Prosafe Production Pte, Ltd.

Promor Pte Ltd

Nortrans Offshore (s) Pte Ltd

Apl Technology As

Nortrans Shipping and Trading Far East Pte Ltd.

Alan Gregory Hooper

Hans J Hvide

Karl A Urdshals

Yves De Leeneer

Camelia Dragu

Babu George

Balakrishna Menon

Geir Eik

David Lee Choon

A method of supporting a chain stopper on a vessel, a chain stopper assembly for a vessel, and a vessel. The method of supporting a chain stopper on a vessel may comprise the steps of connecting a swivel element to the support structure on the vessel such that the swivel element is pivotable around a first axis perpendicular to a substantially horizontal axis; and coupling a chain stopper element to the swivel element such that the chain stopper element is pivotable relative to the swivel element around the substantially horizontal axis.

Method of supporting a chain stopper on a vessel, a chain stopper assembly for a vessel, and a vessel

A roller assembly for a turret, a turret bearing system for a turret, and a method of manufacture of a roller assembly for a turret. The roller assembly comprises a first and a second roller; an axle on which the first and the second rollers are rotatably mounted; and a biasing mechanism located between the first and the second rollers and supporting the axle.

Roller assembly

A mooring system for a vessel and a method of mooring a vessel are provided. The mooring system comprises a turret structure; a swivel unit mounted on the turret structure; a bearing assembly for rotatably mounting the turret structure at deck level of the vessel such that the turret structure extends into a moonpool of the vessel and such that the swivel unit is disposed above deck level; a plurality of conduits for fluid communication disposed in the turret structure; a buoy structure retrievable into the moonpool of the vessel and connectable to the turret structure; a locking assembly for mechanically locking the buoy structure to the turret structure; and wherein the turret structure is rotatable as one to align the conduits to corresponding riser valve structures on the buoy structure prior to mechanically locking the buoy structure to the turret structure.

Mooring system for a vessel

A riser system for use in transporting fluid cargo to a floating vessel from a submerged pipe employs a tensioning mechanism that prevents excess slack in a flexible riser that could potentially damage the riser. The tensioning mechanism includes a tensioning arm or element that is pivotally attached at a first end to a submerged base and at its second end to the flexible riser. The arm is free to rotate about the pivot point in a pendulum manner, but is urged toward an equilibrium position by one or more tension-applying elements disposed on the arm, such as a buoyancy element, a weight or both.

Riser system employing a tensioning mechanism

The invention is a bearing unit and bearing system for supporting a large rotatable element, such as a mooring turret. The bearing unit includes a hydrostatic suspension system which enables the bearing unit to accommodate fabrication tolerances and also enables the bearing unit to conform to relative movements between the ship and the turret, thereby providing a compliant bearing system. The system includes multiple bearing units of the invention which serve as thrust and/or radial bearings for supporting the turret. By manifolding a plurality of bearing units together in a fluidly-isolated group, the pressure applied to the bearing units in that group is self-equalizing so that all the bearing units act in unison to equally support the load, while also allowing some degree of self-alignment and tilting of the load. As a result, the bearing system emulates a self-aligning bearing system and is able to compensate for axial and angular misalignment. The system allows for monitoring of each bearing unit, automatic lubrication of the bearing surfaces, and in situ replacement of bearing liners should wear or damage occur while the system is in operation.

Turret support system and bearing unit

A mooring system for a Floating Production, Storage and Offloading vessel (FPSO) employs a vessel mounted rotatable turret and a single point mooring arrangement. The mooring arrangement includes a single anchor chain that is removably attached at a top end to the vessel, and is attached at a submerged bottom end to three sealed anchored leg chains. The anchor chain is secured to the vessel by means of a chain stopper that is centrally located in the rotatable turret, and allows the vessel to rotate freely about the anchor chain's vertical axis. One or more submerged fluid carrying risers are detachably connected to a swivel stack positioned above the mooring table in line with the rotational axis of the anchor chain so that the risers and the anchor chain will not become entangled with one another during vessel rotation. In one embodiment, the swivel stack and a pulley sheave for retrieving the anchor chain are mounted on a movable frame that facilitates quick and easy connection/disconnection of the chain and risers. In a second embodiment, the pulley sheave is disposed on a frame that is pivotally mounted to the vessel so that it can be rotated between a first position for retrieving the anchor chain, and a second position that enables free rotation of the mooring table and a swivel stack support attached thereto.

Mooring system for tanker vessels

A mooring system employs a vessel mounted turret in combination with a submerged chain table that also acts as a clump weight. The chain table is submerged fairly close to the sea surface at approximately the keel depth of the vessel, or a few meters below that depth. Three or more chains connect the vessel mounted turret and chain table to one another, preferably though corresponding U-joints. Several mooring lines are attached at first ends to the bottom of the chain table, and are secured at second ends to anchors or piles in the seabed. The weight of the chain table is chosen so that it helps reduce the stresses imparted by the vessel to the mooring lines, thereby reducing the maximum load requirement, and thus cost, of the mooring lines. In addition, a vessel mounted drive system is not needed for the turret mooring because the chains connecting the chain table to the turret mooring are positioned and spaced in such a manner that they apply enough force to the turret that it will remain in position relative to the chain table when the vessel rotates in response to wind or wave forces.

A mooring system for a seagoing vessel, such as an oil tanker, employs a submerged buoy and a fluid swivel joint mounted in the vessel. The buoy is submerged to a depth sufficient enough to allow the moored vessel to drift over the buoy and other mooring elements without colliding with the same. A motor drive assembly is provided for a rotating shaft in the fluid swivel joint which maintains the shaft in the same position relative to the buoy, regardless of environmental induced changes in the heading of the moored vessel. This insures that one or more flexible hoses connected between the shaft and the mooring will not be twisted if the vessel begins to rotate about the vertical axis of the mooring. Positioning the fluid swivel joint within the vessel provides easy access to the joint for maintenance or repair and shields the joint from the seawater's detrimental effects.

Growing community of inventors

Singapore, Singapore

Alan Gregory Hooper