SUBMERGED CALM BUOY

The invention relates to a Catenary Anchor Leg Mooring (CALM) buoy comprising a body with buoyancy, means for connecting the buoyant body to catenary anchor chains to anchor the body to the seabed, a turntable being rotatable with respect to the body with buoyancy, said turntable having mooring means for a floating unit such as a vessel, a swivel and means for connecting at least one hose between at least one swivel and a submerged pipe structure extending over or into the seabed to any subsea well or the like, as well as means for connecting at least one hose between at least one swivel and at least one vessel. A CALM buoy serves for mooring a floating unit, such as a vessel, and for connecting said floating unit to a submerged pipe structure extending over or into the seabed to any subsea well or the like.

Background of the Invention

CALM buoys are well known as being buoys with buoyancy floating at sealevel. Because of said floating at sealevel the CALM buoys are affected by severe loads caused by forces exerted upon the hawser lines by the vessel floating to and from the buoy forces exerted on the means connecting the buoy with the vessel, and forces exerted upon the catenary chains anchoring the buoy to the seabed, by the action of waves to the buoyant body of the buoy. As a rule they have own stability and therefore volume.

To connect floating units, such as vessels, to a mooring buoy and to a submerged pipe structure extending over or into the seabed to any subsea well or the like, several proposals are known from the prior art.

To solve the problem of the said forces US-A-3,823,-,32 and US-A- 3.908,212 both disclose a single point mooring buoy having a buoyant body which is small with respect to the floating unit, and around which the floating unit can weathervane. The vessel and buoy are interconnected by a rigid arm. Said arm has a horizontally disposed hinge interconnecting the floating unit and the buoyant body so that they can achieve an angular displacement at need with respect to each other in a vertical

commonplane of symmetrie. The size and thereby the mass of the buoyant body is chosen so that it offers very little resistance to the action of waves thereon. Vividly the mooring buoy will follow the motions of the floating unit as well as the motions of the sea surface. However, the amplitude and frequency of the primarily cyclic motions of the floating unit and the sea surface differ substantially from one another. Such different motions may result in heavy loads exerted on the catenary anchor lines as well as the hinge mentioned above.

The above mentioned known arrangements of a small buoy which by means of a rigid arm is held by the vessel like a barrow, does already reduce said loads under the majority of circumstances. However, it may occur that the combination of forces on one hand of the vessel through arm and buoy on part of the catenary lines, in particular if already drifted away from its proper location, and on the other hand of the waves leads to unexpected overloads. Said loads appear to be that heavy that the maximum allowable tensions in the catenary anchor lines and in the hinge will be exceeded easily causing line failure and breaking of the pivot respectively.

Alternatively, large semi-submersible mooring buoys are known, for instance from US-A-- ,78* ,079- Such large structures are particularly indifferent to the motions of the sea surface because of their size being relatively large in view of the amplitude of the waves. Said structures are indifferent also to the motions of a vessel interconnected thereto because of their size and mass which may be equal or even larger than those of said vessel. In US-A--4,78-4,079 & rather complex structure for interconnecting the buoyant body and the vessel is shown, primarily to cope with the motions of the floating unit relative to the buoyant body. Said large structures involve high cost to produce and to maintain these structures.

US--4.617.000 discloses a much smaller buoy not being connected rigidly to a vessel, comprising a buoyant body with anchoring chains, a turntable on said body with a mooring for a vessel. Acoording to said publication the turntable has buoyancy as well and preferably takes part in the water displacement of the buoy. The bearing between turntable and body is preferably above sealevel between a central sleeve of the body and the turntable, accessible from above and located in the line from mooring point on the turntable to chain stopper on the body. The buoy

disclosed is a semi-submersible buoy.

The structure disclosed in US-*!,617.000 is particularly affected as well by the motions of the sea surface because of its size being relatively less or equal in view of the amplitude of the waves, and the motions of the vessel interconnected thereto because of its size and mass being essentially less or equal in view of those of said vessel.

Such affections may still lead to unexpected overload of the anchor lines or connecting arm. In practice said loads appear to be that heavy that the maximum allowable tensions in the catenary anchor lines as well as in the connecting arm or hinge interconnecting said arm to the buoy, will be exceeded easily causing line failure and breaking of the arm or pivot respectively.

The object of the invention is to minimize the loads exerted on both the catenary anchor lines and the mooring means caused by the motions of the sea surface and the floating unit relative to the buoyant body.

Summary of the Invention:

According to the invention the Catenary Anchor Leg Mooring (CALM) buoy comprising a body with buoyancy, means for connecting the buoyant body to catenary anchor chains to anchor the body to the seabed, a turntable being rotatable with respect to the body with buoyancy, said turntable having mooring means for a floating unit such as a vessel, a swivel and means for connecting at least one hose between at least one swivel and a submerged pipe structure extending over or into the seabed to any subsea well or the like, as well as means for connecting at least one hose between at least one swivel and at least one vessel, is characterized in that the catenary anchor chains which have a weight such that the CALM buoy as a whole is kept underwater at least during normal practice.

According to a further aspect of the invention the catenary anchor chains have a weight such that the CALM buoy extends to no more than at least one time the depth of a keel of a current vessel or the like, below current sealevel while rising from seabed toward sealevel.

Accordingly, contrary to normal practise and opinions the fully equiped buoy is positioned below water level, preferably far below it.

This has a number of advantages. Primarily the buoy is no longer subjected to the forces of the waves.

For small floats this is well known but no expert ever thought about the question whether a mooring buoy of the described type could be placed below water level because of the need to service it.

Furthermore this allows positioning of the buoy in the line of forces from the vessel towards the anchor or anchors at the particular site which is more favourable under all conditions and water depths. Said new position allows for a different design, in particular with respect to its magnitude because wind and wave forces on the buoy no longer exist.

According to a further aspect of the invention the turntable is detachably connected to the body with buoyancy. This may be a quick release coupling with guide means to allow servicing of the swivvel and bearings.

According to a further aspect of the invention k the mooring means are equipped with flotation means.

According to a further aspect of the invention the mooring means may be lengthened such that when rising essentially in upright position from the buoyant body toward sealevel, said means extends to just below or just above sealevel, so that a connection can easily be made.

According to a further aspect of the invention the mooring means is a rigid arm which comprises at the buoyend a pivotal connection to the buoy and at theother end means for connecting a mooring hawser thereto.

To minimize the loads exerted on both the catenary anchor lines and the hinge caused by the motions of the sea surface the mooring buoy is preferably configured as a submerged mooring buoy. The CALM buoy according to the present invention is particularly suited not to be affected by the action of waves thereon. Hereby the loads exerted on the catenary anchor lines connecting the CALM buoy to the seabed are minimized.

The vessel must be able to weathervane around the mooring buoy and to this end the CALM buoy comprises two parts, being rotatable relative to each other. For sake of simplified serviceability one of said parts

can be disconnected form the other part to easily elevate the disconnected part to above sealevel.

Brief description of the Drawings:

The invention will be further elucidated referring to an embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 shows an embodiment of the invention in side view; Figure 2 shows on an enlarged scale the CALM buoy from Figure 1 in side view; and

Figure 3 shows the CALM buoy from Figure 2 in plan view.

Detailed description of the Invention:

In Figure 1 a CALM buoy 1 is shown floating below sealevel 10, anchored by catenary anchor lines -4 to a seabed, wherein a vessel 7 is connected to mooring means 6, 6' of the buoy by a mooring hawser l , 1*4' and to a swivel (not shown) by a hose 9 connected at its other end to a bow coupler (not shown) at the vessel 7-

The CALM buoy comprises a buoyant body 2 forcing the buoy to rise toward sealevel. The buoy is kept underwater by the catenary anchor lines

4 having a suitable weight as to withhold the buoy to float at sealevel 10. The buoyant body 2 of the CALM buoy 1 comprises means 3 such as chain tables for connecting said buoyant body to the catenary anchor chains -4.

Further, the CALM buoy 1 comprises a turntable 5 comprising mooring means 6, 6' , for example, a rigid arm which comprises at the buoyend a pivotal connection 11 to the turn table 5 and at the other end means for connecting a mooring hawser 1-4 thereto.

As mentioned, a hose 9 extending form the vessel 7 is connected to one end of the swivel of the CALM buoy 1. At the other swivelend hoses 8 are connected to extend between the swivel and a submerged pipe structure extending over or into the seabed to any subsea well or the like.

In Figure 2 the CALM buoy 1 from figure 1 is shown on an enlarged scale. The CALM buoy 1 comprises a buoyant body 2, means 3 for connecting said buoyant body to the catenary anchor chains 4, a turntable 5 comprising mooring means 6, 6' and means 12 for connecting a mooring

hawser 1-4, 1-4' to said mooring means 6, 6', and a pivotal connection 11 to connect the mooring means 6, 6' to the structure of the turntable 5-

Further the CALM buoy 1 comprises a connection means 13 for detachably connecting the turntable 5 to the buoyant body 2. Said connection means 13 are provided for sake of simplified serviceability.

As can be seen from figure 2, the CALM buoy 1 is connected to a mooring hawser 14 by means 12, and to a catenary anchor chain 4 by means 3-

In Figure 3 the CALM buoy 1 from figure 2 is shown with the reference signs indicating the same elements as shown in figure 2.

Although the embodiment according to Figures 1 to 3 is most preferred at the time being, it will be immediately clear that a lot of amendments can be introduced without leaving the scope of protection.

These and other amendments which are obvious for the persons skilled in the art do not restrict the scope of protection of the application.