LNG TANKER OFFLOADING IN SHALLOW WATERS

Title:

LNG TANKER OFFLOADING IN SHALLOW WATERS

Document Type and Number:

WIPO Patent Application WO2005045302

Kind Code:

A3

Abstract:

A system for offloading LNG (liquified natural gas) from a tanker (26) in shallow waters, for regasing, or heating the offloaded LNG to produce gaseous hydrocarbons, or gas, for pressurizing the gas, and for flowing the gas to an onshore station (56), includes a structure that is fixed to the sea floor and projects above the sea surface and aids in mooring the tanker. In one system, the structure that is fixed to the sea floor is a largely cylindrical tower (12) with a mooring yoke (20) rotatably mounted on its upper end. A floating structure (14) such as a barge that weathervanes, has a bow end pivotally connected to a distal end of the yoke, so the barge is held close to the tower but can drift around the tower with changing winds, waves and currents. The tanker is moored to the tower so the barge and tanker form a combination that weathervanes as a combination. Regas and pressurizing equipment (32, 34) for heating an pressuring the LNG, and any crew quarters (36), are all located on the barge, so a low cost tower can be used. In another system, the structure is a breakwater (180).

Inventors:

POLLACK JACK (US)
WILLE HEIN (FR)

Application Number:

PCT/US2004/035503

Publication Date:

September 28, 2006

Filing Date:

October 26, 2004

Export Citation:

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Assignee:

SBM IMODCO INC (US)
POLLACK JACK (US)
WILLE HEIN (FR)

International Classes:

E02D23/02; B67D9/00; E02B1/00; E02B17/00; E02B17/08; E02D23/00; F17C

Foreign References:

US4317474A	1982-03-02
US6739140B2	2004-05-25
US6298671B1	2001-10-09
US6230809B1	2001-05-15
US3984059A	1976-10-05
US6003603A	1999-12-21
US5511905A	1996-04-30
US4665856A	1987-05-19
US4567843A	1986-02-04

Other References: