Title of Invention

AN OFFSHORE GAS OFFLOADING SYSTEM

Abstract

A system (10) is described for offloading LNG (liquified natural gas) from a tanker (13) for eventual delivery to an onshore gas distribution station (42). The system includes a floating structure (12) that floats at the sea surface and that is connected to the tanker so they weathervane together. The floating structure carries a regas unit (22) that heats the LNG to produce gas, and delivers the gas through a riser (32) to an underground cavern 30) that stores the gas. Gas from the cavern is delivered through a seafloor pipeline (40) to an onshore gas distribution station. The regas unit includes water pumps and other equipment that is powered by electricity. The electricity can be obtained from an electric generator (200) on the floating structure, with surplus electricity delivered through a seafloor electric power line (194) that extends at least partially along the seafloor to an onshore electricity distribution facility (192). The electricity can instead be obtained by delivery from an onshore facility though a seafloor electric power line that extends op to the floating structure and to the regas unit.

Full Text

AN OFFSHORE GAS OFFLOADING SYSTEM The present invention relates to an offshore gas unloading system. It also relates to a method of opera :ing an off shore facility. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Hydrocarbons that are in a gaseous state at atmospheric pressure and room temperature (e.g. 20°C), are often transported as cold hydrocarbons, as by ship in liquid form such as LNG (liquified natural gas), at atmospheric pressure and - 160°C. Another form of cold gaseous hydrocarbons that are ship-transported are hydrates (gar, entrapped in ice). At the ship's destination, the LNG (or other gas) may be Heated and flowed to an onshore distribution facility. Proposed prior art offloading stations have included a fixed platform extending up from the sea floor to a height above the sea surface and with a regas unit on the platform for heating the LNG. Because of fire dangers in dealing with LNG, rigid platforms, which minimize flexing points, have previously been proposed for offloading LNG from a tanker and heating it to gasify it. The cost of fixed platform is high even at moderate depths, and at increasing depths (e.g. over 50 meters) the costs of fixed platforms increase dramatically. In addition, if the platform lies in an open sea it is difficult to moor a tanker to the platform because the tanker shifts position and heading with changing winds, waves and currerts. An offshore LNG offloading and regas station which avoided the use of fixed platforms, and which provided the high reliability demanded in LNG offloading, heating and storage, would lower the cost of such stations and allow them to be used in situations where they previously were uneconomical. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with one embc diment of the present invention, a relatively low-cost system is provided for offloading cold hydrocarbons, and especially LNG (liquified natural gas), and cransporting the gas to an onshore gas distribution station. The system includes a floating structure such as a barge at the sea surface that is moored so it weathervanes. A tanker carrying LNG attaches itself to the floating structure so they weathervane together. A regas unit which heats the LNG, usually by transferring heat from sea water, transforms the LNG into gas that can be more easily passed through moderate cost hoses or pipes and eventually to the onshore distribution station. A new tanker arrives at the floating structure perhaps every week, and efforts are made to offload the tanker as fast as possible, perhaps in one day. To provide a steady flow of gas to the onshore distribution station, much of the rapidly-offloaded and regassed LNG is stored in an underground (and usually undersea) cavern. The gas is slowly flowed from the cavern along a seafloor pipeline to the onshore distribution station, to provide a steady gas supply without requiring a large gas storace facility at the onshore station. The regas unit and pumps for pressurizing gas, are preferably electrically energized for safety and convenience. Electric power on the order of 60 megawatts may be required. Such electrical energy can be obtained from a power generator apparatus on the floating structure that uses gas from the tanker for fuel. The regas unit may require electric power only part of the time, such as one day per week when LNG is being offloaded and regassed. The rest of the time (e.g. several days per week) electric power from the power generator apparatus is passed through a seafloor electric power line to an onshore electric distribution facility. The generation of electric power at the floating structure is economical because the gas fuel is already available and because a large amount of expensive land is not required to isolate the power generation apparatus from onshore homes and businesses for safety. Electric power instead can be obtained from an onshore electric power distribution facility. In that case, an electric power line extends from the onshore facility and along the seafloor and up to the floating structure. The novel features of the invention are hereinafter set forth with particularity. The invention will be best understood from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a partially sectional side view of an offshore gas offloading and transfer system of a first embodiment of the invention. Fig. 1A is a plan view of a portion of the system of Fig. 1. fig. 1B is a plan view of a portion of a system that is a variation of Fig. 1A. Fig. 2 is a partially sectional side view of an offshore gas offloading and transfer system of another embodiment of the invention. Fig. 3 is a partially sectional side view of an offshore gas offloading and transfer system of another embodiment of the invention. Fig. A is a partially sectional side view of an offshore gas offloading and transfer system of another embodiment of the invention. Fig. 5 is a partially sectional side view of an offshore gas offloading and transfer system of another embodiment of the invention. Fig. 6 is a top isometric view of an offshore gas offloading and transfer system of another embodiment of the invention. Fig. 7 is a sectional side view of the system of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a sectional side view of an offshore gas offloading and transfer system of another embodiment of the invention. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Fig. 1 illustrates an offloading and transfer system 10 that includes a weathervaning floating structure in the form of a single barge 12 (there could be more than one barge) that floats at the sea surface 15. The barge receives LNG through a coupling 17 and a loading arm 11 extending from midship of a tanker 13. The barge is moored to the seafloor 14 by chains 16 extending from a turret 20 mounted at the bow of the barge. The illustrated chains extend in catenary curves to the seafloor and along the seafloor to anchors. Preferably, the tanker is moored to the barge and they weathervane together. This allows the barge and tanker to move in unison and therefore remain close together in an open sea. A regas unit 22 (for heating LNG to produce gas) and an injection unit 24 for pumping the LNG or gas to a high pressure, are both located on the barge, and are used for injection of gas into an underground cavern 30 that lies under the sea. The regas unit usually transfers heat from seawater to the LNG to change it into gas. A flexible riser 32 (there often can be two or more) extends up from a platform 34 on the seafloor to the barge. The platform is connected through a pipe 36 to the cavern 30 in which the pressured gas is stored, that results from heating LNG. A pipeline 40 extends primarily along the seafloor to an onshore gas distribution station 42. The onshore station can be a gas grid that distributes the gas to users, can be a power plant that distributes the gas to gas turbines, etc.. The flexible riser 32 and connections 50, 52 at its opposite ends, can be made highly reliable. In addition, reliable shutoff valves are present at 54 on the platform and on the barge During the past forty years or so, large numbers of flexible risers have been designed, constructed and used in offshore installations to produce hydrocarbons (usually including gas and liquid) from undersea reservoirs. Experience gained from such use has resulted in high reliability. By using such reliable flexible risers and shutoff valves in the present floating offloading and injection station, applicant is able to achieve the same high standards of reliability previously achieved with fixed platforms, but at far lower cost. Fig. 1A shows a combination 62 of the tanker 13 and barge 12 held together to weathervane together about the turret axis 56. Fig. 1B shows another combination 64 where the tanker moored to the barge by a hawser 60, so they weathervane together. Fig. 2 shows an offloading/injection system 70 similar to that of Fig. 1, except that two risers 72,74 are shown. One riser 72 connects to a pipe 76 that extends to the cavern 30. The other rise 74 connects directly to a seafloor pipeline 80 that extends to the onshore station 82. A break is indicated at 83 to indicate that the pipeline may be long (e.g. over one kilometer). A pressure boosting unit 84 on the barge 90 can pressurize gas that is pumped through the pipeline 80. Such pressured gas is directed through valves in the onshore station 82 but the gas does not have to be pressurized by the onshore station. This keeps the pumps at 84 far from any inhabited structures on shore. During regasification of LNG on a vessel and offloading of gas from the vessel, some of the offloaded gas is injected via riser 72 into the cavern 30 while other gas is transferred through riser 74 to the shore station. When no LNG is being offloaded, gas is removed from the cavern via the riser 72, Us pressure is boosted by pressure boosting unit 84, and sent to the shore station via riser 74, Thus, riser 72 is used bi-direcrionally. Fig. 3 shows a system 100 in which the barge 102 injects LNG directly into the cavern through a cryogenic pipeline or flexible pipe 104 that connects to a conduit 105, In the cavern 106 the LNG gradually changes into its gas phase. Gas & withdrawn through a separate pipe 112 leading from an upper portion of the cavern to a seafloor pipeline 110 that extends to an onshore station 114. In Fig. 4, all gas from The barge passes through a seafloor pipeline 120 to art onshore station 122 that injets it into a cavern 124 that is directly connected to the onshore state, In Fig, 5, cold LNG is pumped from the barge 130 through a cryogenic hose 0r pipeline riser riser 132, and passes through a cryogenic seafloor pipeline 134 directly into an onshore injector and regas unit 136 that connects through pipe 138 to the cavern 140, The injector 136 can inject LNG or can regas some or all of the LNG before injection, depending upon the expected rate of gas withdrawal and the amount already stored in the cavern. Gas is removed from the cavern through a separate pipe 142 leading to another onshore station 144, Fig. 6 illustrate another offloading station 150 for offloading gaseous hydrocarbons from a tanker 152. The tanker 152 carries the hydrocarbons as LNG at -165°C and atmospheric pressure. The station includes a direct-attachment floating structure 154. The direct-attachment floating structure Includes a buoyancy-adjusting floating system 160 and a propulsion system 162 that allows the floating structure to lie low in the water, stowly propel itself until its under-tanker part 164 lies under the tanker, and then debaltast itself (by emptying wafer from ballast tanks) until its parts 164,156 engage the tanker, Such a structure has been previously used in offloading crude oil from tankers. The particular floating structure 154 of Fig. 8 also Includes a regas system 170 that warms the LNG so it becomes gaseous. The floating structure pumps the gaseous hydrocarbons through a riser 172 into a subsea cavern and/or through a pipeline to a shore station. By regasing LNG, applicant avoid the need to provide a cryogenic riser which may be very expensive. Fig. 6 shows that a seafloor base 174 carries a fluid swivel 176. A hawser 180 that extends from a yoke 182 attached to the swivel, extends to the bow 184 of the tanker to moor the tanker so it weathervanes. The structure 154 weathervanes with the tanker. Energy is required o power me propulsion and ballast systems, as well as the regas systems. The regas system will use pumped seawater, as to warm an intermediate liquid that wa ms LNG or even to directly warm the LNG to produce hydrocarbons in a gaseous state. The hydrocarbons are pumped into a cavern 191 (Fig. 7) and/or a seafloor gas pipeline 190 that extends to an onshore gas facility 192. Where the floating structure lies near shore (e.g. not much more than fifty kilometers from shore), power can be obtained from a power line 194 shown in Fig. 7. The power line preferably extends parallel to the pipeline. The shore end 196 of the power line can be connected to an on shore electric power facility such as a utility electric line 200, or to a special shore based power station. The floating structure shown in Fig. 6 as well as Figs. 1-5, may consume on the order of magnitude of 60 megawatts (e.g. up to 200 Mw) of electricity when unloading a tanker. A power line to shore is most practical when the seafloor base lies within about fifty kilometers (less than 70km) of shore so there are only moderate power losses along the power line. The power line preferably lies partially on the seafloor. In most cases the floating struc ure lies at least 50 meters from shore in its greatest excursion, and the seafloor platform lies at least 50 meters from shore (high tide). It is also possible to provide a small power plant (e.g. 60 Mw), indicated at 201 in Fig. 7, which uses a small portion (much less than 50%) of the warmed gas as fuel to continually produce electric power. The power is used perhaps one day in five or seven primarily to pump sea water in the heat exchanger and to pressurize gas. During the other 4 days out of 5 or 6 days out of 7, the power is sent to shore along the power line 194. Fig. 8 illustrates a system 210 which includes a floating structure 212 that is moored through its turret 214 to the seafloor. A riser (one or more risers) 216 carries gas to a seafloor reservoir 220 and to a pipeline 222 that extends along the seafloor to shore. An electric power line 224 that extends primarily along the seafloor, extends from the turret and over a buoy 226 and along the seafloor 226 to a facility on shore. The floating structure carries a gas-powered generator 230 that generates electricity for energizing a unit 231 for regasing (heating) LNG from a tanker (not shown) as by pumping sea water through a heat exchanger, and for pressurizing the gas. When not regasing or pumping, a switch arrangement 232 diverts the generated electric power through line 224 to an onshore facility at P, as to add to electricity generated by a local electric utility. Electricity can instead be transferred from a local utility to the power line to power equipment. In environments that are subject to occasional harsh weather conditions such as a heavy storm or hurricane, the riser can be constructed to be disconnected from the floating structure, and laid down on the seafloor or floated in a submerged position. The floating structure can be disconnected from the riser and from its mooring system, and can be towed away, to be later reinstalled. Thus, the invention provides a gas offloading and transfer system for transferring gas from a tanker (wherein the gas is stored in a liquid-like state such as LNG) to an undersea or underground cavern and/or to the shore. The system can be constructed at moderate cost even when it must lie in a sea of considerable depth. The system includes a floating structure such as a barge, which is moored, as by catenary chains, to the seafloor. In most cases the floating structure is moored so it weathervanes, to change direction so as to always face the sea in the direction of least resistance. A tanker that brings the gas to the barge is moored to weathervane with the floating structure, so the tanker and floating structure can remain attached to one another dunng offloading in the open sea. A weathervaning tanker could not be easily moored to a fixed platform in an open sea. In one system, the floating structure is a weathervaning barge. In another system, the floating structure is a direct attachment floating structure that, by itself, may not have a bow end that turns to always faces upwind, but which attaches to a tanker that is moored and thereby weathervanes with the tanker. An electric current- carrying power cable can extend between the floating structure and a shore-based electric power structure, to deliver electric power to the floating structure to energize pumps and other equipment, or to carry electricity from a power plant on the floating structure to shore when not used at the floating structure. WE CLAIM : 1. An offshore gas unloading system (10, 70, 100, 150, 210) that lies in a sea having a sea surface (15) and a seafloor (14, 228), wherein a tanker (13, 152) unloads liquified cold hydrocarbons that are gaseous at room temperature, said system comprising : a floating structure (12, £0, 102, 130, 154, 212) that lies at the sea surface and that is moored so tha: it weathervanes ; a regas unit (22, 170) provided on said floating structure, for heating at least some of the cold hydrocarbons that were received from the tanker; a seafloor platform (34, 172) which lies at the seafloor; a riser (32, 132, 172, 216) which extends from said floating structure to said seafloor platform to carry hydrocarbons from one to the other; said floating structure being connected to said tanker to form a combination (60, 62) of said floating structure and said tanker that weathervane together; at least one mooring line 16) which extends from the seafloor to said combination to moor the combination and allow it to weathervane. 2. The system as claimed in claim 1, comprising an underground cavern (30, 106, 124, 140, 191, 220) and a pipe (36, 76, 138) that is coupled to said cavern and to said riser, to thereby store at least some of the gas in the cavern. 3. The system as claimed in claim 2, comprising : an onshore gas distribution station (42, 82, 114, 122, 144, 192); and a seafloor pipeline (40, 80 100, 120, 134, 190, 222) that is coupled to said cavern and that extends primarily along the seafloor from said cavern to said onshore station to carry said gas from said cavern to said onshore station. 4. The system as claimed in claim 2, comprising : an onshore gas distributic n station (82); a second riser (74) extending from said floating structure to seafloor; and a seafloor pipeline (80) that extends primarily along the seafloor from a lower end of said second riser to said onshore station, thereby enabling the passage of gas into said cavern or directly to said onshore station without passing through said cavern. 5. The system as claimed in claim 2, comprising : an onshore gas distribution station (114); said riser comprising a cylogenic hose (104), and having a conduit (105) that carries some of the cold hydrocarbons received by the floating structure, directly to the cavern (106) without passing through said regas unit so that liquid cold hydrocarbons pass down through said cyrogenic hose ; and said cavern having upper and lower portions, and having a seafloor gas pipeline (110) that has a proxinal end (112) coupled to said cavern upper portion to receive gas therefrom, said pipeline extending to said onshore station. 6. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said regas unit is electrically energized ; and comprising an electric generator apparatus (200, 230) mounted on said floating structure, which is fueled by gas from said regas unit and that generates electricity to energize said regas u lit. 7. The system as claimed in claim 6, comprising : an onshore electric power d stributing facility (200); and an electric current-carrying power line (194, 224) extending from said electric generator apparatus to tne seafloor and along the seafloor to said onshore facility for carrying power to said onshore facility when said power is not required at the floating structure. 8. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said regas unit is electrica ly energized ; and comprising an onshore pawer distributing facility (200); and an electric current-carryir g power line (194, 224) that extends along the seafloor from said onshore facility to a location under said floating structure and up through :he sea to said facility structure to carry electric power to said regas unit. 9. A method for operating an offshore facility that lies off shore, and that unloads cold hydrocarbons from a tanker, for delivery of the hydrocarbons after warming, to a shore station on the shore, said method comprising : offloading cold hydrocarbons from the tanker to a floating structure that has a regas unit and an injection unit, passing said cold hydrocarbons through said regas unit to produce warmed gaseous hydrocarbons and passing the gaseous hydrocarbons through the injection unit to pressurize them ; flowing said gaseous hydroc arbons to said shore station ; said floating structure having a turret, and having morring said floating structure to the seafloor with a plurality of morring lines extending from said turret to the seafloor; and coupling said tanker to said floating structure to form a combination that weathervanes as a combination. 10. The method as claimed in claim 8, which involves flowing at least some of said gaseous hydrocarbons tc an underground cavern for storage, and flowing gaseous hydrocarbons from said cavern to said shore station. 11. The method as claimed in claim 8, which involves powering said regas unit and said injection unit with electricity and obtaining electricity from an electricity generator on said floating structure. 12. The method as claimed in claim 11, which involves passing electricity from said generator to an on-shore distributor station when electricity is not all needed to power said regas and injection units. 13. The method as claimed in claim 8, which involves powering said regas unit and said injection unit with electricity, and obtaining electricity from an onshore facility through a power line that extends at least partially along the seafloor. 14. An offshore gas unloading system (150, 210) that lies in a sea that has a seafloor and a sea surface, and that lies within about fifty kilometers of a shore, for unloading cold hydrocarbons from a tanker (152), said system comprising : a floating structure (154, 212.) that lies at the sea surface and that has a fluid coupling for receiving said liquid cold hydrocarbons from said tanker; a cavern (191, 220) that stores gas ; a seafloor platform (174) and at least one pipe that extends from said seafloor platform to said cavern ; at least one riser (172, 216 that extends from said floating structure to said seafloor platform and that is coupled to said pipe to carry hydrocarbons between said sea-surface structure and said cavern ; said floating structure carrying an electrically powered equipment having a regas unit (170, 231); an electric power facility (200, P) that lies on the shore ; and a current carrying power lino (194, 22:4) that extends between said sea- surface structure and said electric Dower fac lity on the shore, to carry electricity between them. 15. The system as claimed in claim 14, comprising an electricity generator (201, 230) mounted on said floating structure that supplies electricity to said equipment, and an electric switch arrangement (232) that delivers electricity from said generator to said power line when much of the electricity is not required for said equipment. 16. The system as claimed in claim 14, wherein said electric power facility that lies on the shore is constructed to deliver electrical power to said power line, to provide electrical power to energize said equipment. 17. A method for operating an offshore facility that lies off shore, and that unloads cold hydrocarbons from a :anker, for delivery of the hydrocarbons after warming, to a shore station on the shore, said method comprising : offloading cold hydrocarbons from the tanker to a floating structure that has a regas unit, and passing said cold hydrocarbons through said regas unit to produce warmed gaseous hydrocarbons ; flowing said warmed gaseous hydrocarbons to said shore station ; and energizing said regas unit wich electricity. 18. The method as claimed in claim 17, comprising : using some of said warmed gaseous hydrocarbons to fuel an electrical generator apparatus on said floating structure to generate enough electric power to energize said regas unit aid pressurize gas ; and delivering electricity from said electrical generator apparatus along a seafloor electric power line to an onshore facility when excess electric power is available from said electric generator apparatus. 19. The method as claimed in claim 17, which involves delivering electricity from an onshore facility along a seafloor electric power line to said floating structure to energize said regas uni: with electric power from the onshore facility. A system (10) is described for offloading LNG (liquified natural gas) from a tanker (13) for eventual delivery to an onshore gas distribution station (42). The system includes a floating structure (12) that floats at the sea surface and that is connected to the tanker so they weathervane together. The floating structure carries a regas unit (22) that heats the LNG to produce gas, and delivers the gas through a riser (32) to an underground cavern 30) that stores the gas. Gas from the cavern is delivered through a seafloor pipeline (40) to an onshore gas distribution station. The regas unit includes water pumps and other equipment that is powered by electricity. The electricity can be obtained from an electric generator (200) on the floating structure, with surplus electricity delivered through a seafloor electric power line (194) that extends at least partially along the seafloor to an onshore electricity distribution facility (192). The electricity can instead be obtained by delivery from an onshore facility though a seafloor electric power line that extends op to the floating structure and to the regas unit.

Documents:

401-KOLNP-2006-FORM-27.pdf

401-kolnp-2006-granted-abstract.pdf

401-kolnp-2006-granted-assignment.pdf

401-kolnp-2006-granted-claims.pdf

401-kolnp-2006-granted-correspondence.pdf

401-kolnp-2006-granted-description (complete).pdf

401-kolnp-2006-granted-drawings.pdf

401-kolnp-2006-granted-examination report.pdf

401-kolnp-2006-granted-form 1.pdf

401-kolnp-2006-granted-form 18.pdf

401-kolnp-2006-granted-form 3.pdf

401-kolnp-2006-granted-form 5.pdf

401-kolnp-2006-granted-gpa.pdf

401-kolnp-2006-granted-reply to examination report.pdf

401-kolnp-2006-granted-specification.pdf