Hybrid buoyant riser/tension mooring system

A mooring and fluid transfer system r comprising,

• a floating body having a first coupling mounted thereon,
• a riser/tension member having a length with a lower end and an upper end, and having,
• a tension member capable of transferring mooring loads along said length,
• at least one fluid flow conduit integral with and placed parallel with said strength member and arranged and designed to conduct hydrocarbons from said lower end to said upper end, and
• buoyancy material distributed axially along said strength member and said fluid flow conduit, and
• a second coupling secured to said upper end,
• a submerged structure secured to said sea floor and having a flow line extending to said submerged structure with said strength member secured to said submerged structure and with said fluid flow conduit fluidly coupled to said flow line at said submerged structure,
• wherein said second coupling of said riser/tension member and said first coupling mounted on said floating body are cooperatively designed so that when said second coupling is pulled into coupling engagement with said first coupling, and said floating body is moored to said submerged structure via said tension member of said riser/tension member, and said floating body is fluidly coupled to said flow line at said submerged structure via said fluid flow conduit of said riser/tension member.

A mooring and fluid transfer system comprising

• a vessel having a storage hold disposed thereon,
• a riser/tension member having a length with a lower end and an upper end, said riser/tension member including a tension member capable of transferring mooring loads along said length, at least one fluid flow conduit integrated with and disposed parallel with said strength member and designed to conduct hydrocarbons from said lower end to said upper end, and buoyancy material distributed axially along said strength member and said fluid flow conduit,
• a submerged structure secured to said sea floor and having a flow line extending to said submerged structure with said strength member secured to said submerged structure and with said fluid flow conduit fluidly coupled to said flow line at said submerged structure,
• a hawser line connected between said vessel and said upper end of said riser/tension member to said tension member, and
• at least one fluid flow line fluidly coupled between said storage hold of said vessel and said upper end of said riser/tension member to said at least one fluid flow conduit,
• whereby, said vessel is moored to said submerged structure via said hawser and said tension member of said riser/tension member, and said vessel storage hold is fluidly coupled to said flow line at said submerged structure via said fluid flow line and said fluid flow conduit of said riser/tension member.

An offshore arrangement comprising,

• a submerged structure positioned in proximity to a floating vessel and having a flow line supported by said structure,
• a riser/tension member having a length with a lower end and an upper end and having, with a tension member capable of transferring mooring loads along said length, at least one fluid flow conduit integral with and placed parallel with said strength member and arranged and designed to conduct hydrocarbons from said lower end to said upper end, and buoyancy material distributed axially along said strength member and said fluid flow conduit, and a second coupling secured to said upper end,
• said tension member secured to said submerged structure at said lower end,
• said at least one fluid flow conduit fluidly coupled to said flow line at said lower end, and
• said vessel being connected to said tension member and fluidly coupled to said at least one fluid flow conduit at said upper end of said riser/tension member.