KR20240008825A - Split mooring systems and methods for ships - Google Patents

Abstract

A split mooring system may include at least two vessels in a body of water and multiple mooring lines. A plurality of mooring lines may be attached to at least two vessels and may be configured to secure and maintain the positions of the at least two vessels relative to each other within a body of water. The first of the at least two ships may be adjacent to the second of the at least two ships. A plurality of mooring lines may be attached to the sides of the first vessel and the second vessel. The sides of the first and second vessels to which the mooring lines are attached may face the open water of the body of water.

Description

Split mooring systems and methods for ships

Embodiments disclosed herein relate generally to mooring systems. More specifically, embodiments disclosed herein relate to a split mooring system for attaching to and securing a vessel near another vessel in marine operations.

In oil field operations, offshore vessels such as platform supply vessels (PSVs), offshore barges, anchor handling vessels, construction support vessels (CSVs), drilling vessels, well intervention vessels, icebreakers, crane ships, cable laying vessels, seismic vessels, and firefighting vessels are generally used to transport hydrocarbons. It is used in a variety of applications including exploration, hydrocarbon drilling and production, hydrocarbon retention and transportation, safety platforms, and heavy lift cranes. The use of additional support and/or additional equipment before, during and after operations may aid in the success of operations to stabilize the vessel. Historically, marine vessels have used mooring systems to maintain their position in water bodies. In conventional mooring systems, marine vessels are anchored by mooring lines. Existing mooring systems can include, but are not limited to, a variety of configurations such as catenary mooring systems, tensioned leg mooring systems, tensioned leg mooring systems, single point (buoy, tower or turret) mooring systems, or unfolded mooring systems.

Additionally, oil field operations may involve moving product from ship to ship while the marine vessel remains in the water. The use of floating facilities for hydrocarbon production or other processing plants can accelerate production schedules. However, processing plants may not have the necessary storage space to offload transport parcels, so storage vessels or floating storage units (“FSUs”) must be used to allow other carriers to transport cargo in appropriate parcel sizes. Although traditional methods achieve their purpose, problems arise in the proximity between two maritime vessels and how to maintain a safe distance between them. Conventional mooring systems require large distances between two ocean vessels. As a non-limiting example, when transferring cryogenic materials such as liquefied natural gas (“LNG”), transfer hose lengths may be limited to less than 30 meters, making a traditional mooring system of two vessels difficult and time-consuming. It is resource intensive and may not be feasible.

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts that are further explained in the detailed description below. This summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to assist in limiting the scope of the claimed subject matter.

In one aspect, embodiments disclosed herein relate to split mooring systems. A split mooring system may include at least two vessels in a body of water and multiple mooring lines. A plurality of mooring lines may be attached to at least two vessels and may be configured to secure and maintain the positions of the at least two vessels relative to each other within a body of water. The first of the at least two ships may be adjacent to the second of the at least two ships. A plurality of mooring lines may be attached to the sides of the first vessel and the second vessel. The sides of the first and second vessels with the mooring lines may face the open water of the body of water.

In another aspect, embodiments disclosed herein relate to methods. The method includes placing a first of the at least two ships adjacent to a second of the at least two ships; attaching mooring lines to the sides of the first vessel and the second vessel facing toward open water of the water body; fixing the positions of the first vessel and the second vessel within the water area with the mooring lines; and maintaining fixed positions of the first vessel and the second vessel with the mooring line.

In another aspect, embodiments disclosed herein relate to a system that may include a production vessel positioned at a distance from a floating storage unit in a body of water. Additionally, the system may include a plurality of mooring lines attached to the production vessel and the floating storage, wherein the plurality of mooring lines may be configured to secure and maintain the positions of the production vessel and the floating storage within the water body relative to each other. . The system may further include a transfer hose attached to the first proximal surface of the production vessel and the second proximal surface of the floating reservoir, where the transfer hose may be configured to transfer the cryogenic material from the production vessel to the floating reservoir. The first adjacent surface and the second adjacent surface may face each other. A plurality of mooring lines may be attached to a first opposing side of the production vessel and a second opposing side of the floating storage. The first opposing side may be opposite the first adjacent side, and the second opposing side may be opposite the second adjacent side.

Other aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following description and appended claims.

1 shows a flow diagram of a split mooring system for a marine vessel according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.
2A and 2B illustrate examples of split mooring systems for use with marine vessels according to one or more embodiments of the present invention.

Specific embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Similar elements in various figures may be indicated with similar reference numbers for consistency. Additionally, in the following detailed description of embodiments of the present disclosure, various specific details are set forth to provide a more thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the embodiments disclosed herein may be practiced without these specific details. In other cases, well-known features are not described in detail to avoid unnecessarily complicating the description.

Additionally, those skilled in the art will understand that when describing a first element with a second element placed thereon, the arrangement may be directly placing the first element on the second element, or indirectly placing the first element on the second element. You will be able to understand that it exists. For example, the first element may be disposed directly on the second element, such that the first element and the second element are in direct contact with each other, or the first element may be disposed on the third element and/or the additional element may be disposed directly on the first element and the second element. It may be indirectly placed on the second element, such as placed between them. As used herein, the terms “attached” or “coupled” or “coupled” or “connected” or “connected” may mean establishing a direct or indirect connection, unless explicitly stated otherwise. You are not limited to one or the other. Where possible, similar or identical reference numbers are used in the drawings to identify common or identical elements. The drawings are not necessarily to scale and certain features and certain views of the figures may be exaggerated in size for illustrative purposes.

In one aspect, embodiments disclosed herein relate generally to split mooring systems. In one or more embodiments, a split mooring system may be designed for use with a vessel, particularly a marine vessel or structure. Additionally, although embodiments disclosed herein are described in terms designating marine vessels with respect to floating vessels, any term designating an offshore structure (i.e., any platform or semisubmersible) would limit the scope of the present disclosure. should not be regarded as doing so. The various embodiments described herein are described in various stages and operations of offshore oil and gas operations, such as rig site preparation, drilling, completion, disposal, etc., without departing from the scope of this disclosure, over rigging, fracking installation, well test installation, oil well testing, etc. and gas production installations. The embodiments have been described merely as examples of useful applications, and are not limited to the specific details of the embodiments herein. In other embodiments, a split mooring system may be designed for use in any marine environment without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

A split mooring system according to an embodiment of the present specification is a system including a plurality of mooring lines for mooring at least two vessels close to each other in a water area. In a non-limiting example, a first set of plurality of mooring lines is attached to a first watercraft and a second set of plurality of mooring lines is attached to a second watercraft. Additionally, a spring line may be connected between the first ship and the second ship to help maintain the relative positions of the first ship and the second ship. Additionally, fenders may be provided on the hulls of the first and second ships to prevent collisions between the two ships. By splitting multiple mooring lines between the first and second vessels, eliminating the need for a full mooring system on both vessels, keeping the two vessels in close proximity significantly reduces HSE risk, potential equipment damage, and unwanted downtime between vessels. Movement can be improved. As described in the prior art, such as U.S. Patent No. 8,561,563 and U.S. Patent No. 9,272,755, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety, conventional methods require extensive mooring configurations to moor two vessels side by side. These traditional methods can be time-consuming and may increase HSE risk. Accordingly, one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading this disclosure, can be used to overcome these challenges and provide additional advantages over conventional methods of mooring two vessels side by side.

1-2B, the present disclosure describes a system and method of a split mooring system (“SMS”) 100 for mooring vessels side by side. In some embodiments, SMS 100 is used at an offshore site (in a body of water) to maintain the position of two vessels in close proximity to each other. SMS 100 uses a variety of mooring lines to stabilize ships in a position where they can be placed alongside each other to transfer product between ships (i.e., transfer of equipment from one ship to another, transfer of hydrocarbons or cryogenic materials, scheduled repairs, equipment, etc.). replacement, etc.) can be completed. Those skilled in the art will understand how SMS 100 can achieve increased performance, reduced non-productive time (NPT), and improved equipment life and maintenance.

1, a system flow diagram of an SMS 100 deployed at an offshore site is shown, in one or more embodiments. SMS 100 includes a plurality of mooring lines 101 coupled to vessel(s). It is also understood that various sizes, numbers and/or types of mooring lines may be used depending on the size, shape and configuration of the vessel (and its intended use). For example, each of the plurality of mooring lines 101 may be a rope, wire, cable, chain, or a combination thereof. In a non-limiting example, each mooring line of the plurality of mooring lines 101 may be made of fiber material, sisal, hemp, linen, cotton, steel wire, metal chain, polyethylene (e.g., Dyneema and Spectra), polypropylene, polyester. (e.g. PET, LCP, Vectran), nylon, aramid (e.g. Twaron, Technora and Kevlar), acrylic (e.g. Dralon), or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the plurality of mooring lines 101 may be divided into a first set of mooring lines 102 and a second set of mooring lines 103. A first set of mooring lines 102 is attached to the first vessel 104 such that a first end of the mooring lines 102 is coupled to the first vessel 104 and a second end of the mooring lines 102 is coupled to the first vessel 104. It can be fixed to maintain the position of the vessel 104. Additionally, a second set of mooring lines 103 is attached to the second vessel 105 such that a first end of the mooring lines 103 is coupled to the second vessel 105 and a second end of the mooring lines 103 is coupled to the second vessel 105. The second vessel 104 may be anchored to maintain its position. It is also contemplated that the first vessel and the second vessel may be any marine structure. In a non-limiting example, the first vessel 104 may be a production vessel utilizing a processing plant in a floating facility, and the second vessel 105 may be a storage vessel or floating storage unit (“FSU”). .

Using SMS 100, first vessel 104 and second vessel 105 may use a plurality of mooring lines 101 anchored in a body of water such that vessels 104 and 105 are close to each other. By bringing the vessels 104 and 105 closer together, the vessels 104 and 105 can have adjacent and open sides. The adjacent side of the first vessel 104 may face the adjacent side of the second vessel 105 . The open side of the vessels 104, 105 may be opposite the adjacent side of the vessels 104, 105. The open side of the vessels 104, 105 may be the side facing open water. In addition, since there are no mooring lines on adjacent sides of the ships 104 and 105, a plurality of mooring lines 101 may be present only on the open sides of the ships 104 and 105. In a non-limiting example, the first vessel 104 and the second vessel 105 are moored at a distance of less than 30 meters from each other, for example between 2 and 25 meters or between 5 and 15 meters. One or more transfer hoses are interconnected between the first vessel 104 and the second vessel 105 to allow transfer of cryogenic material (e.g., liquefied natural gas) from the first vessel 104 to the second vessel 105. It is further envisioned that the opposite may occur.

Still referring to FIG. 1 , one or more spring lines 106 may be connected to the first vessel 104 and the second vessel 105 in one or more embodiments. The spring line 106 may have a first end attached to the first vessel 104 and a second end attached to the second vessel 105 so that the first vessel 104 and the second vessel 105 are connected to each other. The relative position is maintained. The spring line 106 may be made of the same material as the plurality of mooring lines 101. Additionally, the spring line 106 may limit forward and backward movement of the first vessel 104 and the second vessel 105 relative to each other.

In some embodiments, first watercraft 104 and/or second watercraft 105 may include one or more fenders 107 attached thereon. The fender 107 is attached to the outer surface of the ships 104 and 105 to prevent damage to the ships 104 and 105 by preventing collision between the main body of the first ship 104 and the main body of the second ship 105. It can be attached. The fender 107 may be made of a rubber material.

Although not shown in Figure 1, in one or more embodiments, one or more sensors may be included within SMS 100. In non-limiting examples, sensors may include microphones, ultrasonic waves, ultrasonic waves, sonar and ranging (SONAR), radio detection and ranging (RADAR), acoustics, piezoelectrics, accelerometers, temperature, pressure, weight, position or vessel (104, 105 and any sensor known to those skilled in the art to detect changes in the position or condition of the plurality of mooring lines 101. For example, one or more sensors may collect data, detect damage/wear, and It may be placed on any of the mooring lines of the vessels 104, 105 and/or the plurality of mooring lines 101 in a location capable of determining the position or movement of the vessel or mooring lines. Additionally, a global positioning system (“GPS”) ) devices may also be used to monitor the positions of vessels 104 and 105. Additionally, those skilled in the art may use dynamic positioning with SMS 100 to assist in maintaining the positions of vessels 104 and 105 in a body of water. You will understand how the system (i.e. boat motor) can be used: Information regarding the position of vessels 104, 105 can be accessed and accessed from existing control systems (i.e. computer/control panels on one or both of the vessels). It is further envisaged that it may be executable and include a display as well as allow remote access to the control system.

Referring now to FIG. 2A , a perspective view of SMS 100 disposed in a body of water 200 is illustrated in accordance with one or more embodiments. The first vessel 104 and the second vessel 105 are buoyant and float within the water area 200. As described above, the first vessel 104 and the second vessel 105 may be moored at a distance of less than 30 m from each other by a plurality of mooring lines 101. As further shown in Figure 2A, the first set of mooring lines 102 used for the first vessel 104 are the mooring lines 101A at the bow 201 of the first vessel 104 and the second vessel 104. It may include a mooring line 101B at the stern 202 of the first vessel 104 on the opposite side (port or starboard) of 105. Additionally, the second set of mooring lines 103 used for the second vessel 105 may include mooring lines 101C at the bow 203 of the second vessel 105 and on the opposite side of the first vessel 104 ( It may include a mooring line 101D at the stern 204 of a second vessel 105 (port or starboard). It is further contemplated that the mooring lines 101A-D have one end connected to the vessels 104, 105 and the distal ends of the mooring lines 101A-D are fixed. In a non-limiting example, mooring lines 101A-D may be connected to anchor points (e.g., cleats or fairleads) in the hulls of vessels 104, 105. Moreover, although mooring lines 101A-D are shown as a pair of mooring lines, those skilled in the art will understand that this is shown for illustrative purposes only and that any number of mooring lines may be used. Although the mooring lines 101A-D are shown as attached to the bow and stern of the vessels 104 and 105, it is understood that the mooring lines 101A-D may be attached to any part of the vessels 104 and 105. are further considered.

In one or more embodiments, spring lines 106 may include bow springs 106A and stern springs 106B connecting adjacent sides of vessels 104 and 105. Spring lines 106A, 106B may extend diagonally forward or backward from the first vessel 104 to the second vessel 105 at an angle that limits the relative forward and backward movement of the vessels. In a non-limiting example, if one of the vessels 104, 105 attempts to move to starboard against the stern spring 106B, the stern spring 106B will force the sterns 202, 204 of the vessels 104, 105 inward. , forcing the bows 201 and 203 of the vessels 104 and 105 outward (or vice versa when using the bow spring 106A) to maintain the position of the vessels 104 and 105 relative to each other. It is also added that the spring lines 106A, 106B may be attached to the vessel 104, 105 at the bow 201, 203, stern 202, 204 or midship, amidships, or at spring cleats. is considered. In some embodiments, spring lines 106A, 106B may be made of the same material as the plurality of mooring lines 101 . Additionally, spring lines 106A and 106B may be the same spring lines used to dock vessels 104 and 105.

2B illustrates a front view of SMS 100 disposed in a body of water 200 in accordance with one or more embodiments. Because the first vessel 104 and the second vessel 105 are buoyant within the body of water 200, portions of the hulls of the vessels 104 and 105 may be underwater. It is further contemplated that a plurality of mooring lines 101 may be attached to the fairways of the hull portions of the vessels 104, 105 below the surface 200A of the body of water 200. Further illustrated in FIG. 2B, each mooring line of the plurality of mooring lines 101 may have three portions. In a non-limiting example, each mooring line has an upper end 205 connected to a vessel 104, 105, a lower end 206 connected to an anchor 208 (e.g., a suction pile anchor) in the seafloor 200B, and an upper end It may include a middle part 207 connected between 205 and the lower part 206. In some embodiments, the top portion 205 is a chain line, the middle portion 207 is a polyester line, and the bottom portion 206 is a chain line. In order to maintain the position of the vessels 104 and 105 within the water area 200, each mooring line of the plurality of mooring lines 101 is under tension. In a non-limiting example, to maintain the position of the vessel 104, 105 within the body of water 200, a vertical tension (Tv) at the point where the mooring line 101 joins the vessel 104, 105 and The horizontal tension (Th) has a tension equal to and opposite to the vertical tension (Tv) and the horizontal tension (Th) at the point where the mooring line 101 is coupled to the anchor 208. Those skilled in the art will recognize that by coupling one end of the mooring line 101 to the vessel 104, 105 and the distal end of the mooring line 101 to the anchor 208, the SMS 100 can be positioned within the water body 200. 104, 105) will recognize that the position can be maintained for more than 20 years.

In one or more embodiments, one or more fenders 107 extend from the hulls of watercraft 104, 105. Additionally, one or more fenders 107 may be removable or permanently fixed to the hull of the watercraft 104, 105. Additionally, one or more fenders 107 may be fenders floating in the body of water 200 . One or more fenders may be used to absorb the energy of docking vessels 104, 105 so that damage to the hulls of vessels 104, 105 can be prevented. To absorb energy, one or more fenders 107 may be made of rubber, foam elastomer, plastic, or any combination thereof. One or more fenders 107 may be selected based on what is most suitable for the application depending on many variables including dimensions and displacement of vessels 104, 105, maximum allowable standoff, berthing structure, tidal changes, and other anchorage-specific conditions. there is. In a non-limiting example, one or more fenders 107 may include a cylindrical fender, an arch fender, a cell fender, a cone fender, a pneumatic fender, a submarine hydro-pneumatic fender (“SHPF”), a foam elastomer fender, a D-shaped fender, a square fender, a wing fender, etc. It may be a fender, a keyhole fender, a tugboat fender, a solid rubber fender, a floating rubber fender, or any combination thereof. Additionally, those skilled in the art will understand how one or more fenders 107 can be designed to meet the standards set out in the PIANC "Fender System Design Guide", Japanese Industrial Standard ("JIS") and British Standard BS 6349-4:2014. .

Additionally, the method of the present invention may include the use of split mooring systems and other systems such as those shown in Figures 1-2B. Since the method can be applied to any embodiment, reference numbers are not referenced to avoid confusion in numbering between different embodiments.

Initially, the first vessel and the second vessel are located in a water area and the two vessels are placed adjacent to each other. Multiple mooring lines are then used to fix and maintain the relative position of the vessel in the water body. In a non-limiting example, mooring lines are attached to a first vessel and a second vessel. For example, the mooring lines may only be attached to the sides of the first and second vessels facing open water. By attaching the mooring lines only to the open water side, there can be no mooring lines on the side of the first vessel facing the side of the second vessel. Additionally, the distal end of the mooring line is attached to a corresponding anchor anchored to the sea floor. Once the ends of the mooring lines are attached to the first and second vessels and the distal ends are attached to the corresponding anchors, the relative positions of the first and second vessels are fixed and maintained in the body of water. It is also contemplated that a first vessel may first be positioned in the body of water and anchored, and then a second vessel may be placed adjacent to the first vessel and anchored at that location. Those skilled in the art will understand how the mooring lines are split between the first and second vessels so that each vessel does not require a complete mooring system.

Next, a first end of the one or more spring lines can be attached to the first watercraft and a second end of the one or more spring lines can be attached to the second watercraft. One or more spring lines help maintain the position of the first vessel and the second vessel relative to each other. Additionally, one or more spring lines may tilt from the first vessel to the second vessel to limit forward and backward movement of the vessels relative to each other. It is also contemplated that one or more fenders be provided on the hulls of the first watercraft and/or the second watercraft to assist in preventing collisions between the hulls of the first watercraft and the second watercraft. Additionally, a person skilled in the art will be able to understand how, with the first vessel and the second divided vessel moored in the water area, the first vessel and the second vessel can maintain a distance of less than 30 meters from each other within the water area. will be. If the first and second vessels are less than 30 meters from each other (e.g., between 2 and 25 meters or between 5 and 15 meters), a substance, such as a cryogenic fluid, may separate from the first vessel and the second vessel. One or more transfer hoses may be connected from the first vessel to the second vessel to allow transfer between two vessels.

Although this disclosure has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, those skilled in the art having the benefit of this disclosure will understand that other embodiments may be devised without departing from the scope of the disclosure described herein. Accordingly, the scope of this disclosure should be limited only by the appended claims.

Claims (20)

In the split mooring system,
At least two vessels in the water; and
a plurality of mooring lines attached to the at least two vessels and configured to secure and maintain the positions of the at least two vessels relative to each other within the body of water;
The first of the at least two ships is adjacent to the second of the at least two ships,
The plurality of mooring lines are attached to the sides of the first vessel and the second vessel,
A split mooring system, wherein the sides of the first vessel and the second vessel to which the mooring lines are attached face open water of the body of water.
According to paragraph 1,
The first ship is a production ship,
The second vessel is a storage vessel or floating storage unit.
According to paragraph 1,
further comprising one or more spring lines having a first end attached to the first vessel and a second end attached to the second vessel;
The one or more spring lines are configured to maintain the relative positions of the first and second vessels with respect to each other.
According to paragraph 1,
Further comprising fenders attached to the first vessel and/or the second vessel,
Wherein the fenders are configured to prevent collision between the hull of the first vessel and the hull of the second vessel.
According to claim 1,
A split mooring system, wherein each mooring line of the plurality of mooring lines includes at least one chain line and a polyester line.
According to clause 5,
One end of the mooring line is connected to a corresponding vessel,
A split mooring system, wherein the distal end of the mooring line is connected to an anchor.
According to clause 6,
The anchor is a suction pile anchor placed on the seabed of the body of water or on a buoy on the surface of the body of water.
According to paragraph 1,
A split mooring system, wherein the first vessel and the second vessel are less than 30 meters apart from each other.
According to clause 8,
Further comprising a transfer hose attached between the first vessel and the second vessel,
The split mooring system of claim 1, wherein the transfer hose is configured to transfer cryogenic material.
In a method of split mooring at least two vessels in a water area,
placing a first of the at least two ships adjacent to a second of the at least two ships;
attaching mooring lines to sides of the first vessel and the second vessel facing the open water of the body of water;
fixing the positions of the first vessel and the second vessel within the water body with the mooring lines; and
Maintaining a fixed position of the first vessel and the second vessel with the mooring line.
According to clause 10,
attaching a first end of one or more spring lines to the first watercraft;
attaching a second end of the one or more spring lines to the second watercraft; and
The method further comprising maintaining the relative positions of the first vessel and the second vessel relative to each other relative to the one or more spring lines.
According to clause 10,
providing fenders to the first vessel and/or the second vessel; and
The method further comprising preventing collision between the hull of the first watercraft and the hull of the second watercraft, via the fenders.
According to clause 10,
Wherein securing the position of the first watercraft and the second watercraft includes attaching a distal end of each mooring line to an anchor.
According to clause 13,
The method further comprising anchoring the anchor to the seabed of the body of water.
According to clause 10,
The method further comprising maintaining the first vessel and the second vessel at a distance of less than 30 meters from each other.
According to clause 15,
The method further comprising transferring cryogenic material between the first vessel and the second vessel via a transfer hose.
In the system,
A production vessel located at a certain distance from a floating storage unit in a water body;
a plurality of mooring lines attached to the production vessel and the floating storage, the plurality of mooring lines being configured to secure and maintain the positions of the production vessel and the floating storage relative to each other within the body of water; and
a transfer hose attached to a first proximal surface of the production vessel and a second proximal surface of the floating storage, the transfer hose being configured to transfer cryogenic material from the production vessel to the floating storage;
The first adjacent surface and the second adjacent surface face each other,
the plurality of mooring lines are attached to a first proximal side of the production vessel and a second opposite side of the floating storage,
wherein the first opposing surface is opposite the first adjacent surface and the second opposing surface is opposing the second adjacent surface.
According to clause 17,
further comprising one or more spring lines having a first end attached to a first proximal surface of the production vessel and a second end attached to a second proximal surface of the floating reservoir;
The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more spring lines are configured to maintain the relative positions of the production vessel and the floating reservoir with each other.
According to clause 17,
further comprising fenders attached to the first proximal surface of the production vessel and/or the second proximal surface of the floating storage;
The system of claim 1, wherein the fenders are configured to prevent collision between the production vessel and the floating storage.
According to clause 17,
The system of claim 1, wherein the production vessel and the floating storage are spaced apart at a distance of between 5 meters and 25 meters.