Subsea protective covering

Abstract

A protective covering for subsea well apparatus is provided. The covering is generally a pyramidal structure and includes blades at the corners extending below the base of the structure. The blades are sized to prevent snaring of objects dragged over the covering. The covering may be assembled from sections after transport over a public highway. Methods for transporting and installing the covering and achieving penetration of the blades into the seafloor are also provided.

What I claim is:  
     
         1 . A protective covering for equipment protruding from a subsea location, comprising: 
 a skin, the skin being attached to a plurality of slanted support members, the slanted support members including a plurality of lateral slanted support members and a plurality of corner slanted support members, the corner slanted support members being disposed at a selected angle of slope and being attached to a plurality of bottom horizontal support members;    a cap, the cap being attached to a selected number of the plurality of slanted support members and having an attachment point for lowering the protective covering to a selected seafloor location; and    a plurality of blades, the blades being affixed to the corner slanted support members and being disposed at a selected angle of slope.    
     
     
         2 . The protective covering of  claim 1  wherein the number of corner slanted support members is four.  
     
     
         3 . The protective covering of  claim 1  wherein the attachment point of the cap is adapted to attach to a drill pipe.  
     
     
         4 . The protective covering of  claim 1  wherein the selected angle of slope of the blades is approximately the angle of slope of the corner slanted support members.  
     
     
         5 . The protective covering of  claim 1  wherein the blades include sloping surfaces disposed so as to improve penetration of the blades into a seafloor.  
     
     
         6 . The protective covering of  claim 1  wherein a selected number of the plurality of lateral support members and bottom horizontal support members are joined such that they may be divided and re-joined by a joining apparatus.  
     
     
         7 . The protective covering of  claim 6  wherein the joining apparatus is a flange.  
     
     
         8 . A method for installing a protective covering having a plurality of corner slanted support members over equipment protruding from a seafloor location, comprising: 
 attaching a plurality of blades to the protective covering, the blades extending below the plurality of corner slanted support members;    attaching the protective covering to a drill pipe operated from a rig;    lowering the drill pipe and protective covering; and    guiding the protective covering over the equipment protruding from the seafloor location and landing the protective covering on the seafloor location.    
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the step of guiding the protective covering over the equipment protruding from the seafloor location includes placing a television camera through the drill pipe and observing the equipment protruding from the seafloor location while the drill pipe and protective covering are lowered.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  further comprising the step of placing a pattern on the equipment protruding from the seafloor location for observation with the television camera before the step of guiding the protective covering over the equipment protruding from the seafloor location.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8  further comprising the step of operating a bumper sub after the after the step of landing the protective covering on the seafloor location.  
     
     
         12 . A method for installing a protective covering having a plurality of corner slanted support members over equipment protruding from a seafloor location, comprising: 
 attaching a plurality of blades to the protective covering, the blades extending below the plurality of corner slanted support members;    attaching the protective covering to a cable operated above the seafloor location;    lowering the cable and protective covering; and guiding the protective covering over the equipment protruding from the seafloor location and landing the protective covering on the seafloor location.    
     
     
         13 . A method for transporting a protective covering for equipment protruding from a seafloor location, the protective covering comprising a skin, a plurality of slanted support members including a plurality of lateral slanted support members and a plurality of corner slanted support members, at least two contiguous lateral slanted support members being joined such that they may be divided at a plane and re-joined by a joining apparatus, the corner slanted support members being disposed at a selected angle of slope and being attached to a plurality of bottom horizontal support members, at least two contiguous bottom horizontal support members being joined such that they may be divided at the plane and re-joined by a joining apparatus, a cap and a plurality of blades, comprising: 
 dividing at least two contiguous lateral slanted support members and two bottom horizontal support members at the plane and transporting the protective covering to a selected location;    re-joining the contiguous lateral slanted support members and the contiguous bottom horizontal support members at the plane;    attaching the skin and the cap to a plurality of slanted support members; and    attaching the blades.