Rapid deployment mooring and discharge system and method
First Claim
1. An offshore bulk liquid discharge system comprisinga base,buoyancy tank means attached to the base for providing flotation for the system during transportation of the system to a mooring location and adapted for flooding to allow the system to be disposed on the sea floor,pipeline reel means for holding a coil of flexible pipeline during transportation of the system to a mooring location and for unreeling the flexible pipeline after the system is disposed on the sea floor,hose reel means for holding a coil of flexible tanker hose during transportation of the system to a mooring location and for unreeling the hose after the system is disposed on the sea floor, andswivel piping means for rotationally coupling a coil of flexible pipeline held in the pipeline reel means with a coil of tanker hose held in the hose reel means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An offshore bulk liquid discharge system and method for its deployment are disclosed. The system is adapted for rapid deployment and facilitates rapid unloading of liquids from an ocean tanker to a shore location. The system includes a base, a mooring buoy tethered to the base and floodable buoyancy tanks which may be flooded causing the base to land on the sea floor. A product swivel mounted on the base provides fluid communication between a tanker hose and a flexible pipeline.
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Citations
36 Claims
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1. An offshore bulk liquid discharge system comprising
a base, buoyancy tank means attached to the base for providing flotation for the system during transportation of the system to a mooring location and adapted for flooding to allow the system to be disposed on the sea floor, pipeline reel means for holding a coil of flexible pipeline during transportation of the system to a mooring location and for unreeling the flexible pipeline after the system is disposed on the sea floor, hose reel means for holding a coil of flexible tanker hose during transportation of the system to a mooring location and for unreeling the hose after the system is disposed on the sea floor, and swivel piping means for rotationally coupling a coil of flexible pipeline held in the pipeline reel means with a coil of tanker hose held in the hose reel means.
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9. A marine bulk liquid discharge system comprising
a base, a first buoyancy tank mounted at a first end of the base and having means for flooding the first tank, a second buoyancy tank mounted at a second end of the base and having means for flooding the second tank, pipeline reel means for holding a coil of flexible pipeline during transportation of the system to a mooring location and for unreeling the flexible pipeline after the system is disposed on the sea floor, hose reel means for holding a coil of flexible tanker hose during transportation of the system to a mooring location and for unreeling the hose after the system is disposed on the sea floor, a buoy cradle releasably secured at a first end of the base, a primary buoy releasably secured in the buoy cradle, tether means connected between the base and the primary buoy, first block and tackle means mounted at the buoy cradle and releasably connected to the first end of the base, first winch means secured to the buoy cradle and operably connected to the first block and tackle means for lowering the first end of the base toward the sea floor, an auxiliary buoy releasably secured at a second end of the base, second block and tackle means mounted on the auxiliary buoy and releasably connected to the second end of the base, second winch means secured to the auxiliary buoy and operably connected to the second block and tackle means for lowering the second end of the base toward the sea floor, and swivel piping means for rotationally coupling a coil of flexible pipeline held in the pipeline reel means with a coil of tanker hose held in the hose reel means.
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14. An offshore bulk liquid discharge system comprising
a base, buoyancy tank means attached to the base for providing flotation for the system during transportation of the system to a mooring location and adapted for flooding to allow the system to be disposed on the sea floor, hose reel means for holding a coil of flexible tanker hose during transportation of the system to a mooring location and for unreeling the hose after the system is disposed on the sea floor, and swivel piping means for rotationally coupling a conduit adapted for connection to a pipeline with a coil of tanker hose held in the hose reel means.
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19. An offshore bulk liquid discharge system comprising,
a base, buoyancy tank means attached to the base for providing flotation for the system during transportation of the system to a mooring location and adapted for flooding to allow the system to be disposed on the sea floor, wherein the buoyancy tank means comprises, a first buoyancy tank mounted at a first end of the base and having means for flooding the first tank, a second buoyancy tank mounted at a second end of the base and having means for flooding the second tank, a buoy cradle releasably secured at a first end of the base, a primary buoy releasably secured in the buoy cradle, tether means connected between the base and the primary buoy, first block and tackle means mounted at the buoy cradle and releasably connected to the first end of the base, first winch means secured to the buoy cradle and operably connected to the first block and tackle means for lowering the first end of the base toward the sea floor, an auxiliary buoy releasably secured at a second end of the base, second block and tackle means mounted on the auxiliary buoy and releasably connected to the second end of the base, and coupling means disposed on the base for connecting a pipeline provided between onshore storage facilities and the base and a tanker hose provided between a cargo vessel and the base, wherein the tanker hose comprises tanker hose sections releasably secured to the base of the system and wherein the tanker hose sections have coupling means on each end for connecting the sections end to end into a hose string and for connection of the hose string at one end to a conduit of the coupling means and at its other end to a discharge conduit of a vessel.
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20. A method of deployment of an offshore bulk liquid discharge system between a shore location and a tanker comprising the steps of
towing an offshore bulk discharge system to a deployment location, the system having a base, buoyancy tank means attached to the base, pipeline reel means holding a coil of flexible pipeline, hose reel means holding a coil of flexible tanker hose, swivel piping means rotationally coupling the coil of flexible pipeline in the pipeline reel means with the coil of tanker hose in the hose reel means and a mooring buoy releasably connected to the base, the buoy being tethered by a flexible securing means attached between the mooring buoy and the base, flooding the buoyancy tank means and releasing the secured mooring buoy so that the base sinks and finally rests on the sea floor with the mooring buoy floating on the sea surface while still being tethered to the base of the system, pulling the end of the coil of flexible pipeline to shore while the pipeline unreels from the pipeline reel means, pulling the end of the flexible tanker hose to a tanker while the hose unreels from the hose reel means, and attaching the tanker to the mooring buoy.
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23. A method of deployment of a marine bulk liquid discharge system between a shore location and tanker comprising the steps of,
towing an offshore bulk discharge system to a deployment location, the system having a base, a first buoyancy tank mounted at a first end of the base and having means for flooding the first tank, a second buoyancy tank mounted at a second end of the base and having means for flooding the second tank, pipeline reel means holding a coil of flexible pipeline, hose reel means holding a coil of flexible tanker hose, a buoy cradle releasably secured at the first end of the base, a mooring buoy releasably secured in the buoy cradle, tether means connected between the base and the mooring buoy, first block and tackle means mounted on the buoy cradle and releasably connected to the first end of the base, first winch means secured to the buoy cradle and operably connected to the first block and tackle means, an auxiliary buoy releasably connected at a second end of the base, second block and tackle means mounted on the auxiliary buoy and releasably connected to the second end of the base, second winch means mounted on the auxiliary buoy and operably connected to the second block and tackle means, and swivel piping means for rotationally coupling a coil of flexible pipeline held in the pipeline reel means with a coil of tanker hose held in the hose reel means, disconnecting the buoy cradle from its secured connection at the first end of the base, flooding the first buoyancy tank, lowering the first end of the base into the sea by means of the first winch means and first block and tackle means until the base is inclined with respect to the surface of the sea, disconnecting the auxiliary buoy from the second end of the base, flooding the second buoyancy tank, lowering the base while substantially in the inclined position into the sea by means of the first winch and block and tackle means and the second winch and block and tackle means until the first end of the base lands on the sea floor, disconnecting the first block and tackle means from the first end of the base, lowering the second end of the base by means of the second winch and block and tackle means until the base rests on the sea floor, disconnecting the second block and tackle means from the second end of the base, pulling the end of the coil of flexible pipeline to shore while the pipeline unreels from the pipeline reel means, pulling the end of the flexible tanker hose to a tanker while the hose unreels from the hose reel means, and attaching the tanker to the mooring buoy.
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25. A method of deploying an offshore bulk liquid discharge system between a shore location and a tanker comprising the steps of
providing an offshore bulk discharge system to a deployment location, the system having a base, buoyancy tank means attached to the base, hose reel means holding a coil of flexible tanker hose, swivel piping means rotationally coupling a conduit adapted for connection to a pipeline with the coil of tanker hose in the hose reel means, and a mooring buoy releasably connected to the base, the buoy being tethered by a flexible securing means attached between the mooring buoy and the base, flooding the buoyancy tank means and releasing the secured mooring buoy so that the base sinks and finally rests on the sea floor with the mooring buoy floating on the sea surface while still being tethered to the base of the system, providing a pipeline between the conduit coupled to the swivel piping means and an onshore storage facility, pulling the end of the flexible tanker hose to a tanker while the hose unreels from the hose reel means, and attaching the tanker to the mooring buoy.
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27. A method for deploying an offshore bulk liquid system in which the system has
a base, a first buoyancy tank mounted at a first end of the base and having means for flooding the first tank, a second buoyancy tank mounted at a second end of the base and having means for flooding the second tank, a buoy cradle releasably secured at the first end of the base, a mooring buoy releasably secured in the buoy cradle, tether means connected between the base and the mooring buoy, first block and tackle means mounted on the buoy cradle and releasably connected to the first end of the base, first winch means secured to the buoy cradle and operably connected to the first block and tackle means, an auxiliary buoy releasably connected at a second end of the base, second block and tackle means mounted on the auxiliary buoy and releasably connected to the second end of the base, second winch means mounted on the auxiliary buoy and operably connected to the second block and tackle means, the method comprising the steps of providing the offshore bulk liquid system at an offshore deployment location proximal shore storage facilities, setting the base of the system on the sea bed at the deployment location, releasing a mooring buoy releasably secured to the system from the system to float on the sea surface while being tethered to the base of the system, and wherein the steps of setting the base of the system on the sea floor and releasing a mooring buoy from the system to float on the sea surface while being tethered to the base of the system comprise the substeps of, disconnecting the buoy cradle from its secured connection at the first end of the base, flooding the first buoyancy tank, lowering the first end of the base into the sea by means of the first winch means and first block and tackle means until the base is inclined with respect to the surface of the sea, disconnecting the auxiliary buoy from the second end of the base, flooding the second buoyancy tank, lowering the base while substantially in the inclined position into the sea by means of the first winch and block and tackle means and the second winch and block and tackle means until the first end of the base lands on the sea floor, disconnecting the first block and tackle means from the first end of the base, lowering the second end of the base by means of the second winch and block and tackle means until the base rests on the sea floor, and disconnecting the second block and tackle means from the second end of the base, attaching a tanker to the mooring buoy, connecting a pipeline to a coupling means disposed on the system, and connecting a tanker hose between the vessel and the coupling means.
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28. A method of deployment of an offshore bulk liquid discharge system between a shore location and a tanker comprising the steps of,
towing an offshore bulk discharge system to a position close to the shore location, a base, buoyancy tank means attached to the base, pipeline reel means carrying a coil of flexible pipeline, hose reel means carrying a coil of flexible tanker hose, swivel piping means rotationally coupling the coil of the flexible pipeline in the pipeline reel means with the coil of tanker hose in the hose reel means and a mooring buoy releasably connected to the base, the buoy being tethered by a flexible securing means attached between the mooring buoy and the base, attaching a winch line to the end of the flexible pipeline unspooled about a winch disposed onshore, spooling the winch line about the onshore winch until the flexible pipeline is landed onshore, towing said bulk discharge system to a deployment location while unspooling the flexible pipeline from said pipeline reel means, flooding the buoyancy tank means and releasing the secured mooring buoy so that the base sinks until it rests on the sea floor with the mooring buoy floating on the sea surface while still being tethered to the base of the system, pulling the end of the flexible tanker hose to a tanker while the hose unreels from the hose reel means, and attaching the tanker to the mooring buoy.
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30. An offshore bulk liquid discharge system comprising,
a base, buoyancy tank means attached to the base for providing flotation for the system during transportation of the system to a mooring location and adapted for flooding to allow the system to be disposed on the sea floor, hose reel means carrying a coil of flexible tanker hose during transportation of the system to a mooring location and for unreeling the hose after the system is disposed on the sea floor, swivel piping means for rotationally coupling a conduit adapted for connection to a pipeline with a coil of tanker hose held in the hose reel means, an anchor chain having one end connected to the base, and secondary buoy means for holding said anchor chain in a substantially vertical position upon deployment of said system on the sea floor in relatively shallow water.
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34. A method of deploying an offshore bulk liquid discharge system between a shore location and a tanker comprising the steps of
providing an offshore bulk discharge system to a deployment location, the system having a base, buoyancy tank means attached to the base, hose reel means carrying a coil of flexible tanker hose, swivel piping means rotationally coupling a conduit adapted for connection to a pipeline with the coil of tanker hose in the hose reel means, an anchor chain having one end connected to base, and secondary mooring buoy means connected at the other end of said anchor chain in a substantially vertical position upon deployment of said system on the sea floor in relatively shallow water, flooding the buoyancy tank means until the base sinks and rests on the sea floor with the secondary mooring buoy means floating on the sea surface while still being connected via said anchor chain to the base of the system, providing a pipeline between the conduit coupled to the swivel piping means and an onshore storage facility, pulling the end of the flexible tanker hose to a tanker while the hose unreels from the hose reel means, and attaching the tanker to the secondary mooring buoy means.
Specification