Side by Side offshore loading (ship to ship loading with one vessel alongside the other) consists of offloading from a Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) or from a Floating Storage Unit (FSU) into a ship on which are installed Chiksan® marine loading arms with constant motion swivel joints and other accessories adapted to the specific application.
In recent years, most offshore transfer systems have been developed to cope with the increasing size of crude tankers and the limited number of harbors to accommodate them. Other factors, both technical and economical, are slowly emerging in favor of offshore transfer systems, either directly on the producing offshore fields or off the coasts of the producing or receiving countries.
FMC Technologies has the experience and the capability to supply you with a complete and ready-to-operate Side by Side offshore installation for the transfer of LNG, LPG and other petroleum products, fully designed and tested to meet the specific requirements of your particular installation.
Features
- Monitor and manage continual relative movements between the two vessels
- Position Monitoring Systems (PMS) with state-of-the-art, accurate potentiometer systems to monitor both the position and the velocity of drift of the LNG-carrier to give early warning of any potential problems
- Control Equipment: hydraulic/electric logic control systems and hydraulic drive systems
- Enhanced Safety Equipment: FMC Emergency Release System (ERS), hydraulic Quick Connect/Disconnect Couplers (QC/DC), fire safe Chiksan constant motion swivel joints
- Eliminate tending once connected to the ship's manifold, then placed in a "free-wheeling" mode as they follow the vessel motions and can be self-retracting once disconnected, whether during normal or emergency operations
Benefits
- Enhanced safety both of operations and terminal
- Environmental protection
- Fully designed, tested and operationally proven installations based on over 30 years experience in the offloading of crude oil, LPG at -48°C and LNG at -160°C
- On-site maintenance and service, requiring no heavy lifting equipment
- Worldwide permanent aftermarket support, providing comprehensive installation, commissioning, preventive maintenance, repair/rebuild plans and assistance training programs, retrofits and upgrades