Disconnectable Mooring Systems
SBM Offshore launched the concept of disconnectable turret mooring systems in the early 1980s. These types of turret moorings allow the exploitation of reserves in locations where severe weather conditions such as typhoons, hurricanes, or ice packs might threaten the safe operation of the facility. With a disconnectable mooring system, the FPSO can sail away from the field when threatened by hazardous conditions without external assistance, leaving the mooring system behind. Another advantage of the disconnectable mooring system is that the FPSO is easily sailed to a shipyard for upgrading or routine inspections and stationary surveys.
An Evolving Solution
The concept evolved in 1985 when SBM Offshore supplied an external disconnectable Riser Turret Mooring system for the FPSO Jabiru Venture, located in the cyclone-prone region off the northwest coast of Australia.
An internal disconnectable Buoyant Turret Mooring (BTM) system was developed a few years later for the Nan Hai Fa Xian, an FPSO deployed off Hong Kong in the typhoon-affected environment of the South China Seas. In 2002, the newly built Sea Rose FPSO, located offshore the eastern coast of Canada, was also furnished with a BTM.
Since those early days, SBM Offshore has continued to develop this technology in response to industry demands for innovative turret mooring systems capable of handling ever-larger vessels with significant numbers of risers, in various water depths and environments worldwide.
Disconnectable Mooring Systems
-
Buoyant Turret Mooring
The Buoyant Turret Mooring (BTM) system consists of a disconnectable mooring buoy and a fixed turret structure located inside the forepeak of the tanker.
The…
-
Riser Turret Mooring
The Riser Turret Mooring (RTM) system comprises two main components: a disconnectable riser column and a fixed arm, which is attached outside the bow of the tanker.
The…
-
MoorSpar™ Disconnectable Mooring System
For environments where hurricanes, cyclones or other severe weather threaten operations, SBM Atlantia has pioneered a disconnectable FPSO mooring system that makes…
SBM Atlantia
SBM Atlantia, Inc. supplies the energy industry with quality, experience, and innovation in floating production, drilling, engineering, and strategic investment solutions. Based in Houston, Texas, SBM Atlantia is a subsidiary of the SBM Offshore Group.