Method and apparatus for drilling underwater wells

Claim 1

IN A METHOD OF DRILLING A WELL FROM A FLOATING VESSEL AT AN OFFSHORE LOCATION AND THROUGH A WELLHEAD ASSEMBLY POSITIONED BENEATH THE SURFACE OF A BODY OF WATER, SAID METHOD COMPRISING POSITIONING A FLOATING DRILLING BASE OVER AN UNDERWATER WELLHEAD, SUSPENDING A STRING OF DRILLING PIPE FROM SAID DRILLING BASE SO THAT THE LOWER END OF SAID DRILLING PIPE STRING EXTENDS THROUGH SAID WELLHEAD DURING DRILLING OPERATIONS, SUPPORTING SAID PIPE STRING AGAINST HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT NEAR THE UPPER END THEREOF AT A POINT ADJACENT THE DRILLING BASE AND AT A POINT WHERE THE PIPE STRING PASSES THROUGH THE WELLHEAD, AND SUPPORTING SAID PIPE STRING AGAINST HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT AT LEAST AT A THIRD POINT INTERMEDIATE THE SUPPORT POINTS ON SAID DRILLING BASE AND SAID WELLHEAD, SAID SUPPORTING ACTION TAKING PLACE AGAINST SAID PIPE STRING TO INDUCE BENDING THEREOF AT SAID INTERMEDIATE SUPPORT POINT WHEN THE AXIS OF THE PIPE STRING AT A POINT ADJACENT SAID DRILLING BASE ON THE SURFACE OF THE BODY OF WATER IS DISPLACED FROM A COAXIAL POSITION WITH THE AXIS OF SAID WELLHEAD.