METHOD OF SUPPLYING OIL FROM A FLOATING PRODUCTION STRUCTURE TO AN OFFLOADING BUOY VIA AN INSULATING FLEXIBLE TRANSFER DUCT

摘要

EMBODIMENTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION PROVIDE A METHOD OF SUPPLYING OIL FROM A FIRST FLOATING STRUCTURE (12) TO AN OFFLOADING STRUCTURE (3), THE METHOD COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: PROVIDING A SINGLE FLEXIBLE DUCT (1) EXTENDING BETWEEN THE TWO STRUCTURES, THE DUCT (1) COMPRISING AN INNER WALL (21) OF A FLEXIBLE ELASTOMERIC MATERIAL; PROVIDING AT LEAST ONE PUMP (13) AT THE FIRST STRUCTURE (12) AND PUMPING THE OIL THROUGH THE DUCT (1); WHEREIN THE SINGLE FLEXIBLE DUCT (1) IS PROVIDED ALONG A CURVED TRAJECTORY ABOVE THE SEA BED (17); THE OIL IS PUMPED AT PRESSURE BETWEEN 5 BAR AND 30 BAR AND AT A FLOW RATE BETWEEN 1000 AND 50000 M3 /HR; THE FLEXIBLE DUCT (1) COMPRISES A FRICTION REDUCTION LAYER ON AN INNER WALL (21) OF THE DUCT (1); AND A WALL THICKNESS OF THE ELASTOMERIC MATERIAL IS BETWEEN 3 CM AND 7 CM, SUCH THAT AT WATER TEMPERATURES BETWEEN 2° C AND 20° C, PREFERABLY BETWEEN 2° C AND 10° C, THE OIL COMPRISES AT THE FIRST STRUCTURE (12) AN INLET TEMPERATURE Tin BETWEEN 20° C AND 70° C AND AT THE OFFLOADING STRUCTURE (3) AN OUTLET TEMPERATURE To WHICH IS SUCH THAT Tin-To IS SMALLER THAN OR EQUAL TO 15° C, PREFERABLY SMALLER THAN 5° C.