Offshore deep drilling method from a floating platform

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF DRILLING AND WORKING IN A WELL BORE IN AN UNDERWATER BOTTOM FROM A FLOATING VESSEL WHICH COMPRISES POSITIONING SAID VESSEL OVER AN UNDERWATER DRILLING SITE, SUSPENDING AN ASSEMBLED CONDUCTOR PIPE OF A PREDETERMINED LENGTH FROM SAID VESSEL AND ABOVE THE UNDERWATER BOTTOM, CONNECTING A LANDING FLANGE TO THE UPPER END OF SAID CONDUCTOR PIPE, ASSEMBLING IN AXIAL ALIGNMENT WITH AND AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF SAID CONDUCTOR PIPE AND LANDING FLANGE ASSEMBLY A TUBULAR GUIDE ASSEMBLY HAVING AFFIXED THERETO AT LEAST A PAIR OF GUIDE CABLES, INSERTING A DRILL STRING WITH A RADIALLY EXPANDABLE AND CONTRACTIBLE DRILL BIT ATTACHED TO THE LOWER END THEREOF AXIALLY THROUGH SAID CONDUCTOR PIPE FROM SAID VESSEL AND INTO CONTACT WITH SAID UNDERWATER BOTTOM, RADIALLY EXPANDING SAID DRILL BIT TO A DIAMETER GREATER THAN THAT OF SAID CONDUCTOR PIPE AND ROTATING SAID DRILL STRING BY MEANS ON SAID VESSEL WHILE LOWERING SAID DRILL STRING FROM SAID VESSEL TO DRILL INTO SAID UNDERWATER BOTTOM A BORE HOLE HAVING A DIAMETER AND DEPTH TO PERMIT SAID CONDUCTOR PIPE TO BE RECEIVED THEREIN TO PERMIT SAID LANDING FLANGE TO SET ON SAID UNDERWATER BOTTOM, LOWERING SAID CONDUCTOR PIPE, SAID LANDING FLANGE AND SAID GUIDE ASSEMBLY FROM SAID VESSEL ALONG SAID DRILL STRING AND GUIDING SAID CONDUCTOR PIPE INTO SAID BORE HOLE WITH SAID DRILL STRING TO POSITION SAID LANDING FLANGE ON SAID UNDERWATER BOTTOM, RADIALLY CONTRACTING SAID DRILL BIT TO A DIAMETER SMALLER THAN THAT OF SAID CONDUCTOR PIPE AND RETRACTING SAID DRILL STRING AND SAID DRILL BIT FROM SAID CONDUCTOR PIPE WHILE MAINTAINING A FLEXIBLE CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID CONDUCTOR PIPE AND SAID VESSEL WITH SAID GUIDE CABLES, LOWERING FROM SAID VESSEL ALONG SAID GUIDE CABLES AND TO SAID TUBULAR GUIDE ASSEMBLY A STRING OF CEMENT TUBING HAVING A GUIDE MEMBER ATTACHED THERETO AND COOPERATING WITH SAID GUIDE CABLES, GUIDING THE LOWER END OF SAID STRING OF CEMENT TUBING INTO SAID CONDUCTOR PIPE BY SAID GUIDE CABLES AND SAID TUBULAR GUIDE ASSEMBLY, INTRODUCING CEMENT FROM SAID VESSEL THROUGH SAID STRING OF CEMENT TUBING INTO SAID BORE HOLE AND CEMENTING SAID CONDUCTOR PIPE IN SAID BORE HOLE, RETRACTING SAID STRING OF CEMENT TUBING FROM SAID CONDUCTOR PIPE AND SLACKING SAID GUIDE CABLES WHILE SAID CEMENT SETS.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF DRILLING AND WORKING IN A WELL BORE IN AN UNDERWATER BOTTOM FROM A FLOATING VESSEL WHICH COMPRISES POSITIONING SAID VESSEL OVER AN UNDERWATER DRILLING SITE, SUSPENDING AN ASSEMBLED CONDUCTOR PIPE OF A PREDETERMINED LENGTH FROM SAID VESSEL AND ABOVE THE UNDERWATER BOTTOM, CONNECTING A LANDING FLANGE TO THE UPPER END OF SAID CONDUCTOR PIPE, ASSEMBLING IN AXIAL ALIGNMENT WITH AND AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF SAID CONDUCTOR PIPE AND LANDING FLANGE ASSEMBLY A TUBULAR GUIDE ASSEMBLY HAVING AFFIXED THERETO AT LEAST A PAIR OF GUIDE CABLES, INSERTING A DRILL STRING WITH A RADIALLY EXPANDABLE AND CONTRACTIBLE DRILL BIT ATTACHED TO THE LOWER END THEREOF AXIALLY THROUGH SAID CONDUCTOR PIPE FROM SAID VESSEL AND INTO CONTACT WITH SAID UNDERWATER BOTTOM, RADIALLY EXPANDING SAID DRILL BIT TO A DIAMETER GREATER THAN THAT OF SAID CONDUCTOR PIPE AND ROTATING SAID DRILL STRING BY MEANS ON SAID VESSEL WHILE LOWERING SAID DRILL STRING FROM SAID VESSEL TO DRILL INTO SAID UNDERWATER BOTTOM A BORE HOLE HAVING A DIAMETER AND DEPTH TO PERMIT SAID CONDUCTOR PIPE TO BE RECEIVED THEREIN TO PERMIT SAID LANDING FLANGE TO SET ON SAID UNDERWATER BOTTOM, LOWERING SAID CONDUCTOR PIPE, SAID LANDING FLANGE AND SAID GUIDE ASSEMBLY FROM SAID VESSEL ALONG SAID DRILL STRING AND GUIDING SAID CONDUCTOR PIPE INTO SAID BORE HOLE WITH SAID DRILL STRING TO POSITION SAID LANDING FLANGE ON SAID UNDERWATER BOTTOM, RADIALLY CONTRACTING SAID DRILL BIT TO A DIAMETER SMALLER THAN THAT OF SAID CONDUCTOR PIPE AND RETRACTING SAID DRILL STRING AND SAID DRILL BIT FROM SAID CONDUCTOR PIPE WHILE MAINTAINING A FLEXIBLE CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID CONDUCTOR PIPE AND SAID VESSEL WITH SAID GUIDE CABLES, LOWERING FROM SAID VESSEL ALONG SAID GUIDE CABLES AND TO SAID TUBULAR GUIDE ASSEMBLY A STRING OF CEMENT TUBING HAVING A GUIDE MEMBER ATTACHED THERETO AND COOPERATING WITH SAID GUIDE CABLES, GUIDING THE LOWER END OF SAID STRING OF CEMENT TUBING INTO SAID CONDUCTOR PIPE BY SAID GUIDE CABLES AND SAID TUBULAR GUIDE ASSEMBLY, INTRODUCING CEMENT FROM SAID VESSEL THROUGH SAID STRING OF CEMENT TUBING INTO SAID BORE HOLE AND CEMENTING SAID CONDUCTOR PIPE IN SAID BORE HOLE, RETRACTING SAID STRING OF CEMENT TUBING FROM SAID CONDUCTOR PIPE AND SLACKING SAID GUIDE CABLES WHILE SAID CEMENT SETS.