Off-shore preparation system

Abstract

A waterborne facility on a body of water includes a primary spoolable pipe and a pump. The end of the primary spoolable pipe may be guided from the waterborne facility to a location proximate to a selected site. The pump may be used to discharge a flowable material through the primary spoolable pipe. The waterborne facility may include a ready-mix concrete preparation system. However, the waterborne facility may deliver any flowable material to a selected site, which may be a land surface, underground, on a water surface, or underwater. Illustrative flowable materials include seawater, grout, cement, and sediment/mud.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method of delivering a ready-mix concrete composed of a plurality of components to a target location for a pour site, comprising:
 (a) transporting the plurality of components in an unmixed state to a waterborne facility on a body of water, the plurality of components including at least aggregates and cement, wherein the aggregates are selected from one of: gravel, sand and crushed stone, and wherein the aggregate makes up at least 50% of a total volume of the ready-mix concrete;   (b) storing the cement in a compartment on the waterborne facility, the compartment being inside a hull of the waterborne facility;   (c) conveying the cement from the compartment to a mixing volume;   (d) preparing the ready-mix concrete at the waterborne facility by mixing the plurality of components in the mixing volume at the waterborne facility;   (e) pumping the ready-mix concrete into a primarily non-metal spoolable pipe extending between the waterborne facility and the target location, wherein the pump is positioned on the waterborne facility;   (f) conveying the ready-mix concrete to the target location via the spoolable pipe, wherein a portion of the spoolable pipe between the waterborne facility and the target location is at least partially submerged in the body of water;   (g) floating a section of the spoolable pipe in the water using at least one flotation device; and   (h) at least periodically resupplying the waterborne facility with the plurality components using at least one supply vessel.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising flowing the ready-mix concrete out of an outlet end of the spoolable pipe and into at least one vehicle. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising flowing the ready-mix concrete out of an outlet end of the spoolable pipe and into at least one container. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising dynamically positioning the waterborne facility to maintain a selected geographical position of the waterborne facility by using a propulsion system and sensors associated with the waterborne facility, the dynamic positioning being done while conveying the ready-mix concrete to the pour site via the spoolable pipe. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising displacing the spoolable pipe by pulling the outlet end of the pipe. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising displacing the spoolable pipe by rotating the spool on which the spoolable pipe is wound. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the mixing is done using a non-rotary drum mixer. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the mixing is done using an agitation device selected from one of: a two-shaft mixer, a vertical axis mixer, and an agitation device having translating surfaces. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the mixing is done using a shaft mixer. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the waterborne facility is one of: (i) a self-powered watercraft, (ii), an unpowered watercraft, (iii) a towed watercraft, (iv) a floating offshore platform, and (v) an offshore platform supported by a seabed.