Amtel Corporation

Phillip H Tang

A heavy-duty slowly pivoting shaft and bearing system for an offshore mooring terminal, of a type which includes a heavy-duty shaft with opposite ends that are each rotatably mounted on a radial bearing assembly, wherein bearings at each of the assemblies can be removed while the shaft continues to be rotatably supported to permit its uninterrupted use. Each bearing assembly includes a housing arm with a hole that receives an end of the shaft, a main bearing lying near the outer end of the hole to permit its replacement by sliding it off an extreme end of the shaft, and an auxiliary bearing lying at the inner end of the hole near the middle of the shaft. The auxiliary bearing is formed in a plurality of segments that each extend by less than a half circle around the shaft, to permit the segments to be individually placed about the shaft and forced between the housing arm and shaft.

In use replaceable bearing for offshore mooring terminal

A single leg mooring terminal is described, of the type which includes a riser extending up from the sea floor to moor a vessel, and a separate fluid conduit extending up from the sea floor to carry oil to or from the vessel, and wherein the riser and hose structure must both rotate without limit about the same vertical axis to follow drifting of the vessel. A turntable near the sea floor, rotatably supports the riser about a vertical axis, and has a hole along its vertical axis through which a portion of the fluid conduit extends. A fluid swivel of the fluid conduit, lies under the turntable and is accessible through a hole in the turntable.

Single leg terminal

A single leg mooring terminal is described, of the type which includes a buoy assembly extending from the sea floor to the sea surface to moor a tanker vessel, and a separate fluid conduit extending at an upward incline to the vessel for carrying oil to or from it, and wherein the buoy assembly includes a tilt joint and both the buoy assembly and hose structure must rotate without limit about the same vertical axis to follow drifting of the vessel about the installation. The vertical rotation joint which joins the rotatable upper portion of the buoy assembly to the stationary lower portion thereof, is located below the tilt joint, and a fluid swivel of the conduit is joined to a sidewardly-extending pipe which extends sidewardly at a level above the vertical rotation joint but below the top of the tilt joint.

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Rosemead, CA, United States of America

Phillip H Tang