SINGLE POINT MOORING

SYSTEM
CONSTRUCTION,DESIGN,
COMMISSIONING,
OPERATION AND
MAINTENANCE
 SinglePoint Mooring (SPM) system
is a kind of offshore platform for
the berthing of tankers to load /
unload materials.

 Presently IOCL is using SPM

system for the unloading of crude
oil.
 Why we need SPM system for loading / Unloading
of crude oil.
Large size crude oil carrying vessels cannot come to
jetties so these vessels need SPM terminals installed in
deep sea.
Transportation through sea is 2nd cheapest
transportation mode.
Safe mode of transportation.
Can be transported to very long distance.
 Identification of Suitable location

 Throughput requirement
Following requirements should be satisfied for
the selection of the location.
Suitable weather for Construction and Operation.
Requisite Draft for the large vessels berthing
Sea bed Profile to be smooth for offshore pipeline
laying.
Safe Channel for vessels.
 Condition of seabed and its strata.
Distance of required draft from shore should be as
minimum as possible.
SPM location should be cleared from Navigational
channel.
Availability of suitable land at shore for tank farm.
 Ship traffic
 Fishing activities
 Offshore installations
 Existing pipelines and cables
 Unstable seabed
 Turbidity flowSeismic activity
 Obstructions
 Dumping areas for waste
 Mining activities
 Military exercise areas
 Archaeological sites
 Exposure to environment damage, flora & fauna
 Pipeline dia shall be decided on the basis of
distance (from SPM to tank farm) and
throughput requirement.
 SPM system to be designed based on
throughput requirement.
 Availability of suitable weather for operation.
 Components of offshore pipeline design
Throughput requirement
Distance from SPM to tank farm
Density of sea water
Sea bed condition
Type of fluid to be transported.
Expected Life of the system
Pipeline route
Operating Pressure
 Pipeline dimensions depends on the
following:
Throughput requirement (MMTPA)
Corrosion allowance
Impact load on the pipeline
Load on pipeline while laying on sea bed.
 Throughput requirement
SPM is designed to feed the refineries as per their
capacity of processing crude oil.
In case of PHCPL SPM system, it is designed to feed
Haldia and Barauni refinery and their combined
requirement is 11.0 MMTPA.
Considering 57% berth occupancy with 70% VLCC
and 30% other vessels the required diameter of
offshore pipeline comes to 48”.
 CLASSIFICATION OF TANKERS

TYPE TONNAGE
Premium Range <16500
General Purpose 16500- 24999
Medium Range 25000-44999
Large Range (LR I) 45000-79999
Large Range (LR II) 80000-159999
Very Large Crude Carriers(VLCC) 160000-319999
Ultra Large Crude Carrier(ULCC) >320000

*MR, LR-I & LR-II (less capacity) range of crude tankers are berthing
at Haldia only in partially loaded condition.
 In case of PHCPL The total length of the
offshore pipeline is approximately 19.75
kms and the pipeline will be subjected to
maximum pressure of 12 kg/sq.cm to push
the crude oil to Shore tanks.
 To take care of this pressure the
requirement of nominal wall thickness is
less than 5.0 mm but the thickness of 48”
offshore pipeline has been taken 20.3 mm
to take care of all types of load during
laying of pipeline.
 For the calculation of required thickness
during laying of offshore pipeline, DNV code
has recommended D/t ratio as 60.
1219/t = 60 (OD = 1219 mm)
t = 20.3 mm
Thickness of 20.3 mm takes care of corrosion
allowance as well as impact load. However, for the
external corrosion protection, sacrificial anodes are
provided.
 Concrete weight coating to maintain negative
buoyancy.
◦ Following formula to be used for the calculation of the
concrete weight requirement.

Conc. Wt. = 0.785 x 3050 (D2 – d2) (L-2l) + (L x w)

 0.785 density of steel, 3050 kg/cu m Density of concrete,

 D – Dia of concrete coated pipe joint, d- dia of corrosion resistant coating
 L – Pipe length, w – Weight of corrosion resistant coated pipe.

 For 48” dia bare steel pipe it comes to approx. 18000 kg. The weight of
12 meters bare pipe is approx. 8000 kg and total weight of pipe after
concrete coating comes to 26.0 T approx.
 Installation of sacrificial anodes
For offshore terminals, Impressed current cathodic
protection system cannot be maintained.
Only sacrificial anode are used as cathodic
protection alternative.
Quantity of sacrificial anodes mainly depend on
total area to be protected, required life of the
system and for offshore pipeline or under water
structure it depends on the depth.
 Topography of seabed requires detailed
investigation for the following point of view.
Obstruction in the form of rock outcrops, large
boulders, pock marks etc.
Potentially unstable slopes, sand waves, deep
valleys and erosion in the form of scour pattern.
Soil testing is required for the following:
Problems with respect to excavation and burial
operation.
Problems with respect to pipeline crossing
Settlement of pipeline
Possibility of mud slides
 SPM SYSTEM
Design Factors
Selection and design of a specific configuration for an SPM application
is dependent upon a number of factors. Primary design factors include:
 Size of the largest vessel to be accommodated, and range of vessel sizes.
 Number of products to be handled, as well as types of fluids, maximum
flow rates and maximum operating pressure.
 Water depth, and tidal range.
 Maximum operating and maximum survival environmental conditions
(including waves, current and wind and their relative angles).
 Characteristics of the seabed.
 Design life of the system.
 Additional factors peculiar to a specific site, such as earthquake
conditions, or ice etc.
Many other factors are also involved, to varying degrees, depending on
the specific system; a variety of environmental conditions influence the
design as well as factors related to the development, fabrication,
installation and operation of the SPM.
Types of Single Point Mooring Systems
◦ CALM (Catenary Anchor Leg Mooring)
 It consists of a buoy anchored by 4 or more chains extending in
catenaries to anchor points on sea floor.
◦ SALM (Single Anchor Leg Mooring)
 It consists of a buoy which is anchored to a base on sea floor
through a pre-tensioned single anchor leg consisting of a pipe
riser pivoted on universal joint and a short anchor chain with a
chain swivel.
◦ VALM (Vertical Anchor Leg Mooring)
 It consists of a buoy with 3 or more vertical pre-tensioned
chains anchored on seabed.
◦ SPMT (Single Point Mooring Tower)
 It consists of a rigid structure erected on seabed and extended
upto above water surface with a mounted turret on a swivel.
 Platform
VALM
SALM Buoy Buoy

Swivel

Chain
Pre- Single
Chain Universal tension Point
Joint ed Mooring
Tower Riser
Swivel Chains

Pipeline on Sub-sea line

Sea-bed Riser Universal Jt.

Mooring Base Sea-bed

Anchor
Pile
MAJOR SYSTEM COMPONENTS :

 CALM Buoy.
 Mooring hawser and Anchors chains.
 Submarine and Floating Hose Systems.
 Tanker Mooring Hawser Assembly.
 Pipeline End Manifold (PLEM) and Valves.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION

24
© UNEP GERIAP