US 4,786,266 AGranted

Open sea transfer of fluids

AssigneeBritish Aerospace Public Limited Company

InventorsJohn W. Fozard, Nigel J. Came, Dennis J. Mottram, Heinz E. Frick

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Abstract

The equipment for the transfer of fluids such as oil or gas from a drilling rig or platform mounted on the seabed to a ship pitching, heaving and yawing in relation thereto includes an interconnection through which fluid flow can take place. The interconnection has two parts, namely a probe 5 and a probe-receiver 4. The two parts are capable of engagement or disengagement on relative fore-and-aft movement. The equipment also includes a hose 6 to pass fluid to and from the interconnection, one part of the interconnection being mounted upon the platform 1 and the other part being carried by an at least partially spaced stabilized gantry 9 mounted upon the receiver vessel 8. One part of the interconnection 4 is mounted by a releasable anchor and has its hose 6 extendable when the anchor is released. The arrangement is such that the receiver vessel can be temporarily placed in an engagement position adjacent to the platform 1 and the parts 4 and 5 of the interconnection so aligned that engagement can be effected. Subsequently, the vessel 8 can be moved away from the platform to a more convenient position, while the interconnection 4 and 5 remain engaged to allow fluid transfer, the extendable hose 6 being paid out accordingly.

Claims10

Dependent claims

An arrangement for effecting open sea transfer of fluid (e.g. oil or gas) from a platform to a receiver vessel, comprising:

interconnection means through which fluid flow can take place, said interconnection means comprising two parts, a probe and a probe receiver, being capable of engagement or disengagement on relative fore and aft movement;
one said part of the interconnection means being mounted initially upon the platform, the other said part being carried by an at least partially space-stabilised gantry means mounted upon the receiver vessel;
one said part of the interconnection means being mounted by releasable anchorage means and having extendible hose means for passing fluid to and from said interconnection means connected thereto and such that said hose means is extendible when said anchorage means is released;
the other said part of the interconnection means having non-extendible hose means connected thereto for passing fluid from and to said interconnection means;
the arrangement being such that the receiver vessel can be temporarily placed in an engagement position adjacent to the platform and the two said parts of the interconnection means so aligned that engagement can be effected, and subsequently, the vessel can be moved away from the platform to a more convenient position, releasing said anchorage means, permitting the two said parts of the interconnection means to remain engaged and the extendible hose means to be paid-out accordingly to allow fluid transfer.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.