US3515179A - Offshore loading/unloading of tankers - Google Patents

Offshore loading/unloading of tankers Download PDF

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Publication number
US3515179A
US3515179A US628697A US3515179DA US3515179A US 3515179 A US3515179 A US 3515179A US 628697 A US628697 A US 628697A US 3515179D A US3515179D A US 3515179DA US 3515179 A US3515179 A US 3515179A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
ship
line
tanker
buoy
unloading
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US628697A
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English (en)
Inventor
Wouter H Van Eek
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Shell USA Inc
Original Assignee
Shell Oil Co
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Shell Oil Co filed Critical Shell Oil Co
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Publication of US3515179A publication Critical patent/US3515179A/en
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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
    • B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING 
    • B63B22/00—Buoys
    • B63B22/02—Buoys specially adapted for mooring a vessel
    • B63B22/021—Buoys specially adapted for mooring a vessel and for transferring fluids, e.g. liquids
    • B63B22/023—Buoys specially adapted for mooring a vessel and for transferring fluids, e.g. liquids submerged when not in use

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a method of loading or unloading a fluid cargo ship or tanker at sea or on a body of water by means of a flowline, one end of which is provided with, or is secured to, at least one float or at least one buoy.
  • tankers such as large tankers of convention design, or tankers of very special and thus costly design, such as tankers for the transportation of liquefied gases or tankers for the transportation of gases at high pressure, the saving of time during mooring for loading or unloading is economically of great value.
  • One object of the convention is to provide a method of the above type in which delays awaiting weather or sea conditions in which a ship can be secured to a buoy or buoys are reduced or avoided.
  • a further object of the invention is to eliminate the need for small boats to assist in the berthing operation or in the connection of the cargo flowline of the berth to the ships own cargo piping.
  • the method according to the invention is characterized in that a ship is used which is provided with means for automatically positioning the ship without the use of anchors, i.e., a ship having a so-called dynamic positioning system.
  • a ship is used which is provided with means for automatically positioning the ship without the use of anchors, i.e., a ship having a so-called dynamic positioning system.
  • the ship approaches the buoy, it is automatically positioned close to the end of the line with the aid of the positioning means and the end of the line is subsequently picked up by the ship and secured to the loading or unloading line of the ship, whereupon the loading or unloading of the ship begins.
  • the invention also relates to a tanker for use with the said method, which tanker is provided with means for automatically positioning the tanker without the use of anchors.
  • the positioning means comprise, for example, a system consisting of one or more extra propellers and an automatic control device for operating the extra propellers in such a way that the ship is held in the desired position. It is to be noted that it is also possible to use special propellers which are used for propelling the ship as well ice as for holding it automatically in the desired position. Furthermore, instead of propellers, reaction engines of the jet type can be used for stationing purposes.
  • FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the flowline and the buoy plug appurtenances in the rest position
  • FIG. 2 is an elevational view of :a tanker being loaded or unloaded.
  • the sea or body of water is designated by the numeral 1, the floor of the sea or body of water by the numeral 2 and the surface of the sea or water by the numeral 3.
  • a line 4 for the supply or otftake of the fluid to be loaded or unloaded lies on the bed 2.
  • the line 4 may, for example, be connected to short storage tanks (not shown) for the fluid.
  • the line 4 it is also possible for the line 4 to be connected to reservoirs or container vessels in which oil or gas produced from the rock formations under the bed of the sea or body of water is collected. These reservoirs or vessels may be situated beneath the sea bed, above the sea bed and below the water surface, or above the water surface.
  • the line 4 is connected via a line 7 to a separator 5 which is arranged on a steel or concrete offshore structure 6 supported by the floor 2. It is to be noted that the reservoirs or vessels can also be secured to ships or other floating structures.
  • a separator 5 for example, water is separated from petroleum, produced from the bed 2 or the separator 5 may serve to separate water or condensed hydrocarbons from natural gas produced from the bed 2.
  • the oil or gas produced is passed to the separator 5 via a flowline 8.
  • the free end of the line 4, which end is preferably flexible, is provided with, or secured to, at least one float or buoy.
  • the end of the line 4 is suspended below a buoy 10 by means of a cable 9, the latter being connected at the point 13 to the line 4.
  • the line 4 can be provided close to the said end with floats 11.
  • a valve 12 is arranged near the end of the line 4.
  • a second valve 14 is arranged in the line 4.
  • the ship for example a tanker, is designated in FIG. 2 by the numeral 15.
  • the ship is also provided with one or more extra propellers 16, which can be turned in all direc tions lying in a horizontal plane.
  • the propeller(s) can be placed, for example, in the bow or in the stern of the ship. If desired, it is possible to secure these propellers to the ship in such a way that they can be raised out of the water, so that the resistance of the ship during the normal progress is not adversely affected.
  • the extra propellers are only shown diagrammatically.
  • connection between the line 4 and the ship can be designed in such a way that the ship can rotate freely round the line 4; in such a case, use is made of a rotatable swivel.
  • the ship 15 is, as already stated, provided with means for automatically positioning the ship 15 without the use of anchors.
  • These means comprise a system consisting of extra propellers 16 and an automatic control device for operating the extra propellers 16 in such a way that the ship 15 is held in the desired position.
  • the control device and equipment are not shown in the drawing.
  • Means for the automatic positioning without the use of anchors, of a floating structure, such as a floating drilling platform for instance, have already been described, for example, in US. Pat. 3,211,121. However, attention is drawn to the fact that the invention is not restricted to the automatic positioning means according to this patent,
  • the method of the invention proceeds as follows. Let it be assumed that a tanker has to be loaded, for example, with natural gas.
  • the tanker 15 approaches the buoy 10. Once the tanker 15 has come close to the buoy 10 it is stopped or almost stopped, whereupon the system for positioning the tanker 115 automatically without the use of anchors is put into operation.
  • the degree of deviation of the tanker 15 from a given desired location is determined in this system by a taut line method, by transponders or the like.
  • the end of the line 4 is subsequently hoisted aboard the tanker 15 with the aid of the derrick 18 and cable 19 whereupon the end of the line 4 is connected to the loading line 17 of the tanker.
  • the valve 12 and the valve 14 are then opened.
  • the valve 14 can, for instance, be opened by generating a pressure impulse in the line 4.
  • the natural gas now flows via the line 4 to the tanks of the tanker 15, in which it is stored, for example, under high pressure.
  • the valves 12 and 14 are closed and the end of the line 4 is uncoupled from the loading line 17, whereupon the end is again suspended on or under the buoy 10 with the aid of the tackle 18.
  • the system for automatically positioning the tanker 15 without the use of anchors, and the extra propellers 16, are then put out of action, whereupon the normal propulsion screw is put into operation and the tanker 1'5 proceeds to its destination.
  • the buoy 10 is preferably, although not necessarily, anchored to the water floor 2 by means of anchor lines 20.
  • gases can also be loaded or unloaded in the manner described above in the so-called dense phase, i.e., at high pressure and low temperature.
  • liquid oil products such as, for example, crude petroleum, gasoline, fuel oil, and gas oil, can also be loaded or unloaded in the manner described above.
  • buoy to which the end of the line is secured or suspended, to float on the surface of the water. It is instead also possible to make use of a buoy which is situated below the surface of the water.
  • the means for automatically positioning the ship can be of any suitable known type.
  • the special propellers for this purpose can, for example, be so arranged that they can be raised out of the water when not required, in order to improve propulsive efliciency.
  • Propellers can, for example, be used which are so arranged that they can be retracted into the hull, namely, vertically through the bottom of the hull or horizontally through the sides of the hull.
  • a method of loading or unloading a fluid-cargo ship at sea comprising:
  • a method as defined in claim 1 including the steps of:
  • step of providing said other end of said fiowline with buoyancy means comprises attaching at least one float to said other end.
  • step of providing said other end of said fiowline with buoyancy means comprises attaching a buoy to said other end.
  • step of providing said other end of said flowline with buoyancy means comprises:
  • step of connecting one end of said fiowline to a fluid-handling facility comprises connecting said end to a separator positioned on an offshore platform.

Landscapes

  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Ocean & Marine Engineering (AREA)
  • Earth Drilling (AREA)
  • Ropes Or Cables (AREA)
  • Loading And Unloading Of Fuel Tanks Or Ships (AREA)
  • Ship Loading And Unloading (AREA)
US628697A 1966-04-06 1967-04-05 Offshore loading/unloading of tankers Expired - Lifetime US3515179A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
NL6604597A NL6604597A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1966-04-06 1966-04-06

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3515179A true US3515179A (en) 1970-06-02

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ID=19796211

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US628697A Expired - Lifetime US3515179A (en) 1966-04-06 1967-04-05 Offshore loading/unloading of tankers

Country Status (6)

Country Link
US (1) US3515179A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
DE (1) DE1506777A1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
ES (1) ES338879A1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
FR (1) FR1517489A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
GB (1) GB1144977A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
NL (1) NL6604597A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3682242A (en) * 1969-05-22 1972-08-08 Mobil Oil Corp Underwater production and storage system
US4867211A (en) * 1985-12-12 1989-09-19 British Aerospace Public Limited Company Open sea transfer of fluids
AU690214B2 (en) * 1994-01-31 1998-04-23 Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij B.V. Hydrocarbon fluid transport system

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2451342A1 (fr) * 1979-03-16 1980-10-10 Sea Tank Co Dispositif de transfert d'un fluide en mer entre une installation fixe et un engin flottant
IT1138085B (it) * 1981-07-16 1986-09-10 Tecnomare Spa Struttura per l'ormeggio in alto mare
US4704050A (en) * 1983-10-05 1987-11-03 Bechtel Power Corporation J-configured offshore oil production riser

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2648201A (en) * 1949-09-02 1953-08-11 Standard Oil Dev Co Offshore ship unloading facilities for high-pressure fluids
US3311079A (en) * 1964-07-22 1967-03-28 Inst Francais Du Petrole Steering system for dynamically positioning a vessel
US3452787A (en) * 1967-01-18 1969-07-01 Fmc Corp Offshore articulated fluid conveying apparatus

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2648201A (en) * 1949-09-02 1953-08-11 Standard Oil Dev Co Offshore ship unloading facilities for high-pressure fluids
US3311079A (en) * 1964-07-22 1967-03-28 Inst Francais Du Petrole Steering system for dynamically positioning a vessel
US3452787A (en) * 1967-01-18 1969-07-01 Fmc Corp Offshore articulated fluid conveying apparatus

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3682242A (en) * 1969-05-22 1972-08-08 Mobil Oil Corp Underwater production and storage system
US4867211A (en) * 1985-12-12 1989-09-19 British Aerospace Public Limited Company Open sea transfer of fluids
AU690214B2 (en) * 1994-01-31 1998-04-23 Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij B.V. Hydrocarbon fluid transport system

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
NL6604597A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1967-10-09
DE1506777A1 (de) 1969-08-28
FR1517489A (fr) 1968-03-15
ES338879A1 (es) 1968-04-16
GB1144977A (en) 1969-03-12

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