PLATFORM WITH HOSE REEL

Abstract

A platform (10) with a central region (70) for production and/or processing and/or storage of hydrocarbons, has a hose reel (30) arranged adjacent to a service area (50). The hose reel is arranged outside the central region and oriented with its axis of rotation (a-a) being directed towards the central region, and the service area is not between the reel and the central region.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a national stage application of PCT/EP2011/064613, filed on Aug. 25, 2011, entitled “PLATFORM WITH HOSE REEL” which claims priority to Norwegian Patent Application No. 2010217, filed on Sep. 1, 2010. Each of these priority applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

FIELD OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE

This present disclosure relates generally to an offshore loading system for transferring hydrocarbon products via an offloading hose from a storage facility of a transport vessel such as a shuttle tanker. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a platform having a central region for production and/or processing and/or storage of hydrocarbons and a hose reel arranged adjacent to a service area.

BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE

The production of hydrocarbons (e.g. crude oil and gas) from subsea reservoirs is facilitated by multiple large offshore production facilities located near one or more subsea wells.

Traditionally, the hydrocarbons have been transported from the offshore production facility to onshore storage facilities and further processing, via pipelines laid on the seabed. However, as hydrocarbons are being produced from reservoirs located in deeper and deeper waters and in regions where the seabed includes rough or uneven terrain such as steep cliffs and deep canyons, the use of seabed pipelines has become increasingly complex and prohibitively expensive.

Thus, a more economical and flexible system for transporting the hydrocarbons to onshore locations involve the use of offshore storage facilities at or near the production location, in combination with shuttle tankers. The offshore storage facility may comprise subsea storage cells integrated with a so-called Gravity Base Structure (GBS) platform or connected to a loading buoy of a fixed platform, or the offshore storage facility may be integrated in a so-called Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel which is maintained in position in a manner which is known in the art (e.g. moorings and/or thrusters controlled by dynamic positioning).

The hydrocarbons are transferred from the offshore storage facility (e.g. platform) to the carrier (e.g. a shuttle tanker) via a flexible transfer conduit, commonly referred to as a marine hose. The hose may be stored on a reel on the platform and connected to an on-board piping system, e.g. via a so-called “pipeline-end manifold” (PLEM). Before commencing discharge of hydrocarbons, the free end of the flexible hose is pulled across and connected to the shuttle tanker, in a manner known in the art.

FIG. 1 illustrates the principle of a related art hose reel station aboard a platform 1. A hose reel 3 is arranged near an edge of the platform. A hose 2, which may be connected to a shuttle tanker (not shown), extends through a guide structure 4 in a deck structure 6 which is partly cantilevered out from the platform hull 8. On the side of the reel 3 that faces the platform (and not out towards the sea) is a service area 5 in which the hose end portion 2′ may be handled; e.g. pulled into and dismantled for maintenance. Immediately behind the service area is the platform process area 7.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure is set forth and characterized in the main claims, while the dependent claims describe other characteristics of the present disclosure.

It is thus provided a platform, having a central region for production and/or processing and/or storage of hydrocarbons and a hose reel arranged adjacent to a service area, characterized in that the hose reel is arranged outside the central region and oriented with its axis of rotation (a-a) being directed towards the central region, and the service area is not between the reel and the central region.

In one embodiment, the reel is arranged in a region near an edge of the platform.

In one embodiment, the service area is outside the central region.

In one embodiment, the hose platform comprises a hose guide structure in the platform, comprising curved side walls and configured for providing lateral support for the hose.

In one embodiment, the platform comprises a spooling gear, having a guide funnel for the hose and motion control means for controlled movement along the guide structure.

In one embodiment, the motion control means comprise releasable locking means, whereby the hose guide structure may be locked in a fixed position along the guide structure.

In one embodiment, the guide structure outline generally corresponds to the axial extension of the reel, and the guide structure is arranged substantially parallel with the reel axis of rotation, whereby the outer portion of the guide structure provides lateral support for the hose. The guide structure outline may be rectangular, with the outer portion defining an end of the rectangle.

In one embodiment, the platform is an offshore storage facility for hydrocarbons and comprises a GBS or a floating structure.

The present disclosure makes valuable deck space available for e.g. process equipment, in that the service area is now no longer extending into the process area. This gives considerable cost savings during platform construction.

Also, arranging the hose reel with its axis of rotation (and also the guide structure) pointing towards the central regions of the platform, as in the present disclosure, makes it easier to transfer the forces imposed by the hose into the rigid deck structure—via the spooling gear and/or guide structure—than with the related art arrangement where wide operating angles may require extra movable devices for arresting the loads imposed by the hose.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other characteristics of the present disclosure will be clear from the following description of the one or more embodiments, given as non-restrictive examples, with reference to the attached schematic drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a part of a platform having a hose reel arrangement according to the related art;

FIG. 2 is a side view of a part of a platform, showing an embodiment of the hose reel arrangement according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a side view of a part of a platform, showing the embodiment of the hose reel arrangement according to the present disclosure, including the guide structure; and

FIG. 5 is a view of a part of the platform, as seen along the hose reel axis, showing the embodiment of the hose reel arrangement according to the present disclosure, including the guide structure.

FIG. 6 is a side view of a spooling unit;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a spooling unit assembled on guide rails;

FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of the hose reel arrangement according to the present disclosure, including the guide structure and the spooling unit, and

FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of the hose reel arrangement according to the present disclosure, illustrating an alternative arrangement of the service area in relation to the hose reel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE

Referring initially to FIG. 2, a hose reel 30 is placed towards the edge of a platform 10. The platform 10, which may be a GBS or a floating structure known in the art, comprises a hull 80, a process area 70 and a deck 60, part of which is cantilevered out over the water W. The reel's axis of rotation is indicated by the dotted line a-a, and is pointing towards the process area 70 in one direction and out from the platform in the other direction. FIG. 1 illustrates a situation where the hose is connected to e.g. a shuttle tanker (not shown). The hose 2 passes through a guide structure 40 in the deck 60. The hose is only shown partly, as the connection to the shuttle tanker is well known in the art.

In FIG. 3, which is showing the configuration of FIG. 2 as seen from above, it may be seen that the service area 50 is not located between the reel 30 and the process area 70, as is the case in the related art (cf. FIG. 1). This frees up more, valuable, deck space for process equipment and/or the platform deck may be made smaller than platform decks of the related art. In the process area 50, the hose end 2′ may handled by personnel and connected to the required platform equipment (not shown).

FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate how the guide structure 40 comprises curved side walls and provides lateral support for the hose.

In one embodiment, the guiding of the hose is advantageously provided by a spooling gear 90 (see FIG. 6), which comprises a guide funnel 93 for the hose and support-and-locking means (e.g. rollers) 91. FIG. 7 illustrates the spooling gear arranged on a pair of tracks (e.g. rails) 92, and FIG. 8 shows the spooling gear and tracks arranged in relation to the deck opening (guide structure 40). As described above, the service area 50 and hose reel 30 are arranged outside of the process area 70. FIG. 9 illustrates schematically a variant where the guide structure 40 and spooling gear 90 are arranged on the same side of the hose reel as the service area 50.

When the hose is being reeled out from, or onto, the hose reel, the spooling gear 90 is moved in a controlled manner (by motors, not shown) along the tracks 92, so as to guide the hose. When the hose reel is not rotating (e.g. in an offloading situation), the spooling gear is locked in position relative to the tracks (in a manner which per se is known in the art), such the roller motors, etc. do not take any loads during the offloading operation. Alternatively, the spooling gear may bear against one of the end portions of the guide structure 40 (e.g. as shown in FIG. 8).

FIG. 8 also shows how the guide structure 40 outline generally corresponds to the axial extension of the reel (rectangular), and that the guide structure is arranged substantially parallel with the reel axis of rotation, whereby an outer portion 99 of the guide structure provides lateral support for the hose.

Although the description of the one or more embodiments refers to a hose, the skilled person understands that the present disclosure is equally applicable to pipelines in general, including steel tubular pipelines as well as bonded and non-bonded flexible flowlines fabricated of composite materials.

Claims

1. A platform, comprising:

a central region for production and/or processing and/or storage of hydrocarbons and a hose reel arranged adjacent to a service area,

wherein the hose reel is arranged outside the central region and oriented with its axis of rotation directed towards the central region, and the service area is not between the reel and the central region.

2. The platform of claim 1, wherein the reel is arranged in a region near an edge of the platform.

3. The platform of claim 1, wherein the service area is outside the central region.

4. The platform of claim 1, further comprising a hose guide structure in the platform, comprising curved side walls and configured for providing lateral support for the hose.

5. The platform of claim 4, further comprising a spooling gear, having a guide funnel for the hose and motion control means for controlled movement along the guide structure.

6. The platform of claim 5, wherein the motion control means comprise releasable locking means, whereby the hose guide structure may be locked in a fixed position along the guide structure.

7. The platform of claim 4, wherein the guide structure outline generally corresponds to the axial extension of the reel, and the guide structure is arranged substantially parallel with the reel axis of rotation, whereby the outer portion of the guide structure provides lateral support for the hose.

8. The platform of claim 7, wherein the guide structure outline is rectangular, with the outer portion defining an end of the rectangle.

9. The platform of claim 1, wherein the platform is an offshore storage facility for hydrocarbons and comprises a GBS or a floating structure.