Method and apparatus for underwater wells

Claim 1

A METHOD OF ESTABLISHING A CONNECTION BETWEEN A VESSEL ON THE SURFACE OF A BODY OF WATER AND AN ASSEMBLY POSITIONED AT A DISTANCE BELOW THE SURFACE OF WATER, SAID METHOD COMPRISING (A) POSITIONING SAID VESSEL SUBSTANTIALLY OVER SAID UNDERWATER ASSEMBLY, (B) REMOVABLY MECHANICALLY ATTACHING ONE END OF AN ELONGATED CONNECTOR ELEMENT TO A SELF-PROPELLED SUBMERSIBLE MANIPULATOR, (C) LOWERING SAID MANIPULATOR AND SAID ATTACHED ELONGATED CONNECTOR ELEMENT AS IT IS LOWERED THROUGH THE (D) SIMULTANEOUSLY INCREASING THE LENGTH OF SAID ELONGATED CONNECTOR ELEMENT AS IT IS LOWERED THROUGH THE WATER WITH THE MANIPULATOR SO THAT THE UPPER END OF SAID ELONGATED CONNECTOR ELEMENT IS ABOVE THE SURFACE OF THE WATER, (E) LOCATING THE UNDERWATER ASSEMBLY WITH A TELEVISION CAMERA CARRIED BY THE MANIPULATOR AND ABSORBING ON THE VESSEL AT THE SURFACE THE POSITION OF THE UNDERWATER ASSEMBLY RELATIVE TO THE MANIPULATOR, (F) REMOTELY MOVING AND GUIDING FROM THE VESSEL THE MANIPULATOR AND THE ATTACHED ELONGATED CONNECTOR ELEMENT THROUGH THE WATER TO A POSITION ADJACENT SAID ASSEMBLY, (G) POSITIONING THE MANIPULATOR IN MOVABLY SUPPORTED CONTACT ON SAID ASSEMBLY, (H) POSITIONING THE LOWER END OF THE ELONGATED CONNECTOR ELEMENT IN CONTACT WITH SAID ASSEMBLY, (I) REMOTELY ACTUATING THE MANIPULATOR FROM THE VESSEL TO ATTACH THE LOWER END OF THE ELONGATED CONNECTOR ELEMENT TO SAID ASSEMBLY, AND (F) MECHANICALLY REMOTELY ACTUATING THE MANIPULATOR FROM THE VESSEL TO DISCONNECT THE MANIPULATOR FROM THE ELONGATED CONNECTOR ELEMENT ATTACHED TO THE ASSEMBLY.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF ESTABLISHING A CONNECTION BETWEEN A VESSEL ON THE SURFACE OF A BODY OF WATER AND AN ASSEMBLY POSITIONED AT A DISTANCE BELOW THE SURFACE OF WATER, SAID METHOD COMPRISING (A) POSITIONING SAID VESSEL SUBSTANTIALLY OVER SAID UNDERWATER ASSEMBLY, (B) REMOVABLY MECHANICALLY ATTACHING ONE END OF AN ELONGATED CONNECTOR ELEMENT TO A SELF-PROPELLED SUBMERSIBLE MANIPULATOR, (C) LOWERING SAID MANIPULATOR AND SAID ATTACHED ELONGATED CONNECTOR ELEMENT AS IT IS LOWERED THROUGH THE (D) SIMULTANEOUSLY INCREASING THE LENGTH OF SAID ELONGATED CONNECTOR ELEMENT AS IT IS LOWERED THROUGH THE WATER WITH THE MANIPULATOR SO THAT THE UPPER END OF SAID ELONGATED CONNECTOR ELEMENT IS ABOVE THE SURFACE OF THE WATER, (E) LOCATING THE UNDERWATER ASSEMBLY WITH A TELEVISION CAMERA CARRIED BY THE MANIPULATOR AND ABSORBING ON THE VESSEL AT THE SURFACE THE POSITION OF THE UNDERWATER ASSEMBLY RELATIVE TO THE MANIPULATOR, (F) REMOTELY MOVING AND GUIDING FROM THE VESSEL THE MANIPULATOR AND THE ATTACHED ELONGATED CONNECTOR ELEMENT THROUGH THE WATER TO A POSITION ADJACENT SAID ASSEMBLY, (G) POSITIONING THE MANIPULATOR IN MOVABLY SUPPORTED CONTACT ON SAID ASSEMBLY, (H) POSITIONING THE LOWER END OF THE ELONGATED CONNECTOR ELEMENT IN CONTACT WITH SAID ASSEMBLY, (I) REMOTELY ACTUATING THE MANIPULATOR FROM THE VESSEL TO ATTACH THE LOWER END OF THE ELONGATED CONNECTOR ELEMENT TO SAID ASSEMBLY, AND (F) MECHANICALLY REMOTELY ACTUATING THE MANIPULATOR FROM THE VESSEL TO DISCONNECT THE MANIPULATOR FROM THE ELONGATED CONNECTOR ELEMENT ATTACHED TO THE ASSEMBLY.