Importance

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Abstract

Apparatus for enabling a self-contained submersible module including a length of conduit for connection to a collector to be repetitively put into place and removed. The collector (3) is located on the sea bed, and said length of conduit (14) and said collector (3) have mating ends fitted with a releasable connector suitable for establishing said connection when the ends to be connected come into end-to-end engagement. The length of conduit (14) is mounted in the module (2) on a carriage (7) to enable said length of conduit to be moved out from said module to bring one of its ends (13) into contact with the end (5) of the collector. Once the length of conduit has made connection with the end of the collector, the carriage also enables said length of conduit to be moved in the opposite direction pulling said collector with it in order to connect the other end of the conduit to a well head (1). The improvement lies in an end portion of the length of said collector being housed inside a fixed and rigid sheath (6) of greater inside cross section than the overall cross section of the collector. The collector inside the sheath follows a curved path and is fixed to the sheath (6) only at the furthest end (8) of the sheath from the connection with said module. This ensures that there is always sufficient clearance for the collector to move when pulled by said length of conduit on the carriage, even if the sheath becomes buried in sea bed material (11).

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First Claim