Method and apparatus for through rotary sub-sea pile-driving

Abstract

A method and apparatus for driving a pile are disclosed. The pile-driving apparatus comprises a pile, a shoe tip coupled to a toe of the pile, and a drill string disposed within the pile. The drill string comprises a gripping device coupling the drill string to the pile and a hammer deployed into the pile such that the hammer is capable of transmitting a force to the shoe tip. The method, comprises positioning a hammer in a pile such that the hammer is capable of transmitting a force to a shoe tip; positioning, in the pile, a portion of drill pipe having a gripping device to engage the pile; and deploying the pile beneath the surface of a body of water.

1 . A pile-driving apparatus, comprising: 
 a pile;    a shoe tip coupled to a toe of the pile; and    a drill string, the drill string including a hammer coupled to the pile such that the hammer is capable of transmitting a force to the shoe tip.    
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the pile comprises a casing string, a deep water pile, a shallow water pile, a PLEM pile; a sub-sear template, a manifold pile, a tension leg platform anchor pile and a drill rig mooring pile.  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the shoe tip includes a membrane covering.  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the shoe tip is coupled to the pile interior.  
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the shoe tip is coupled to the pile exterior.  
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the hammer is coupled to the pile at the top thereof.  
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the hammer is coupled to the pile at the toe thereof.  
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the hammer is a percussive hammer.  
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the percussive hammer comprises a hydraulic hammer.  
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the drill string further includes a gripping device by which the drill string is coupled to the pile.  
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the gripping device couples the drill string to the pile at the top of the pile.  
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the drill string includes a plurality of wings by which the hammer is coupled to the pile via a sling.  
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising an external gripping device by which the hammer is coupled to the pile via a sling.  
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the percussive hammer is a rotation powered hammer.  
   
   
       15 . An apparatus, comprising: 
 a pile;    a shoe tip deployed at a tip of the pile; and    a hammer coupled to the pile such that the hammer is capable of transmitting a force to the shoe tip.    
   
   
       16 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , further comprising a portion of drill pipe having a lockable telescoping section deployed in the pile.  
   
   
       17 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the pile includes a shoe joint capable of receiving the force from the hammer and transmitting said force to the shoe tip.  
   
   
       18 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the hammer comprises a percussive hammer.  
   
   
       19 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , further comprising a valve system to direct a fluid to at least one of the shoe tip and the pile.  
   
   
       20 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , further comprising a gripping device coupled to the hammer and coupled to the pile; and  
   
   
       21 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , further comprising a sling by which the hammer is coupled to the pile.  
   
   
       22 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , further comprising an external gripping device by which the hammer is coupled to the pile via a sling.  
   
   
       23 . A method, comprising: 
 positioning a hammer relative to a pile such that the hammer is capable of transmitting a force to a shoe tip;    positioning a portion of drill pipe to engage the pile; and    deploying the pile beneath the surface of a body of water.    
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein deploying the pile comprises deploying pile such that the shoe tip is in contact with a first selected location on a floor of the body of water.  
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein positioning the hammer includes positioning the hammer such that the hammer is capable of transmitting a force directly to the shoe tip  
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein positioning the hammer includes positioning the hammer such that the hammer is capable of transmitting a force indirectly to the shoe tip  
   
   
       27 . An apparatus, comprising: 
 means for positioning a hammer relative to a pile such that the hammer is capable of transmitting a force to a shoe tip;    means engaging the hammer to the pile; and    means for deploying the pile beneath the surface of a body of water.    
   
   
       28 . The apparatus of  claim 27 , further comprising means for transmitting a force from the hammer to the shoe tip such that the shoe tip penetrates the floor at the first selected location.  
   
   
       29 . The apparatus of  claim 27 , further comprising means for providing a lubricating fluid proximate the shoe tip.  
   
   
       30 . A method for deploying a pile-driving apparatus, the method comprising: 
 rigging up the pile-driving apparatus; and    deploying the rigged-up pile-driving apparatus through the rotary of a drilling rig.    
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein rigging up the pile-driving apparatus includes: 
 positioning a percussive hammer in a pile such that the percussive hammer is capable of transmitting a force to a shoe tip; and    positioning the drill pipe to engage the pile.    
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein deploying the rigged-up pile-driving apparatus through the rotary of the drilling rig includes deploying the rigged-up pile-driving apparatus through a rotary of a mobile offshore drilling unit.  
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 30 , further comprising single tripping the rigged-up pile-driving apparatus to the seabed.  
   
   
       34 . A method for deploying a pile-driving apparatus, the method comprising: 
 deploying the pile-driving apparatus; and    single tripping the rigged-up pile-driving apparatus to the seabed.    
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein rigging up the pile-driving apparatus includes: 
 positioning a percussive hammer relative to a pile such that the percussive hammer is capable of transmitting a force to a shoe tip; and    positioning, in the pile, a portion of drill pipe having a gripping device to engage the pile.    
   
   
       36 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein deploying the rigged-up pile-driving apparatus through the rotary of the drilling rig includes deploying the rigged-up pile-driving apparatus through a rotary of a mobile offshore drilling unit.  
   
   
       37 . The method of  claim 34 , further deploying the rigged-up pile-driving apparatus through the rotary of a drilling rig.  
   
   
       38 . An apparatus, comprising: 
 a plurality of casing joints;    a shoe tip deployed at a tip of a first one of the plurality of casing joints;    a percussive hammer deployed with the casing joints such that the percussive hammer is capable of transmitting a force to the shoe tip;    a gripping device coupled to the percussive hammer and coupled to the casing joints; and    a portion of drill pipe coupled to the plurality of casing joints via the gripping device and capable of deploying the casing joints beneath the surface of a body of water.    
   
   
       39 . The apparatus of  claim 38 , further comprising a portion of drill pipe having a lockable telescoping section deployed in the plurality of casing joints.  
   
   
       40 . The apparatus of  claim 38 , wherein the first one of the plurality of casing joints is a shoe joint capable of receiving the force from the percussive hammer and transmitting said force to the shoe tip.  
   
   
       41 . The apparatus of  claim 38 , wherein the percussive hammer comprises a hydraulic percussive hammer.  
   
   
       42 . The apparatus of  claim 38 , wherein the percussive hammer comprises a rotary percussive hammer.  
   
   
       43 . The apparatus of  claim 38 , further comprising a valve system to direct a fluid to at least one of the shoe tip and the plurality of casing joints.  
   
   
       44 . The apparatus of  claim 38 , wherein the percussive hammer is capable of transmitting a force directly to the shoe tip  
   
   
       45 . The apparatus of  claim 38 , wherein the percussive hammer is capable of transmitting a force indirectly to the shoe tip  
   
   
       46 . A method, comprising: 
 positioning a percussive hammer in a first one of a plurality of casing joints such that the percussive hammer is capable of transmitting a force to a shoe tip;    positioning, in the plurality of casing joints, a portion of drill pipe having a gripping device to engage the casing joints; and    deploying the plurality of casing joints beneath the surface of a body of water.    
   
   
       47 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein deploying the plurality of casing joints comprises deploying the casing joints such that the shoe tip is in contact with a first selected location on a floor of the body of water.  
   
   
       48 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein positioning the percussive hammer includes positioning the percussive hammer such that the percussive hammer is capable of transmitting a force directly to a shoe tip  
   
   
       49 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein positioning the percussive hammer includes positioning the percussive hammer such that the percussive hammer is capable of transmitting a force indirectly to a shoe tip  
   
   
       50 . An apparatus, comprising: 
 means for positioning a percussive hammer in a first one of a plurality of casing joints such that the percussive hammer is capable of transmitting a force to a shoe tip;    means engaging the percussive hammer to the casing joints; and    means for deploying the plurality of casing joints beneath the surface of a body of water.    
   
   
       51 . The method of  claim 50 , further comprising means for transmitting a force from the hammer to the shoe tip such that the shoe tip penetrates the floor at the first selected location.  
   
   
       52 . The method of  claim 50 , further comprising means for providing a lubricating fluid proximate the shoe tip.  
   
   
       53 . A pile-driving apparatus, comprising: 
 a casing string; and    a drill string disposed within the casing string, the drill string comprising: 
 a gripping device coupling the drill string to the casing string;  
 a percussive hammer deployed into the casing joints such that the percussive hammer is capable of transmitting a force to the shoe tip; and  
   a shoe tip deployed at a tip of a first one of the plurality of casing joints.