Methods and system relating to positioning a ship to side-by-side configuration alongside a floating offshore storage facility and transferring fluid cargo therebetween

Abstract

A method is for performing an approach to position a ship in side-by-side configuration alongside a floating offshore storage facility, for transfer of fluid cargo between the floating offshore storage facility and the ship. The method may comprise connecting a helper vessel to the ship, moving the ship on an approach path toward the floating offshore storage facility using the helper vessel, and obtaining a component of sideways movement of the ship by applying thrust from the connected helper vessel, to facilitate moving the ship on the approach path and position the ship in the side-by-side configuration. The ship can be brought into the side-by-side configuration alongside the floating offshore storage facility, at least one transfer pipe can be connected between the ship and the floating offshore storage facility, and communication can be opened through the transfer pipe to communicate fluid cargo between the ship and the storage facility.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.