Underwater Welding of Offshore Platforms and Pipelines

Down through the centuries, technology has decreased step by step the limitations of diving, but probably more in the past decade than ever before. The original limitations were very basic things, such as how long could one hold one's breath, how deep could one breathe with a snorkel, and how long could one survive on the air contained in a diving bell. The first real breakthrough occurred around the turn of the 19th century with the invention of the air pump and the closed deep sea diving rig by August Siebe in 1837. Today, however, there are many methods of diving employed in offshore oil fields, depending upon the nature of work, the depth of water, and the required bottom time. This paper will deal basically with the rather recent and rapid progression of deep diving over the past decade and a half and its relationship to the advancement of hyperbaric welding.