ORDERS PLACED FOR SIX OFFSHORE MOORING SYSTEMS

The order is among six contracts with a combined value of more than $100 million placed in first quarter 1995 with Sofec Inc., Houston. Sofec, a unit of FMC Corp., Chicago, designs and supplies marine terminals and components and floating production systems.

The five other mooring systems are bound for projects in New Zealand, Nigeria, Angola, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates.

PETROBRAS FPSO

The ITMS ordered by Petrobras is to be installed in the hull of the MV Presidente Prudente de Moraes tanker being converted to an FPSO by Industrias Verolme-Ishibras SA of Brazil.

Following conversion, Petrobras will install the vessel in Barracuda field off Brazil in 2,739 ft of water, a water depth record for FPSOs. The vessel also will claim the record for the most risers-34-installed on an FPSO (OGJ. May 8, P. 19).

The turret system will moor the FPSO with an inverted centenary anchoring system designed to withstand 50 year return storm weather conditions in the Atlantic Ocean.

Sofec's contract calls for it to design, construct, assemble, and test the ITMS. The FPSO is to be delivered to Petrobras in late 1996.

OTHER SYSTEMS

Sofec will deliver three of the other five offshore mooring systems this year. Plans call for shipment of:

A permanent eight leg spread mooring system to J. Ray McDermott for an FPSO based early production system to be installed in 390 ft of water in Nemba field off Cabinda. Sofec will deliver anchoring system deck components by the end of May and anchor leg system components in July McDermott will lease the FPSO to the Nemba operator, a unit of Chevron Corp.
Two catenary anchor leg mooring (CALM) terminals to Kuwait Oil Co. to accommodate 457,000 dwt tankers loading oil and bunker fuel in 99 ft of water at Sea Island terminal off Kuwait. Sofec will design the CALM terminals, and NOEL IMAC will fabricate the units at its Mussafah, Abu Dhabi, yard for delivery in late 1995.
A CALM terminal to Abu Dhabi Co. for Onshore Oil Operations to load tankers as large as 450,000 dwt in 64 ft of water at Jebel Dhanna, Abu Dhabi. Sofec will design, supply, and install the CALM system. It will export oil delivered to a pipeline end manifold (PLEM) through a 42 in. pipeline to be extended under the contract. Sofec also will remove a conventional mooring system. National Petroleum Construction Co., Mussafah, will fabricate the CALM and PLEM units and install the facilities by the end of this year.

DELIVERIES NEXT YEAR

Sofec in addition will provide Shell Todd Oil Services Ltd. a permanent external cantilevered turret mooring (ECTM) system for a 135,000 dwt FPSO to be moored in 375 ft of water in Maui B field on the west side of New Zealand's North Island. The top part of the ECTM's 10 leg anchoring system will pass through the turret and end aboard the FPSO, allowing the vessel to weathervane into prevailing wind and sea currents.

High mooring forces resulting from the area's continuously heavy weather prompted Sofec to design the ECTM to withstand uncommonly high fatigue loading.

The turret system is to include a 10 1/2 in. flexible riser to handle the field's oil output, a 4 1/2 in. riser for gas, a high pressure fluid swivel, and associated piping. Modec Inc., Tokyo, will convert the tanker to FPSO service by second half 1996.

Sofec in late 1996 will deliver an external turret mooring system to Chevron Nigeria Ltd. for installation aboard a purpose built liquefied petroleum gas floating, storage, and offloading (FSO) system mounted aboard a 37,000 dwt barge. Chevron plans to permanently moor the FSO barge with a six leg catenary anchoring system in 94 ft of water at its Escravos LPG project off Nigeria.

Sofec said shallow water at Escravos challenged mooring system designers to achieve the force displacement characteristics needed while limiting riser excursions. Also, incremental operating loads on the FSO's mooring system when the vessel is linked in tandem with an LPG shuttle set many design values.