Megan underwater drilling structures and methods

Abstract

Structures and methods are disclosed for underwater drilling. One embodiment includes a housing having a plurality of interconnected, pre-set drilling tubes, wherein there are multiple drill casings in each of the plurality of interconnected, pre-set drilling tubes. One or more underwater drilling structures may be stacked on each other in order to connectably establish an underwater drilling structure that satisfies the drilling requirements for recovery or otherwise collecting hydrocarbons. The housing may connect to an adjustable containment portion that is integrated or removable connected to an exploration, production, containment or storage structure, e.g., a drilling ship. The interior of the housing includes the plurality of interconnected, pre-set drilling tubes and multiple drill casings, and the housing, itself, may shield its interior from contact with water.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An underwater drilling structure comprising:
 a plurality of interconnected, pre-set drilling tubes;   multiple drill casings in each of the plurality; and   a housing for the plurality.   
     
     
         2 . The underwater drilling structure of  claim 1 , wherein each of the multiple drill casings comprise a same or different length, width, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The underwater drilling structure of  claim 1 , wherein each of the multiple drill casings has a length of less than two hundred feet. 
     
     
         4 . The underwater drilling structure of  claim 1 , wherein one or more of the multiple drill casings are filled with concrete or other filler material. 
     
     
         5 . The underwater drilling structure of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more directional, angled drillheads located on one or more of the multiple drill casings that optionally guide drilling through communicated global positioning satellite coordinates. 
     
     
         6 . The underwater drill structure of  claim 1 , wherein a blow-out preventer is positioned above the housing and within SCUBA-diving distance underwater. 
     
     
         7 . The underwater drill structure of  claim 6  wherein the SCUBA-diving distance is approximately two-hundred feet underwater. 
     
     
         8 . The underwater drilling structure of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality comprise a same or different length, width, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The underwater drilling structure of  claim 1 , wherein an interconnection among the plurality comprises one or more supports interconnecting at least two interconnected, pre-set drilling tubes within the plurality. 
     
     
         10 . The underwater drilling structure of  claim 9 , wherein the one or more supports comprise lateral supports, radial supports, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         11 . The underwater drilling structure of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality comprises a spoke-and-hub arrangement of the plurality. 
     
     
         12 . The underwater drilling structure of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality comprises a balanced arrangement for the plurality of each drilling tube within the plurality. 
     
     
         13 . The underwater drilling structure of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality comprises a central drilling tube interconnected to two or more perimeter drilling tubes. 
     
     
         14 . The underwater drilling structure of  claim 13 , wherein the central drilling tube has a larger length, width or combinations thereof as compared to either of the two or more perimeter drilling tubes. 
     
     
         15 . The underwater drilling structure of  claim 1 , wherein the housing has one or more sides, a bottom and a top, wherein one or more of the plurality is exposed at the top. 
     
     
         16 . The underwater drilling structure of  claim 1 , further comprising the housing connected to an adjustable containment portion for optional communication with an exploration, production, containment or storage structure. 
     
     
         17 . The underwater drilling structure of  claim 1 , wherein the housing shields the plurality and the multiple drill casings from contact with water. 
     
     
         18 . The underwater drilling structure of  claim 1 , wherein the underwater drilling structure is connectably stacked onto another underwater drilling structure to form a connected underwater drilling structure comprising two or more stacked underwater drilling structures. 
     
     
         19 . The underwater drilling structure of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more jets mounted to an exterior of the housing, wherein the one or more jets assist in setting the underwater drilling structure. 
     
     
         20 . A method for collecting hydrocarbons, the method comprising:
 drilling within an underwater drilling structure into an underwater terrain containing the hydrocarbons, wherein the underwater drilling structure comprises:
 a plurality of interconnected, pre-set drilling tubes; 
 multiple drill casings in each of the plurality, and 
 a housing for the plurality, and 
   collecting the hydrocarbons by an exploration, production, containment or storage structure in communication with the underwater drilling structure.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the drilling comprises inserting and rotating drill pipe in one or more of the multiple drill casings. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the drilling comprises directionally drilling through directional angled drillheads located on one or more of the multiple drill casings that optionally guide the drilling through communicated global positioning satellite coordinates.