Marine drilling apparatus

Claim 1

MARINE DRILLING APPARATUS COMPRISING A VESSEL CONTROLLABLE BUOYANCY, MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID VESSEL TO CONTROL ITS BUOYANCY, A PLURALITY OF TUBULAR MEMBERS AFFIXED TO SAID VESSEL, SAID MEMBERS BEING MAINTAINED IN VERTICAL AND EQUALLY DISTANT RELATIONSHIP TO EACH OTHER, SAID MEMBERS BEING OF SUFFICIENT LENGTH TO EXTEND ABOVE THE SURFACE OF THE WATER UPON THE PLACING OF THE VESSEL AT THE DESIRED POSITION UNDER THE WATER, SAID MEMBERS BEING CLOSED AT THEIR LOWER ENDS AND OPEN AT THEIR UPPER ENDS TO RECEIVE A PISTON, A PLURALITY OF PISTONS EACH ADAPTED TO BE RECEIVED WITHIN THE UPPER END OF ONE OF SAID TUBULAR MEMBERS IN TELESCOPIC RELATIONSHIP THERETO, SAID PISTONS BEING OF SUFFICIENT LENGTH TO PERMIT THE ATTACHMENT OR REMOVAL OF DRILL STRING SECTIONS WHEN IN AN EXTENDED POSITION, A CROSSHEAD RIGIDLY CONNECTED TO THE PISTONS AND ADAPTED TO MAINTAIN THE PISTONS IN VERTICAL FIXED RELATIONSHIP TO EACH OTHER AND HAVING MEANS ATTACHED THERETO FOR SUPPORTING A DRILLING STRING, PNEUMATIC MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH THE LOWER SECTION OF THE TUBULAR MEMBERS WHEREBY GAS MAY BE INTRODUCED INTO OR RELEASED FROM SAID MEMBERS TO RAISE OR LOWER THE PISTONS, A PLURALITY OF ANCHORAGE CABLES BEING OF SUFFICIENT LENGTH TO EXTEND FROM THE MARINE FLOOR TO THE UPPER END OF THE TUBULAR MEMBERS, GUIDE MEANS POSITIONED IN THE LOWER PORTION OF THE SUBMERSIBLE VESSEL, SAID ANCHORAGE CABLES PASSING THROUGH SAID GUIDE MEANS; CLAMPING MEANS FOR SECURING SAID ANCHORAGE CABLES TO THE UPPER END OF THE TUBULAR MEMBERS, SAID CABLES BEING SPACED EQUALLY DISTANT FROM EACH OTHER, A SECOND PLUARLITY OF ANCHORAGE CABLES EXTENDING FROM THE MARINE FLOOR TO THE UPPER END OF THE TUBULAR MEMBERS, SAID GUIDE MEANS POSITIONED ON THE TUBULAR MEMBERS, SAID SECOND PLURALITY OF ANCHORAGE CABLES PASSING THROUGH SAID GUIDE MEANS, CLAMPING MEANS FOR SECURING SAID SECOND PLURALITY OF ANCHORAGE CABLES TO THE UPPER END OF THE TUBULAR MEMBERS, SAID CABLES BEING SPACED EQUALLY DISTANT FROM EACH OTHER; A PLURALITY OF VIBRATION DAMPENING CABLES ANCHORED TO THE MARINE FLOOR AND EXTENDING TO THE UPPER END OF THE TUBULAR MEMBERS, GUIDE MEANS SECURD TO THE WELL CONDUCTOR BELOW THE SUBMERSIBLE VESSEL, SAID VIBRATION DAMPENING CABLES PASSING THROUGH SAID GUIDE MEANS, CLAMPING MEANS FOR SECURING SAID VIBRATION DAMPENING CABLES TO THE UPPER END OF THE TUBULAR MEMBERS, AT LEAST ONE VERTICALLY POSITIONED WELL CONDUCTOR EXTENDING FROM THE MARINE FLOOR THROUGH THE VESSEL TO ABOVE THE SURFACE OF THE WATER, MEANS TO MAINTAIN THE CONDUCTOR IN PARALLEL FIXED RELATIONSHIP TO THE TUBULAR MEMBERS AND SUBMERSIBLE VESSEL, SAID CONDUCTOR TERMINATING AT ITS UPPER END IN MEANS TO SUPPORT DRILLING EQUIPMENT, A DOWN THE HOLE SHOULDER POSITIONED WITHIN THE WELL CONDUCTOR NEAR THE MARINE FORMATION, SAID SHOULDER CONSISTING OF A BODY SECTION TO RECEIVE A TUBING AND BELOW SUCH SHOULDER, SUPPORTING MEANS INTEGRAL WITH THE INTERIOR OF SAID BODY SECTION TO RECEIVE A TUBING HANGER, SAID MEANS HAVING AT ITS UPPER END A FLAT SURFACE OF SUFFICIENT WIDTH TO SUPPORT A TUBING HANGER, SAID MEANS HAVING AT ITS UPPER END A FLAT SURFACE OF SUFFICIENT WIDTH TO SUPPORT A TUBING HANGER, AND A TUBING HANGER POSITIONED ON SAID SUPPORTING MEANS.