Simultaneous pipeline-wellhead connections

Claim 1

Apparatus for use at an underwater installation for selectively installing a plurality of conduits onto said installation, said apparatus comprising: plUrality of coextensive conduits adapted to be positioned along the floor of a body of water and selectively movable from an underwater position remote from said installation into engagement with said installation; pulling head means attached to one end of said conduits and having throughbores in axial alignment with said conduits; conduit-anchoring means securable to said installation, said anchoring means including a receiver portion for receiving said pulling head means; first rotational alignment means carried by the outer surface of said pulling head means for selectively rotating said pulling head means into engagement on said receiver portion whereby said throughbores are axially aligned with said receiver portion; second rotational alignment means carried by the inner surface of said receiver portion and adapted to selectively mate with said first rotational alignment means to thereby rotationally align said pulling head means within said receiver portion; and, conduit-pulling means adapted to be operatively secured to said installation, said conduit pulling means including: a cable; connector means connected to one end of said cable and adapted to be detachably secured to said pulling head means; and, a cable guide means in which said cable is adapted to move, one end of said cable guide means being normally operatively positioned adjacent said anchoring means and opening therein with the axis of said opening lying along substantially the same axis as the receiver portion thereof, and said cable guide means being selectively movable out of said normally operative position.

Claim 9

A method of remotely connecting a plurality of coextensive flowlines to an installation submerged in a body of water, said installation having a plurality of flowlines extending therefrom and terminating in matable ends, said method comprising: providing the installation with flowline alignment means; arranging flowline pulling means including cable means and a guide therefor in operative association with said flowline alignment means; securing one end of said cable means to a plurality of coextensive ocean-floor flowlines, having cooperable matable ends adapted to be coupled to the matable ends of said installation flowlines, said ocean-floor flowlines being selectively movable from a point remote from said installation to engagement with said installation; applying tension to said cable means to pull said ocean-floor flowlines toward and into contact with said alignment means; rotationally orienting said plurality of ocean-floor flowlines via said installation flowline alignment means to place them into axial alignment with said installation flowlines; anchoring the ends of said ocean-floor flowlines in axial alignment and at a spaced distance from the matable ends of said installation flowlines; removing any interfering apparatus from the space between the axially aligned ends of said flowlines; and extending the matable ends of said installation flowlines toward matable ends of said ocean-floor flowlines.

Claim 10

A method of remotely connecting a plurality of coextensive flowlines to an installation submerged in a body of water, said installation having a plurality of flowlines extending therefrom and terminating in matable ends, said method comprising: providing the installation with flowline alignment means; arranging flowline pulling means including cable means and a guide therefor in operative association with said flowline alignment means; securing one end of said cable means to a plurality of coextensive ocean-floor flowlines, having cooperable matable ends adapted to be coupled to the matable ends of said installation flowlines, said ocean-floor flowlines being selectively movable from a point remote from said installation to engagement with said installation; applying tension to said cable means to pull said ocean-floor flowlines toward and into contact with said alignment means; rotationally orienting said plurality of ocean-floor flowlines via said installation flowline alignment means to place them into axial alignment with said installation flowlines; anchoring the ends of said ocean-floor flowlines in axial alignment and at a spaced distance from the matable ends of said installation flowlines; removing any interfering apparatus from the space between the axially aligned ends of said flowlines; and extending the matable ends of said installation flowlines toward matable ends of said ocean-floor flowlines.