Floating Production Technology

Mooring Systems

Specialist Diploma in Marine & Offshore Technology

Mooring Systems vs DP Systems

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Mooring Systems
Keeps the offshore unit at station (for risers running between the FPS and subsea manifold) Need to work all year-round and is subject to hostile weather conditions

Comply with wave motions rather than resist them

Normally installed by anchor-handling tugs prior to arrival of FPS This enables rapid hook-up and secure FPS once it arrives at field location

Types of Mooring Systems

Spread Mooring Single Point Mooring Fixed tower

CALM buoy (Catenary Anchor Leg Mooring)

SALM (Single Anchor Leg Mooring) Internal turret External turret

Spread Mooring

Spread Mooring

Mooring Pattern

Spread Mooring
Consists of multiple mooring lines attached to four corners of the production unit Link production unit to anchoring points on the sea bed Do not require to weather-vane since the unit has a fixed heading Not suitable for production units which are sensitive to the incident wave direction

Spread Mooring
Advantages of spread mooring: Wide applicability in terms of vessel type and water depth Use of traditional and therefore relatively inexpensive shipboard equipment Suitable for a wide range of mooring lines (chains, wires, etc)

Single-Point Mooring (SPM)

Allow production unit to weathervane around the mooring

Suitable for all mono-hulls (tankers and barges) moored in severe environments

Types of SPM
Fixed tower CALM buoy (Catenary Anchor Leg Mooring) SALM (Single Anchor Leg Mooring) Internal turret External turret

Fixed Tower

Fixed Tower
Suitable for shallow water of depths (20 to 50 m) and small wave heights (about 5 m significant) Can be connected to the floating vessel by a simple hawser Hawser is usually replaced by a yoke to avoid the risk of extensive damage in the event of a minor collision between the tower and the tanker.
Hawser

Yoke

CALM Buoy

CALM Buoy

CALM Buoy Soft and Rigid

CALM Buoy Soft Yoke and Rigid Arm

CALM Buoy
Suitable over a wider range of water depths and larger wave heights 30 to 150 m up to 8 m significant Can be connected to the floating vessel by a yoke and pendulum system similar to that for the fixed tower, or by a rigid arm that is hinged or rigidly connected to the buoy and hinged to the vessel

SALM Single Anchor Leg Mooring

SALM Single Anchor Leg Mooring

SALM Single Anchor Leg Mooring

Column hinged at the sea bed and connected to the floating vessel by a rigid arm or yoke hinged at both ends Buoyancy can be provided in the upper part of the column itself, this is the conventional SALM Alternatively the buoyancy can be provided by a buoyancy chamber attached to the yoke; this system is known as SALS (Single Anchor Leg Storage) Both SALM and SALS are suitable for deeper waters and large wave heights
up to 200 m 12 m significant

SALM Single Anchor Leg Mooring

Cossack Pioneer (Woodside Energy)

Internal Turret

Internal Turret
An internal turret is convenient when a large number of risers are to be installed, and therefore a large turret and swivel assembly are required. An internal position also reduces the risk of slamming due to the reduction of the effect of pitch. Internal turrets can be used in deep waters and the most severe environments up to 18 m significant wave height

Internal Turret

Entry of risers and chains at bottom of Internal Turret

Various Deck Levels of Turret

Swivel stack located on top of the turret

Swivel stack located on top of the turret

Swivel stack (Anasuria)

External Turret

External Turret
An external turret eliminates the CALM buoy and allows the turntable and swivels to be directly attached to the vessel bow or stern. Suitable for deep waters and large wave heights 12 m significant wave heights Can be used up to the point where the combined heave and pitch motions may cause slamming on the bottom of the turret (depending on vessel size and length, up to approximately wave height).

Passive and Active Systems

Passive systems once the individual mooring lines have been installed and pre-tensioned, they are locked off and they are not modified over the FPSO life at the site.

Passive and Active Systems

Active systems Lengths and the tensions of the mooring lines can be modified over the FPSO life at the site. FPSO can be moved over a short distance from its original position in order to allow another vessel to come in position to carry out workover operations. Pre-tensions in the lines can be adjusted for specific environmental conditions, e.g. to better resist an oncoming storm. Individual tensioners for each mooring line additional equipment, payload and cost.

Mooring System Design comparison between ships and FPSOs

Conventional sea-going vessels Intermittent use of mooring system Regular inspection of individual lines for wear and fatigue can be carried out using the onboard equipment Damaged mooring line components can be replaced while the vessels are in transit or moored at docks.

Mooring System Design comparison between ships and FPSOs

FPSOs Mooring Systems Subject to permanent use at exposed locations Any breakage and replacement in the field is extremely expensive. Design requires a much more detailed knowledge of: environmental conditions motion response of vessel fatigue and wear properties of the materials used for the mooring lines.

Mooring Loads
Loads are due to wind, waves and current. Wind load Caused by the action of the wind on the part of FPSO above waterline, i.e. on the accommodation block, the process facilities on deck, etc. Current load Caused by the action of the current on the immersed part of the FPSO Wave load (see next page)

Mooring Loads

Mooring Loads

Mooring Loads
Wave Load Waves have two effects, they impose: first order loads at wave frequencies, second order loads: these loads are known as slow drift forces, which is a second order effect in the interaction between waves and FPSO motion

Mooring Design
To distribute the loads in the individual lines as equally as possible To give sufficient redundancy to the overall system.

Mooring Pattern

Mooring Layout
The important factors are: Strength of each mooring line Breakage tension of 3,130 to 5,160 kN (320 to 525 tonnes) Seabed topography and soil friction Prevailing directions of wind, waves and current Proximity of other fixed structures on the seabed such as templates and pipelines

Mooring Layout
The important factors are (continued): Proximity of other fixed structures in the water column, such as risers and riser mid-water arches, etc.

Other storage or drilling vessels moored in the vicinity

Future operational activities in the field (e.g. well workover).

Mooring Analysis
Design criteria Normally designed for the 100-year storm conditions, i.e. for the combination(s) of wave height, wind and current velocities which are likely to occur once in a 100 years. Conditions are established by extreme value analysis and extrapolation based on environmental data measured over a sufficient length of time.

Mooring Analysis
Typical values of waves in 100-year storms are:
100-Year Significant Wave Height (m) West of Shetland Northern North Sea Gulf of Mexico Philippines Brazil 18 16 13 11 7 Associated Wave Period (seconds) 20 17 16 15 14

Mooring Analysis
Tensions and excursions Design of the mooring system should allow floater remains within acceptable limits of horizontal distance (or excursion) whilst subject to the worst environmental loads.

Regions of Vessel Offsets vs Line Tension

Mooring Analysis
Traditional mooring and riser systems design Traditionally, uncoupled behaviour of the two systems, and each system is analysed independently. The motion of FPSO is calculated taking into account the mooring system only; the motion obtained is then imposed as an input to design of riser system.

Mooring Analysis
Integrated mooring and riser systems design System stiffness increases with: Increase in riser number Size of the risers Water depth Nowadays, stiffness and damping contribution from the risers are included in fully integrated analysis of the mooring and riser systems.

Mooring Analysis
Broadly what does mooring analysis involve? design criteria (e.g. 100-year storm) tensions in lines, excursions anticipated/allowed integrated mooring and riser design