Deep Down's wholly-owned subsidiary, Flotation Technologies, has been awarded a patent number US 7,628,665 B1 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office for "Drilling Riser Buoyancy Modules". In general, the granted patent provides broad protection for the design of the CoreTec™ Drilling Riser Buoyancy Module.

Drilling riser buoyancy modules are designed to attach to the outside of a drilling riser string and provide buoyancy to offset a percentage of the weight from this string. Addition of these modules allows for drilling in deeper water. These drilling riser buoyancy modules are subjected to extremely rough handling both in storage and in service which can cause severe and costly damage to the modules. The CoreTec™ drilling riser buoyancy module system combats this rough handling through the invention of its ToughSkin™ outer shell molded from a high strength polymer. This exterior shell provides an unprecedented level of protection for the buoyant inner core from both impact and abrasion.

"Deep Down is pleased to add this patent to its ever-growing portfolio of intellectual property. This patent represents the company's engineering excellence and leadership in the global subsea market," stated Ronald E. Smith, Deep Down's President and Chief Executive Officer. "A growing number of companies have now recognized the many advantages of our CoreTec™ drilling riser buoyancy modules and we look forward to continuing innovation by providing the market smarter overall products and solutions."

Tags: Deep Down