Vessel for production and/or loading/unloading and transport of

Details Vessel for production and/or loading/unloading and transport of Vessel for production and/or loading/unloading and transport of

1996-09-12

1998-05-12

Basinger, Sherman

Buoys, rafts, and aquatic devices

Buoy

For mooring a vessel

114230, B63B 2202

Patent

active

057497583

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a vessel for use in production or transport of hydrocarbons from offshore fields. Further, the invention relates to a method for loading of oil from a loading hose which is connected to an underwater buoy and which, for connection, is pulled up onto the deck of a vessel and connected to a loading manifold on the deck.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
There are previously known ships which are used for transport of oil from offshore loading buoys to e.g. a land-based oil terminal (shuttle tankers). These load oil via a loading hose from the loading buoy, the hose being pulled over the bow of the ship and connected to a coupling head on the ship.
Recently, there have also become known shuttle tankers which are arranged to connect themselves to underwater loading buoys which simultaneously keep the ship anchored. There has also been proposed such a buoy which comprises a swivel unit having several pipe courses and which is adapted for production purposes.
There are also known storage vessels which are fixedly anchored, and are connected to a production platform via a hose or pipeline. Unloading takes place via a loading system which is placed at the stern of the ship where it is connected to a loading hose which is pulled over the bow of a shuttle tanker.
It is an object of the invention to provide a vessel which by simple means is able to change between operating as
a) a production vessel which is connected to an underwater buoy by means of a swivel,
b) a shuttle tanker which connects itself to a submerged loading buoy,
c) a storage vessel which is permanently connected to an underwater buoy, and which simultaneously has unloading equipment at the stern of the vessel for unloading oil, and
d) a shuttle tanker which connects itself to loading hoses pulled over the deck of the tanker.


SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The above-mentioned object is achieved with a vessel of the introductorily stated type which, according to the invention, is characterized in that the vessel near to its forward end comprises a submerged receiving space for receiving an underwater buoy, and a service shaft extending between the receiving space and the deck of the vessel, and that the vessel further, at its stern on the deck, comprises a coupling head and equipment for connection of a hose for loading/unloading of oil.
An advantageous embodiment of the vessel according to the invention is characterized in that its stern in plan view has a pointed, rounded shape (bow shape). By means of this embodiment there is achieved that the forces acting on the stern because of waves and wind, are reduced as much as possible. An additional advantage of this hull shape is achieved if a load transfer between two vessels is to be undertaken. If the vessels during the load transfer should get in contact with each other, possible damages will be substantially reduced compared to if the vessel has a traditional, transverse stern which the rearwardly located vessel runs into.
The placing of loading/unloading equipment at the stern of the vessel has an additional advantage if the vessel operates as a traditional shuttle tanker and is to load from a submerged hose, for example in connection with a buoy of the UKOLS type. In such situations the vessel will be lying with the bow against the wind and connect itself to the loading hose with the stern to leeward.
With traditional connection, with loading equipment arranged on the bow, and with the bow placed in position against the wind when connecting, that which limits the loading operation, when the ship is able to connect itself to the loading hose and remain connected, will be the security of the crew moving on the deck and carrying out the connection. With waves having a significant wave height one of around 5.5 meters is today prevented from carrying out loading.
By carrying out loading at the lee end of the vessel, one can effect connection and continue loading at wave heights up to 8 m significant wave height.
Thus, acco

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patent: 3766938 (1973-10-01), Stracke et al.
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patent: 4677930 (1987-07-01), Ortloff
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patent: 5564957 (1996-10-01), Breivik et al.
English-language Abstract from the Dialog.RTM. computer service (Derwent World Patent Index) for German Patent No. 2 051 588 (Item B1).
English-language Abstract from the Dialog.RTM.computer service (Derwent World Patent Index) for Norwegian Patent Application 922 045 (Item B9).

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