Page 5: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (August 15, 1985)

Versatile FPSO Manifold System

Eliminates Fluid Swivels

A versatile manifold system for linking floating production, storage and off-loading (FPSO) vessels with their mooring turrets in offshore oil fields, which allows the vessels to weathervane continually without in- terrupting production, has been de- veloped by the Marine Offshore Di- vision of Mobil Shipping and Trans- portation Company.

Called the Sealless Rotating Mul- tipath (SRM) manifold, the system eliminates the need for high pres- sure fluid swivels on ship-shaped

FPSO vessels. Worldwide licensing rights for the new technology, for which patent applications are pend- ing, have been assigned by Mobil to

Hitachi Zosen Corporation. Under the terms of the agreement, Hitachi has exclusive rights to design, build and install the SRM, and to grant sub-licenses, as appropriate.

All of the major SRM components are standard industry items proven through years of oil field use. In- cluded among these items are well- head-type connectors used for repo- sitioning the reeling systems. The

SRM handles produced oil and gas, injection water and injection gas.

The SRM can be designed to han- dle any flow rate, by providing the appropriate number and size of lines. It will also accommodate any working pressure for which flexible pipe and wellhead-type connectors are available.

Hitachi and Mobil are presently developing the detail design for a 50,000 barrel (8,000-cubic-meter) to 120,000 barrel (19,000-cubic-meter) per day SRM that includes 6,000 (410 bar) gas injection and annulus lines, as well as a 4,000 psi (275 bar) water injection line.

For further information on the

Mobil SRM, including its applica- bility to specific offshore producing operations,

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Murdock Tensioner

According to the company, the tensioner system design selected has a number of inherent advantages including: passive operation (no compressors and/or hydraulic pumps are required); fast response; light weight; minimal maintenance; elastomeric spring operation; inter- changeable (the Murdock system can be retrofitted to existing vessels using attachment pads from the present air-hydraulic system); de- signed for long life; less deck space required; and special safety fea- tures—no power is required for op- eration, thus unit continues to oper- ate in the event of a total power fail- ure, and if a line or riser break is detected by a monitor, caliper-type brakes act to prevent dangerous line whipping.

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Consolidation Of Chevron

And Gulf Fleets Announced

As part of its $13.2-billion merger with Gulf Corporation, Chevron

Corporation has announced the con- solidation of the Gulf and Chevron marine transportation organiza- tions. Gulf's fleet of 11 tankers will be consolidated with Chevron's for a merged fleet of 43 operating vessels with a total carrying capacity of about 6 million deadweight tons.

Marine management of the com- bined fleet, and fleet support activi- ties including engineering and pur- chasing, will be provided by Chev- ron Shipping Company in San Fran- cisco. For the present, Gulf Marine's financial accounting functions will continue to be handled from Hous- ton. Vessel chartering activities will be conducted from Chevron Ship- ping offices in San Francisco and

London.

Douglas Wolcott, president of

Chevron Shipping Company, said there would be no immediate changes in the trades of the vessels or operational procedures as a result of the consolidation. He noted, how- ever, that Chevron will continue to evaluate the combined fleet opera- tion to determine how its efficiency can be increased. "While we've assumed control of the Gulf fleet," he said, "the ship management firms retained by Gulf will continue to manage the day-to- day operations of the assigned ves- sels. Also, in high-activity ports, agents previously appointed by Gulf will continue to represent those ves- sels to assure continuity and avoid problems in coordination."

With the addition of the Gulf ves- sels, Chevron's operating fleet, ex- cluding vessels in layup, becomes the world's largest oil-company- owned fleet in terms of carrying capacity.

Murdock Engineering Introduces

New Tension System Design "A simple way to solve a complex problem," is how Murdock Engi- neering Company, Irving, Texas, de- scribes its new tensioning system.

According to the company's engi- neers, what job tensioners do— maintain constant tension on the riser or guideline as the vessel moves in response to wind and wave action—was an ideal application for their specialty, elastomeric technol- ogy.

An elastomeric spring produces the constant force deflection curve needed to maintain uniform tension on the riser or guideline. And a sys- tem based on an elastomeric spring would be much simpler to operate than traditional air-hydraulic sys- tems.