ABSTRACT ELF AQUITAINE and TOTAL have operated the D.P. drill ship Discoverer Seven Seas in the Mediterranean Sea, temporarily establishing a new world water depth record on GLP1 well located south of Marseilles in 5 624 ft of water. The success of this well and the following well GLP2 in the same area can be partially attributed to the careful engineering devoted to the riser system in cooperation with Institut Francais du Pétrole (I.F.P.). This riser built by CREUSOT-LOIRE uses a new connector allowing fast make-up and disassembly resulting in considerable time saving and increased safety for deep water operations. Unlike all the other riser couplings, the CREUSOT-LOIRE/I.F.P. connector has no prestressed members. The load is entirely carried through compressive stresses at the interface. This eliminates the requirement to preload by tightening six or more bolts. Therefore the connector closing time is drastically reduced and the assembly of the riser is speeded up and nearly three times faster than conventional preloaded types.