Objective
Study of a concept of a subsea oil loading system and in particular for engineering of the individual components. The aim of the R & D project is functional and manoeuvring trials of the system.
The system is expected to give many advantages: low expense in comparison with the highly complex offshore loading systems required today; favourable handling times; high availability even under rough weather conditions; economic operation at great water depths and in marginal oil fields; maintenance and service not dependent on weather; elimination of collision loading facility; rediced storage capability.
Moreover, SOLS can be used for the development of production areas not accessible to surface loading systems and the addition of the dynamic positioning system gives the tanker major manoeuvrability benefits. SOLS can economically pump a tensid fluid into a subsea well and carry back crude oil from another well some miles away. Application of heavy ballast transportation appears realistic. The investigations done during this project (phase II) have confirmed the expected advantages.
The manoeuvring trials and the simulations have shown the good manoeuvrability of the re-entry unit and the possibility to connect a hose to the pipeline and manifold in short time.
The system can be described as follows: the tanker is manoeuvred into position and has moonpool close to its manifold. This moonpool enables a re-entry unit at end of loading hose which is lowered into the water and guided to the pipeline end manifold and couples with it to make the hose link for oil loading. Coupling is effected by remote control. PLEM is connected via a pipeline with production platform.
The project involves the following steps :
- detailed investigation of re-entry unit, hose, pipeline-end
manifold and equipment aboard the tanker
- simulation calculations
- manufacture of re-entry unit (full scale model)
- manoeuvring trials/evaluations of results.
Programme(s)
Topic(s)
Call for proposal
Data not availableFunding Scheme
DEM - Demonstration contractsCoordinator
22880 Wedel
Germany