Method and apparatus for off shore drilling

Claim 1

IN COMBINATION WITH A WELL DRILLING STRING, APPARATUS FOR DRILLING A WELL IN A FORMATION UNDER WATER, COMPRISING: A FLOATING SUPPORT; MEANS FOR ANCHORING SAID SUPPORT; A CASING POSITIONED IN SAID FORMATION AND HAVING ITS UPPER END SUBSTANTIALLY AT THE SURFACE THEREOF SAID CASING BEING SEALINGLY CEMENTED IN SAID FORMATION; A SAFETY RELEASE JOINT MANDREL SECURED TO THE UPPER END OF SAID CASING; AN ANCHOR DEVICE RELEASABLY SECURED TO SAID CASING; FLEXIBLE GUIDES SECURED TO AND EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID ANCHOR DEVICE AND SAID SUPPORT; A VERTICAL ASSEMBLY OF SERIES CONNECTED DRILLING DEVICES INCLUDING A SUBMARINE HEAD, A CONTROL GATE HAVING A GATE RAM AND A SAFETY RELEASE JOINT BARREL UNIT, SAID UNIT BEING MATABLE WITH SAID MANDREL, SAID ASSEMBLY DEFINING A DRILL PIPE PASSAGEWAY AND SAID GATE RAM BEING OPERABLE INTO A POSITION CLOSING OFF SAID DRILL PIPE PASSAGEWAY; MEANS ON SAID ASSEMBLY FOR SLIDABLE ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID FLEXIBLE GUIDES; AND MEANS INCLUDING CONNECTIONS AND APPARATUS EXTENDING FROM SAID SUPPORT FOR OPERATING SAID SUBMARINE HEAD AND SAID CONTROL GATE.