7. A pipe-laying vessel according to claim 1, in which the orientation of the pipestring clamp is adjustable.

8. A pipe-laying vessel according to claim 7, in which the orientation of the pipestring clamp is adjustable through pivoting movement of the pipestring clamp about two mutually perpendicular axes that are themselves perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tower.

9. A pipe-laying vessel according to claim 1, in which the pipestring clamp is also able to rotate the pipestring about its longitudinal axis.

10. A pipe-laying vessel according to claim 1, in which the clamp assembly further includes an internal line-up clamp arrangement.

11. A pipe-laying vessel according to claim 10, in which the internal line-up clamp arrangement includes an internal line-up clamp garage and an internal line-up clamp.

12. A pipe-laying vessel according to claim 11, in which the internal line-up clamp arrangement further includes an internal line-up clamp winch for raising and lowering the internal line-up clamp within the pipestring.

13. A pipe-laying vessel according to claim 10, in which the internal line-up clamp arrangement and the pipestring clamp are adjustably mounted for adjustment as a unit of their orientation relative to the tower.

16. A method of laying a pipeline from a pipe-laying vessel, wherein the vessel is according to claim 1.

14. A pipe-laying vessel including a pipe-laying tower extending upwardly from the vessel, the vessel comprising:

a welding station for joining a new pipestring to an end of the pipeline held by the tower,

a plurality of clamps on the tower for holding a new pipestring with a lower end adjacent to the end of the pipeline held by the tower and with the pipestring extending upwardly from its lower end alongside the tower,

wherein the plurality of clamps includes a pipestring clamp for clamping around an upper end of the pipestring and the pipestring clamp is part of a clamp assembly that also comprises an internal line-up clamp arrangement, the internal line-up clamp arrangement and the pipestring clamp being adjustably mounted for adjustment, as a unit, of their orientation relative to the tower.

15. A pipe-laying vessel including a pipe-laying tower extending upwardly from the vessel, the vessel comprising:

a welding station for joining a new pipestring to an end of the pipeline held by the tower,

a plurality of clamps on the tower for holding a new pipestring with a lower end adjacent to the end of the pipeline held by the tower and with the pipestring extending upwardly from its lower end alongside the tower,

wherein the plurality of clamps includes a pipestring clamp in the region of the top of the tower, the pipestring clamp is arranged to bear at least the major part of the weight of the pipestring and the pipestring clamp is also able to rotate the pipestring about its longitudinal axis.