Apparatus and method for under-water jacking of piles

Claim 1

A method for driving piles for an off-shore oil or gas tower comprising the steps of: (a) positioning said tower on the ocean floor, said tower having a plurality of pile receiving guides extending upwardly from the ocean floor; (b) lowering a casing over a selected pile and aligning it with a selected one of said guides; (c) clamping said casing to said selected guide to form an upward extension of said guide; (d) lowering a jacking cylinder into said casing and positioning said jacking cylinder under water and above said pile, said cylinder having a reciprocal piston therein; (e) securing said cylinder to said casing to prevent upward movement of said cylinder; (f) hydraulically causing said piston to move downwardly within said cylinder, thereby jacking said pile downwardly; (g) retracting said piston within said cylinder; (h) releasing said cylinder from said casing; (i) lowering said cylinder; (j) again causing said piston to move downwardly with said cylinder, thereby further jacking said pile downwardly; (k) repeating steps f through j until said pile has been driven to a desired depth; (l) withdrawing said cylinder from said casing; (m) releasing said casing from said selected guide; (n) positioning said casing in alignment with another one of said guides; and (o) repeating steps c through k.

Claim 2

A method for driving piles for an off-shore oil or gas tower comprising the steps of: (a) positioning said tower on the ocean floor, said tower having a plurality of pile receiving guides extending upwardly from the ocean floor; (b) lowering a casing over a selected pile and aligning it with a selected one of said guides; (c) clamping said casing to said selected guide to form an upward extension of said guide; (d) lowering a jacking cylinder into said casing and positioning said jacking cylinder under water and above said pile, said cylinder having a reciprocal piston therein; (e) securing said cylinder to said casing to prevent upward movement of said cylinder; (f) hydraulically causing said piston to move downwardly within said cylinder, thereby jacking said pile downwardly; (g) retracting said piston within said cylinder; (h) releasing said cylinder from said casing; (i) lowering said cylinder; (j) again causing said piston to move downwardly with said cylinder, thereby further jacking said pile downwardly; (k) repeating steps f through j until said pile has been driven to a desired depth; (l) withdrawing said cylinder from said casing; (m) releasing said casing from said selected guide; (n) positioning said casing in alignment with another one of said guides; and (o) repeating steps c through k.

Claim 3

A method for driving piles to anchor an off-shore oil or gas well tower comprising the steps of: (a) positioning said tower on the ocean floor, said tower having a plurality of legs each with an associated circular array of pile-receiving guides and each extending upwardly from the ocean floor and terminating substantially above the water surface; (b) positioning a barge with a crane thereon adjacent to said tower; (c) assembling a plurality of casing sections end-to-end to form a continuous cylindrical casing; (d) latching said casing to a selected one of said guides to form an upward extension of said selected guide; (e) lowering a jacking cylinder by said crane into said casing and positioning said jacking cylinder under water and above said pile, said cylinder having a reciprocable piston therein; (f) securing said cylinder to the inside of said casing to prevent upward movement thereof; (g) hydraulically causing said piston to move downwardly with in said cylinder, thereby jacking said pile downwardly; (h) retracting said piston within said cylinder; (i) releasing said cylinder from said casing; (j) lowering said cylinder by said crane; (k) again securing said cylinder to the inside of said casing to prevent upward movement thereof; (l) again causing said piston to move downwardly within said cylinder, thereby further jacking said pile downwardly; (m) repeating steps h through l until said pile has been driven to a desired depth; (n) withdrawing said cylinder from said casing by said crane; (o) releasing said casing from said selected guide; (p) using said crane to position said casing in alignment with another one of said guides; and (q) repeating steps d through o.

Claim 4

A method for driving piles to anchor an off-shore oil or gas well tower comprising the steps of: (a) positioning said tower on the ocean floor, said tower having a plurality of legs each with an associated circular array of pile-receiving guides and each extending upwardly from the ocean floor and terminating substantially above the water surface; (b) positioning a barge with a crane thereon adjacent to said tower; (c) assembling a plurality of casing sections end-to-end to form a continuous cylindrical casing; (d) latching said casing to a selected one of said guides to form an upward extension of said selected guide; (e) lowering a jacking cylinder by said crane into said casing and positioning said jacking cylinder under water and above said pile, said cylinder having a reciprocable piston therein; (f) securing said cylinder to the inside of said casing to prevent upward movement thereof; (g) hydraulically causing said piston to move downwardly with in said cylinder, thereby jacking said pile downwardly; (h) retracting said piston within said cylinder; (i) releasing said cylinder from said casing; (j) lowering said cylinder by said crane; (k) again securing said cylinder to the inside of said casing to prevent upward movement thereof; (l) again causing said piston to move downwardly within said cylinder, thereby further jacking said pile downwardly; (m) repeating steps h through l until said pile has been driven to a desired depth; (n) withdrawing said cylinder from said casing by said crane; (o) releasing said casing from said selected guide; (p) using said crane to position said casing in alignment with another one of said guides; and (q) repeating steps d through o.

Claim 7

A method for driving piles for an off-shore oil or gas tower comprising the steps of: (a) positioning said tower on the ocean floor, said tower having a plurality of pile-receiving guides at the bottom end thereof; (b) lowering a column and aligning it with a selected one of said guides; (c) securing said column to said selected guide to form an upward extension thereof; (d) positioning a jacking cylinder and piston combination under water and above a pile received by said selected guide; (e) securing said cylinder and piston combination to said column to prevent upward movement thereof; (f) hydraulically causing said piston to move relative to said cylinder and thereby jacking said pile downwardly; (g) retracting said piston within said cylinder; (h) releasing said cylinder and piston combination from said column; (i) lowering said cylinder and piston combination; (j) again causing said piston to move relative to said cylinder and thereby further jacking said pile downwardly; (k) repeating steps f through j until said pile has been driven to a desired depth; (l) releasing said column from said selected guide; (m) positioning said column in alignment with another one of said guides; and (n) repeating steps c through k.

Claim 8

A method for driving piles for an off-shore oil or gas tower comprising the steps of: (a) positioning said tower on the ocean floor, said tower having a plurality of pile-receiving guides at the bottom end thereof; (b) lowering a column and aligning it with a selected one of said guides; (c) securing said column to said selected guide to form an upward extension thereof; (d) positioning a jacking cylinder and piston combination under water and above a pile received by said selected guide; (e) securing said cylinder and piston combination to said column to prevent upward movement thereof; (f) hydraulically causing said piston to move relative to said cylinder and thereby jacking said pile downwardly; (g) retracting said piston within said cylinder; (h) releasing said cylinder and piston combination from said column; (i) lowering said cylinder and piston combination; (j) again causing said piston to move relative to said cylinder and thereby further jacking said pile downwardly; (k) repeating steps f through j until said pile has been driven to a desired depth; (l) releasing said column from said selected guide; (m) positioning said column in alignment with another one of said guides; and (n) repeating steps c through k.

Claim 10

A method for driving piles to anchor an off-shore oil or gas well tower comprising the steps of: (a) positioning said tower on the ocean floor so that it terminates above the water surface, said tower having a plurality of legs, each leg being associated at the bottom end thereof with an array of pile-receiving guides; (b) assembling a plurality of column sections end-to-end to form a continuous column; (c) securing said column to a selected one of said guides to form an upward extension of said selected guide; (d) lowering a jacking cylinder and piston combination along said column and thus positioning said jacking cylinder and piston combination under water and above a pile received by said selected guide; (e) securing said cylinder and piston combination to said column to prevent upward movement thereof; (f) hydraulically expanding said cylinder and piston combination and thereby jacking said pile downwardly; (g) contracting said cylinder and piston combination; (h) releasing said cylinder and piston combination from said column; (i) lowering said cylinder and piston combination; (j) again securing said cylinder and piston combination to said column to prevent upward movement thereof; (k) hydraulically expanding said cylinder and piston combination and thereby further jacking said pile downwardly; (l) repeating steps g through k until said pile has been driven to a desired depth; (m) releasing said column from said selected guide; (n) positioning said column in alignment with another one of said guides; and (o) repeating steps c through o.

Claim 11

A method for driving piles to anchor an off-shore oil or gas well tower comprising the steps of: (a) positioning said tower on the ocean floor so that it terminates above the water surface, said tower having a plurality of legs, each leg being associated at the bottom end thereof with an array of pile-receiving guides; (b) assembling a plurality of column sections end-to-end to form a continuous column; (c) securing said column to a selected one of said guides to form an upward extension of said selected guide; (d) lowering a jacking cylinder and piston combination along said column and thus positioning said jacking cylinder and piston combination under water and above a pile received by said selected guide; (e) securing said cylinder and piston combination to said column to prevent upward movement thereof; (f) hydraulically expanding said cylinder and piston combination and thereby jacking said pile downwardly; (g) contracting said cylinder and piston combination; (h) releasing said cylinder and piston combination from said column; (i) lowering said cylinder and piston combination; (j) again securing said cylinder and piston combination to said column to prevent upward movement thereof; (k) hydraulically expanding said cylinder and piston combination and thereby further jacking said pile downwardly; (l) repeating steps g through k until said pile has been driven to a desired depth; (m) releasing said column from said selected guide; (n) positioning said column in alignment with another one of said guides; and (o) repeating steps c through o.