Statoil Asa

Basile Bonnemaire

Sveinung Løset

Ove Tobias Gudmestad

Flexible riser systems are used to transfer hydrocarbons between a sea bed installation and a vessel floating at the sea surface. The riser is provided with a protection mechanism to protect the riser from impacts. The protection mechanism covers at least the upper part of the riser and may be retractable to an in-active position. When in operation, the riser protection mechanism is either suspended from the vessel or from a submerged turret buoy, forming part of a mooring system for the vessel. At its lower end, the protection mechanism is provided with an annular body surrounding the riser, the annular body having sufficient weight to provide a downwardly acting force in the riser protection mechanism, causing a stretch or a tension in the riser protection mechanism.

Deep water flexible riser protection

A loading system for transfer of hydrocarbons between an installation on the sea bed () and a floating vessel () in areas exposed to drifting ice. The system including a submerged turret buoy (), a flexible riser () extending from the sea bed installation () to the buoy () intended to be securely connected to a corresponding pipe on board the vessel (), and a plurality of mooring lines () connected to the buoy () and extending outwards therefrom. The system further including a riser protection element () for protecting the riser () from impacts when the riser () is in an extended, load transferring mode, and a protective structure () located in or on the sea bed () for protection of the riser () when in a retracted position in a non-operative mode; that the protective structure () containing riser reel () for storing the riser () in a protected position when disconnected and retracted from the vessel (). A method for mooring a vessel to a submerged turret buoy and a method for installing a riser protection element.

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Trondheim, Norway

Basile Bonnemaire