Offshore pipe deployment method and apparatus

摘要

A method of manipulating a subsea pipe comprises coupling an autonomous marine drive unit 80, 82, 84 to a pipe 86, which in some aspects of the invention is a composite pipe having a wall comprising a matrix material and a plurality of reinforcing fibres embedded within the matrix material. The autonomous marine drive unit 80, 82, 84 is then operated to manipulate the pipe 86 within a marine environment. The autonomous marine drive unit 80, 82, 84 can be an autonomous surface vessel (ASV) or an autonomous underwater vessel (AUV), operated under the control of an autonomous control system. The unit 80, 82, 84, can have a thrust arrangement with a drive source, and a direction control arrangement. It can also comprise an azimuth drive unit. The unit 80, 82, 84 can be directly mounted to the pipe 86, and more than one unit can be coupled to the pipe. The units 80, 82, 84 can manipulate the pipe 86 on the surface of the water, or below the surface of the water, with the buoyancy of the pipe 86 controlled via sealing, flooding chambers within the pipe 86, or through the use of a pig.