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.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A method of delivering a ready-mix concrete to a pour site, comprising:
 positioning a waterborne facility on a body of water, wherein the waterborne facility includes a spoolable pipe wound on a spool;   guiding an outlet end of a spoolable pipe from the waterborne facility to a location proximate to the pour site;   preparing the ready-mix concrete at the waterborne facility; and   conveying the ready-mix concrete to the pour site via the spoolable pipe.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 positioning a pump and a mixing volume on a waterborne facility.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the spoolable pipe is substantially aligned with a water's surface, formed primarily of a non-metal, and includes a plurality of layers. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the ready-mix concrete is formed using a plurality of components at least one of which is selected from one of: (i) sand, (ii) gravel, (iii) crushed stone, and (iv) cement. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the ready-mix concrete is formed using at least an aggregate and a cement, and wherein the aggregate makes up at least 50% of a total volume of the ready-mix concrete. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the ready-mix concrete is formed using a plurality of components, and further comprising:
 transporting at least one component of the plurality of components to the waterborne facility using a watercraft.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the waterborne facility includes a transporter, and further comprising:
 docking the watercraft carrying the at least one component at a side of the waterborne facility;   rotating the transporter toward the side of the waterborne facility; and   positioning an inlet of the transporter in contact with the at least one component.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the waterborne facility is not attached to a submerged land mass, and further comprising dynamically positioning the waterborne facility using a propulsion system associated with the waterborne facility while conveying the ready-mix concrete to the pour site via the spoolable pipe. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising displacing the spoolable pipe by one of: (i) pulling the outlet end of the pipe, and (ii) rotating the spool on which the spoolable pipe is wound. 
     
     
         10 . A system for delivering a ready-mix concrete to a pour site, comprising:
 a waterborne facility positioned in a body of water;   a ready-mix concrete preparation system located on the waterborne facility; and   a spoolable pipe wound on a spool on the waterborne facility and connected to the ready-mix concrete preparation system.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the ready-mix concrete preparation system further comprises:
 a mixing volume; and   a pump in fluid communication with the mixing volume, the pump configured to pump the ready-mix from the mixing volume into the spoolable pipe.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 at least one transporter conveying at least one component of the ready-mix into the mixing volume.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one transporter receives the at least one component from one of: (i) a storage tank on the waterborne facility, and (ii) an adjacent watercraft. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the spoolable pipe comprises at least partially of a composite tape layer. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 10 , 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. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the ready-mix concrete is formed using a plurality of components, and further comprising a transporter configured to convey at least one component of the plurality of components into the mixing volume, the transporter being selected from one of: (i) an enclosed auger, (ii) a conveyor, and (iii) a substantially fluidly isolated transporter. 
     
     
         17 . A method of delivering a flowable material to a selected site, comprising:
 positioning a waterborne facility on a body of water;   guiding an end of a primary spoolable pipe from the waterborne facility to a location proximate to the selected site, the primary spoolable pipe being guided along a water's surface; and   discharging the flowable material through the primary spoolable pipe using a pump.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 unspooling a second spoolable pipe disposed on the waterborne facility;   positioning an inlet of the second spoolable pipe at a dredging location at a seabed;   receiving sediments from the seabed through the second spoolable pipe; and   pumping the sediments from the second spoolable pipe to the primary spoolable pipe.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 drawing seawater from a location proximate to the waterborne facility, the seawater being the flowable material.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the flowable material is one of: (i) a grout, (ii) a cement.