Well drilling method and apparatus

Claim 1

A METHOD OF SETTING A WELL FOUNDATION PIPE IN AN UNCONSOLIDATED FORMATION UNDERLYING A BODY OF WATER, SAID METHOD COMPRISING THE STEPS OF (A) VERTICALLY SUSPENDING A FOUNDATION PIPE FROM A FLOATING VESSEL WITH THE LOWER END OF SAID PIPE EXTENDING INTO THE BODY OF WATER, (B) POSITIONING INDEPENDENT FLUID CONDUIT MEANS WITHIN SAID FOUNDATION PIPE WITH SAID FLUID CONDUIT MEANS EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID VESSEL AND CENTRALLY POSITIONED IN OPEN SPACED RELATIONSHIP WITHIN SAID FOUNDATION PIPE, AND CONNECTING THE FLUID CONDUIT MEANS TO SAID FOUNDATION PIPE SO THAT THE LOWER END OF SAID CONDUIT MEANS IS ADAJCENT BUT ABOVE THE LOWER END OF SAID FOUNDATION PIPE, (C) LOWERING SAID FLUID CONDUIT MEANS AND SAID FOUNDATION PIPE UNTIL THE PIPE CONTACTS THE FORMATION BELOW SAID BODY OF WATER, (D) SINKING SAID FOUNDATION PIPE TOGETHER WITH SAID FLUID CONDUIT MEANS POSITIONED THEREIN INTO SAID UNCONSOLIDATED FORMATION, (E) SIMULTANEOUSLY PUMPING FLUID DOWN SAID CENTRAL CONDUIT MEANS INTO THE BOTTOM OF SAID FOUNDATION PIPE TO DISINTEGRATE AND WASH OUT THE FORMATION CORE ENTERING THE BOTTOM OF THE FOUNDATION PIPE AS SAID PIPE IS FORCED INTO SAID FORMATION, AND (F) CIRCULATING ALL OF SAID PUMPED FLUID AND FORMATION WASHING UP THE FOUNDATION PIPE AND THROUGH THE ANNULAR FLOW PASAGE OUTSIDE SAID CONDUIT MEANS WHILE MAINTAINING THE END OF SAID CONDUIT MEANS A DISTANCE ABOVE THE LOWER END OF SAID PIPE SO THAT A CORE OF SAID FORMATION REMAINS IN THE BOTTOM OF SAID PIPE AT ALL TIMES PREVENTING THE ESCAPE OF FLUID THEREFROM.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF SETTING A WELL FOUNDATION PIPE IN AN UNCONSOLIDATED FORMATION UNDERLYING A BODY OF WATER, SAID METHOD COMPRISING THE STEPS OF (A) VERTICALLY SUSPENDING A FOUNDATION PIPE FROM A FLOATING VESSEL WITH THE LOWER END OF SAID PIPE EXTENDING INTO THE BODY OF WATER, (B) POSITIONING INDEPENDENT FLUID CONDUIT MEANS WITHIN SAID FOUNDATION PIPE WITH SAID FLUID CONDUIT MEANS EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID VESSEL AND CENTRALLY POSITIONED IN OPEN SPACED RELATIONSHIP WITHIN SAID FOUNDATION PIPE, AND CONNECTING THE FLUID CONDUIT MEANS TO SAID FOUNDATION PIPE SO THAT THE LOWER END OF SAID CONDUIT MEANS IS ADAJCENT BUT ABOVE THE LOWER END OF SAID FOUNDATION PIPE, (C) LOWERING SAID FLUID CONDUIT MEANS AND SAID FOUNDATION PIPE UNTIL THE PIPE CONTACTS THE FORMATION BELOW SAID BODY OF WATER, (D) SINKING SAID FOUNDATION PIPE TOGETHER WITH SAID FLUID CONDUIT MEANS POSITIONED THEREIN INTO SAID UNCONSOLIDATED FORMATION, (E) SIMULTANEOUSLY PUMPING FLUID DOWN SAID CENTRAL CONDUIT MEANS INTO THE BOTTOM OF SAID FOUNDATION PIPE TO DISINTEGRATE AND WASH OUT THE FORMATION CORE ENTERING THE BOTTOM OF THE FOUNDATION PIPE AS SAID PIPE IS FORCED INTO SAID FORMATION, AND (F) CIRCULATING ALL OF SAID PUMPED FLUID AND FORMATION WASHING UP THE FOUNDATION PIPE AND THROUGH THE ANNULAR FLOW PASAGE OUTSIDE SAID CONDUIT MEANS WHILE MAINTAINING THE END OF SAID CONDUIT MEANS A DISTANCE ABOVE THE LOWER END OF SAID PIPE SO THAT A CORE OF SAID FORMATION REMAINS IN THE BOTTOM OF SAID PIPE AT ALL TIMES PREVENTING THE ESCAPE OF FLUID THEREFROM.