Power by People

CALM Buoy
for the Vopak ENOC Fujairah Terminal
www.bluewater.com
Vopak ENOC Fujairah Terminal
The CALM Buoy system for Vopak ENOC, Fujairah is a state-of-the-art offshore terminal ranking among the best in the world. This solution has provided a safe, economical and fast
extension of the VOPAK ENOC Fujairah Terminal. Operational and maintenance expenses are lower and flexibility for future growth and new applications has been built into the design.
Buoy Dimensions
Buoy body diameter (including skirt) 13.5 m
Buoy body diameter (excluding skirt) 10.25 m
Hull height 4.1 m
Projection of spider below hull 1.8 m
Total height (including fog horn) 13.4 m
Weight 216 mt
Centre of gravity above keel 3.3 m
Free floating draught 3.9 m
Certification
The system has been built and will be maintained as an OI 100
AT Single Point Mooring and Loading Terminal with Lloyds
Register of Shipping.
Anchor System
Anchor legs 6
Pattern 3 x 2
Length 300 m
Chain size (studless links) 76 mm
Anchor points (High Holding drag anchers) 6
Pretension angle 45
Submarine Hose System
Strings 2
Size 20
Pressure rating 225 psi
Location
2.7 km offshore Fujairah, U.A.E.
Water depth 26 m
Design Criteria
Design life 25 years
Discharge capability 167,400 m
2
/day
Mooring Equipment
Hawser length 50 m
No. of hawsers 1
Circumference 15
Hawser type single
OCIMF Chafe Chain Type B + C
Buoy Piping System
Design pressure 225 psi
Turret piping 2 x 24
Turret product valves 2 x 24
Swivel 1 x 36 + 1 x 24
Buoy body piping 2 x 24
Buoy body product valves 3 x 24
Floating Hose System
Strings 1 and 1 future
Size 20 / 16
Hose length 35 ft or 40 ft
Pressure rating 225 psi
CALM Buoy - for the Vopak ENOC Fujairah Terminal
Project Overview
Consortium partners Bluewater Energy Services B.V. and Van Oord ACZ B.V.
worked together in the design and fabrication of a Catenary Anchor Leg
Mooring (CALM) buoy and pipelines for the Vopak ENOC Fujairah Terminal,
in the United Arab Emirates. The buoy and PLEM were fabricated locally by
Gulf Piping Company (GPC) located in Abu Dhabi.
The CALM buoy was successfully installed in October 2002. It is moored
3 km off the coast in a water depth of 26 metres. This new facility has
increased the number of tanker berths at the Vopak ENOC terminal to three,
servicing the loading and offloading of tankers up to 175,000 dwt.
Buoy concept and design
The CALM buoy concept was chosen in preference to a jetty extension as a
more cost-effective and faster solution. Bluewaters turret buoy design offers
increased loading and offloading efficiency for tankers; maximum safety, and
significantly reduced maintenance and downtime over the life of the buoy.
The concept incorporates:
A square turret CALM buoy
A Pipeline End Manifold (PLEM)
Submarine and floating hoses
Twin 24-inch onshore-offshore pipelines
Pipeline, PLEM and hoses
From the manifold in the tank area of the Vopak ENOC Terminal, two
24-inch pipelines will run to the shoreline and will be trenched into the
seabed to the buoy location where they will terminate at the PLEM.
Special features include:
Dual product transfer crude/fuel oil
Piggable pipeline and PLEM
Simultaneous laying of both pipelines, with the PLEM used as a pull head
Direct oil export from the CALM buoy to the tanker via a floating hose
Flexible design, to accommodate a future second floating hose
Key elements: Buoy arrangement
The Bluewater turret buoy consists of a steel turret
suspended from a bearing. It is attached to the buoy
body and connected at the lower end to the anchor
legs with ratchet-type chainstoppers, located in the
spider structure.
Arrangement details:
The buoy body is able to weathervane freely
through 360 around the turret
Six anchor legs, in three groups of two, equally spaced, ensure the buoy
holds its mooring position
Two chain hawse pipes extend from the bottom plating of the buoy body to
the deck. During offshore installation, the pipes were aligned with the
spiders chainstopper assemblies
The deckhouse wall supports an extension of the hawse pipes, up to the
deckhouse roof level
A hydraulic winch was fitted in the deckhouse to assist with change-out of
hoses, hawser or with the retention of chains (If chain retention is required,
the winch will be rigged to pull-in the anchor legs
through the hawse pipes)
A riser pull-in pipe extends from the turret bottom
plating to the turret deck level, to allow connection
of the submarine hose to the turret piping, using
the winch
The 3 x 2 anchor leg pattern provides a chain-free
sector for the submarine hose specifically
designed to withstand extreme storm conditions
The hose string is maintained in Chinese Lantern
configuration, with flotation collars. It is connected
to the 24-inch buoy piping by means of a swivel joint
Double product swivel and
buoy body
This configuration will allow crude oil to flow
through the submarine hose to the 24-inch product piping in the turret. It is
then transferred to the rotating buoy body by means of 24-inch piping, via a
pipe-type double product swivel. An overboard pipe spool connects the buoy
body piping to the floating hose string.
Within the double product swivel, a double sealing system prevents leakage; a
leak detection system provides continuous monitoring of the pressure
between the seals providing an important safety feature.
The buoy body was connected to the turret via a three-race roller bearing, fit-
ted within a closed deckhouse. This design solution protects critical equipment
including the bearing, valves, winch and double product swivel. Maintenance
is performed safely inside the deckhouse. The interior of the buoy body con-
sists of watertight compartments, each of which can be checked or sounded
for water ingress. Draught marks on the hull exterior allows the floating condi-
tion of the buoy to be monitored.
Access to the buoy:
A boat-landing platform and a
ladder provides safe access to
the main deck
Overboard work platforms were
provided, to assist with hose
and mooring hawser handling
The hull was fitted with
fendering
Tanker interface and
mooring arrangement
The tanker is moored to the buoy by a single hawser arrangement, shackled
to a mooring uni-joint on the buoy deck. The uni-joint is integrated with the
buoy via mooring lugs, fitted with bushes to prevent excessive wear. At the
tanker end of the hawsers, chafe chains were provided to prevent damage
from the tanker fairlead. Hawser guides and hardwood protection on the buoy
deck minimises the risk of damage. A load monitoring system was installed in
the mooring uni-joint, interfaced to provide audible and visual alarms to
prevent hawser overloading. The buoys electrical power is provided by
batteries and solar panels located on the deckhouse roof. Electrical power is
provided for the navigation aids and instrumentation.
Safety
Appropriate safety systems and alarms were incorporated into the buoys
design. Deck and overboard platform was also provided with railing and
grating.
Navigation aids include:
A foghorn
A marine flashing lantern
A radar reflector
In addition to providing normal marine signals, the foghorn provides an
audible alarm for the mooring hawser load monitoring system. An additional
flashing beacon also provides a visual alarm for hawser loads. Hand-operated
safety items include fire extinguishers and personal life-saving equipment.
The integrity of the floating hose string has been carefully considered. The
string is equipped with appropriate lighting and a breakaway coupling, to
avoid spillage in the event of uncontrolled tanker disconnection.
Additional equipment
The CALM buoy system also includes:
A bilge pump
A rotation stopper system
Rigging equipment
Ballast and trim facilities
Sacrificial anodes
Lifting and towing padeyes
Pick-up arrangements for the floating hose and mooring hawsers.