Method and apparatus for drilling underwater wells

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING HORIZONTAL SUPPORT TO A NONVERTICAL SECTION OF DRILL PIPE EXTENDING FROM A FLOATING DRILLING BASE ON THE SURFACE OF A BODY OF WATER AND THROUGH A WELLHEAD ASSEMBLY POSITIONED BELOW THE SURFACE OF SAID BODY OF WATER, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING A WELLHEAD ASSEMBLY POSITIONED BELOW A BODY OF WATER, PIPE MEANS SECURED TO THE BOTTOM OF SAID WELLHEAD ASSEMBLY AND EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY INTO THE FLOOR OF SAID BODY OF WATER FOR ANCHORING SAID WELLHEAD ASSEMBLY THERETO, A FLOATING DRILLING BASE ON THE SURFACE OF THE BODY OF WATER NORMALLY POSITIONED AND ANCHORED OVER SAID WELLHEAD ASSEMBLY, A MARINE CONDUCTOR PIPE STRING SUSPENDED BY SAID FLOATING DRILLING BASE AND EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY THROUGH SAID WATER TO SAID WELLHEAD ASSEMBLY, FLEXIBLE JOINT MEANS SECURING THE LOWER END OF SAID MARINE CONDUCTOR PIPE STRING TO THE TOP OF THE WELLHEAD ASSEMBLY, AT LEAST ONE HORIZONTAL PIPE SUPPORT RING MEANS ARRANGED WITHIN THE LOWER END OF SAID MARINE CONDUCTOR PIPE STRING TO CONTACT A PIPE STRING PASSING THERETHROUGH AT A POINT ABOVE THE WELLHEAD ASSEMBLY AND POSITIONING MEANS IN SAID MARINE CONDUCTOR PIPE NEAR THE BOTTOM THEREOF FOR LIMITING THE RING MEANS AGAINST DOWNWARD MOVEMENT.