Offshore horizontal directional drilling installation frame, system, and method

Abstract

An installation frame for a horizontal directional drilling operation can include a pair of front uprights supporting a front crossbar disposed therebetween and selectively vertically movable. An installation frame can include a pair of rear uprights supporting a rear crossbar disposed therebetween and selectively vertically movable, wherein the front crossbar and the rear crossbar are configured to support a casing for a drill at a predetermined drill angle relative to a floor of a body of water.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An installation frame for a horizontal directional drilling operation, comprising:
 a pair of front uprights supporting a front crossbar disposed therebetween and selectively vertically movable;   a pair of rear uprights supporting a rear crossbar disposed therebetween and selectively vertically movable;   a bracing disposed between and connecting one of the front uprights and one of the rear uprights; and   wherein the front crossbar and the rear crossbar are configured to support a casing for a drill at a predetermined drill angle relative to a floor of a body of water.   
     
     
         2 . The installation frame of  claim 1 , wherein a walkway is disposed across a top of each of the pair of front uprights and the pair of rear uprights. 
     
     
         3 . The installation frame of  claim 1 , further comprising a base plate configured to assist in supporting the installation frame in a substantially upright orientation relative to the seafloor. 
     
     
         4 . The installation frame of  claim 3 , wherein the base plate extends between the pair of front uprights. 
     
     
         5 . The installation frame of  claim 4 , further comprising another base plate configured to assist in supporting the installation frame in a substantially upright orientation relative to the seafloor. 
     
     
         6 . The installation frame of  claim 5 , wherein the another base plate extends between the pair of rear uprights. 
     
     
         7 . The installation frame of  claim 3 , wherein the base plate includes an opening formed therethrough, the opening receiving one of the front uprights or one of the rear uprights. 
     
     
         8 . The installation frame of  claim 7 , wherein opening is configured to receive a holding pile. 
     
     
         9 . The installation frame of  claim 8 , wherein the upright received by the opening is hollow and configured to receive the holding pile. 
     
     
         10 . The installation frame of  claim 1 , wherein the bracing connects a top portion of one of the front uprights to a bottom of one of the rear uprights. 
     
     
         11 . The installation frame of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the front uprights and the rear uprights includes a lifting point that permits for the movement and placement of the frame onto the seafloor. 
     
     
         12 . The installation frame of  claim 1 , wherein a height of each of the front crossbar and rear crossbar is controlled by an actuator in communication with a mechanism for moving the respective crossbar vertically up or down. 
     
     
         13 . The installation frame of  claim 12 , wherein the mechanism for moving the respective crossbar vertically up or down includes a member selected from a group consisting of a threaded rod, gear, pulley, hydraulic cylinder, pneumatic cylinder, electric motor, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         14 . A modular system for installation of a casing for a horizontal directional drilling operation, comprising:
 a plurality of installation frames disposed in series on a floor of a body of water, each of the installation frames having:
 a pair of front uprights supporting a front crossbar disposed therebetween and selectively vertically movable; and 
 a pair of rear uprights supporting a rear crossbar disposed therebetween and selectively vertically movable, 
 wherein the front crossbar and the rear crossbar are together configured to support a casing for a drill at a predetermined drill angle relative to the floor of the body of water. 
   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein a height of the front crossbar being equal to or less than a height of a rear crossbar for each of the installation frames of the plurality of installation frames. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein a height of the front crossbar and a height of the rear crossbar for each of the installation frames are set to maintain a predetermined drill angle (θ) for the casing as the casing spans the installation frames. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , further comprising the casing disposed across the front crossbar and the rear crossbar for each of the installation frames at the predetermined drill angle (θ) for the casing as the casing spans the installation frames. 
     
     
         18 . A method for installation a modular system for installation of a casing for a horizontal directional drilling operation:
 providing a plurality of installation frames, each of the installation frames having
 a pair of front uprights supporting a front crossbar disposed therebetween and selectively vertically movable; 
 a pair of rear uprights supporting a rear crossbar disposed therebetween and selectively vertically movable; 
 wherein the front crossbar and the rear crossbar are configured to support the casing for the drill at a predetermined drill angle relative to a floor of a body of water; 
   adjusting a height of each of the front crossbar and the rear crossbar, with the height of the front crossbar being equal to or less than the height of the rear crossbar;   placing the installation frames in series on the floor of the body of water; and   disposing the casing for the drill on the front crossbar and the rear crossbar of each of the installation frames to provide the casing at a predetermined drill angle relative to floor of the body of water.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein a height of the front crossbar and a height of the rear crossbar for each of the installation frames are set to maintain a predetermined drill angle (θ) for the casing as the casing spans the installation frames. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising a step of determining the predetermined angle in order to adjust the height of each of the front crossbar and the rear crossbar.