SHIPPING

Vessel Mooring and Monitoring Systems at LNG Marine Terminals

Simon Wilson and Tom Toth, Harbour & Marine Engineering (HME), Australia

The safe, reliable and efficient mooring of LNG carriers is most important. This article describes the integrated,
high-technology mooring equipment and monitoring systems that are now the state-of-the-art in new LNG terminals.

A
key component of the LNG termi- these include: - tioned within the support base to improve Remote Release
nal is a reliable mooring system. „ Quick Release Hooks and Capstans protection from mechanical and environ- Integral to the hook is the release mecha-
There are vast differences in prod- „ Remote Release Systems mental damage. nism. The purpose of the release mecha-
uct features and quality, which must be „ Mooring Line Load Monitoring The units are designed to withstand nism is to release the mooring lines, which
carefully selected to ensure safety and effi- „ Vessel Docking Aid Systems static and dynamic forces exerted by the may be under tension, in a safe and con-
ciency of the LNG carrier mooring. The „ Environmental and Met Ocean vessel, often from wind or current load, trolled manner. Most manufacturers offer
SIGTTO Publication "LNG Operations in Monitoring whilst alongside. Hook configuration and manual release at the hook using a remov-
Port Areas" notes that monitoring and The discussion draws upon recent LNG capacity are determined by a mooring able lever as a minimum feature.
control systems for operations on jetties projects awarded to Harbour & Marine analysis usually performed by the Own- At many LNG and condensate facili-
are primarily aimed at enhancing safety of Engineering including Damietta and Idku, er's consultant. This considers the range of ties, a remote release system is installed.
operations and personnel. Indeed, with Egypt; LNG3, Ras Laffan; Isle of Grain, vessels likely to visit the facility over the This provides the operator with the means
the level of public scrutiny currently UK; Darwin, Australia; Atlantic LNG, life of the project and recent specifications to release each hook by electrical signal
aimed at LNG marine facilities, particular- Trinidad and Southern LNG, USA. have noted the projected increase in vessel from a remote, safe location, via either a
ly receiving terminals in the United States, size to 200,000 m3 plus. Hook SWL capac- console or computer screen, as well as by
specifying the right mix of equipment on Quick Release Hooks and ities have typically been 125 tonnes for push button at the hook unit itself.
the jetty becomes critical not just to oper- Capstans vessels up to 140,000 m3; however we are Remote release systems for quick
ating safety, but to demonstrating the The Quick Release Hook (QRH) is the now seeing 150 tonnes SWL capacity release hooks are installed for two pri-
owner's commitment to safety. foundation of any hazardous jetty moor- being specified. mary reasons:
Mooring equipment has in the past ing system and is recommended by both The key considerations for selecting a (1) Safety: The risk of injury to person-
been low on the priority list for design SIGTTO and OCIMF. The basic design quality quick release hook package are as nel is greatly increased during the release
review; however, with the increasing has been improved over the last 40 years follows: of a vessel from its moorings. Mooring
attention to documenting operations and and they are used at all major oil and gas „ The manufacturer can support all crews are at risk in close proximity to
the more recent availability of robust marine facilities worldwide. aspects of the structural design and mooring lines that may be under tension.
monitoring systems for this unique The QRH facilitates the release of the provides traceability for materials oper- In addition the terminal may have little
marine environment, this is changing. vessel without the need to reduce tension ating under ISO 9001:2000 accreditation control over the condition of the mooring
Fully integrated mooring systems are in the mooring lines. QRH's are designed „ Pre-shipment testing of each hook lines, which are the property of the visit-
custom-engineered, long-lead purchases for either manual or remote release from including proof load test to 125% or ing vessel. If these are in poor condition
requiring independent testing and an ISO zero load up to the Safe Working Load 150% of SWL and Release Test at SWL they can be prone to failure. Failure of a
9001 accredited approach to design and (SWL) capacity of each hook. „ Importantly, hooks fitted with load mooring line, with an operator close by to
manufacture. For the construction of the Hook units are located along the jetty at cells should undergo a release test with the QRH, can result in serious injury or
marine facilities to proceed smoothly, the each dolphin and provide the point of load cells fitted in order to shock-test death. The recoil from the parted line
earlier the specifications are developed, restraint between vessel and jetty. For the load cells results in a section of the line possibly
the better. LNG jetties, QRH's are usually in double, „ Maximum protection to capstan by fully coming in contact with the operator.
This article discusses the mooring triple or quadruple configuration on a enclosing within the support structure During the release of a vessel, as fewer
equipment and monitoring systems now common support base (see Figure 2). The „ It has been demonstrated that it is most and fewer lines are restraining its move-
becoming standard for new LNG jetty and base also incorporates a capstan used for desirable to have a single vendor for ment, additional load is placed on the
gravity base structure specifications and hauling in each mooring rope to the hook design and manufacture of the com- remaining lines, increasing the probability
how they are integrated to provide cen- using a lead line passed from the vessel. plete package of Hooks, Remote of a failure. This is especially the case in
tralised data to the operators. Typically, The capstan motor should ideally be posi- Release and Load Cells bad weather where the tugs are having dif-

Figure 1 Quick Release Hooks, Capstans, Load Monitoring and Remote Release at Cove Figure 2 100T capacity Triple Quick Release Hook unit incorporating Capstan and
Point LNG, Maryland, USA Remote Release

LNG journal November/December 2004 page 16

 LNGjournal
ficulty restraining the vessel's movements.
Remote release systems minimize the
need for the operator to be in the 'risk zone'.
(2) Productivity: The number of per-
sonnel required to release a vessel can be
minimized on facilities with remote
release systems fitted. A senior employ-
ee, such as the Marine Manager, would
normally operate the system from the con-
sole and although not mandatory, if hooks
are within line of sight, up to two other
personnel may be positioned, one forward
and one aft, to assist in the event of tan-
gled ropes or local power failure (back up
UPS systems can be incorporated).
Operating modes are often overlooked:
whilst the actual purpose of the remote
release functionality is simple, the circum-
stances that require the hook release are
sometimes confusing. If a crisis situation
were to occur where the vessel was to be
released from it's mooring quickly then
a remote release system would provide
a quick and safe method for a controlled
release.

Release Mechanisms and

Control Systems Figure 3 Jetty Mounted large display board provides vessel speed Figure 4 Harbour & Marine Engineering's SmartHook® Load
Release mechanisms generally include
and distance to the Pilot Monitoring provides local display of hook loads
either Electric or Hydraulic operation.
Hydraulic based Remote Release systems
require a separate power unit, hydraulic trol console some distance away from the approach. The docking system measures In the event of a docking incident, a his-
lines and an oil reservoir to allow opera- jetty. Whilst this may be convenient for vessel distance, angle and speed of tory of the final approach to the jetty and
tion and are typically high maintenance construction of common control rooms, approach using lasers mounted on the jet- impact with fenders can be replayed on
systems. There has been a strong swing cargo transfer operators and marine oper- ty. The data is displayed and logged in the docking software. Data is logged at
toward electric based systems, which offer ators are likely to be separate teams with the marine monitoring PC in the control one-second intervals and a series of
the same level of functionality in terms of different operational requirements. room and also made available to the Pilot graphs and reports printed for analysis
release control and safety, with substan- As the line is released from the shore on a jetty mounted large display board and training purposes.
tially lower maintenance requirements. with shore staff safely out of the immedi- (see Figure 3) and/or over telemetry to a
ate vicinity of the hooks and mooring handheld monitor. Mooring Line Load
Control Philosophy lines, vessel crew can be endangered if not Although experience is an essential Monitoring
A number of recent LNG terminal project forewarned of impending line release. ingredient for effective mooring manage- Once the vessel is alongside the jetty and
specifications demonstrate some of the This is a compelling reason to perform a ment, it cannot be completely relied upon mooring ropes secured, line tensions and
misconceptions in the industry relating to risk assessment for the ship-shore interac- at all times and may be limited, particular- their distribution must be monitored effec-
Remote Release of LNG vessels. The asso- tion during docking, whilst moored and ly at greenfield marine facilities. In addi- tively as this is the critical structural ele-
ciation of automated remote release with on de-berthing. tion, as vessel size increases, berthing ment which limits vessel surge (longitudi-
cargo transfer Emergency Shut Down The control and monitoring systems dynamics will also change and a DAS pro- nal drift) and sway (drift out). Measuring
(ESD) is a prime example. should be designed, manufactured and vides the data necessary to enable person- line tension is by way of load cells
A cargo transfer or plant emergency integrated with the mooring equipment nel to clearly follow agreed procedures, installed in the pivot block at the rear of
situation does not necessarily constitute a by the one dedicated mooring system for example keeping vessel docking speed each hook.
reason to disconnect the vessel from the manufacturer to ensure the total mooring below the agreed site limit. There can be a multitude of forces
berth. The authors encourage industry package provides the best possible solu- A typical DAS consists of two laser sen- imposed on a vessel from many sources,
discussion and wish to highlight the tion for safety and functionality. sors, a controller, central PC with software including wind and current, speed and
requirement for guidelines on this subject. and remote display devices such as the direction of waves, surge effects from
The traditional plant / transfer instru- Docking Aid System display board, for each berth. As with all passing vessels, under keel blockage
mentation methodology may not align A Docking or Berthing Aid System (DAS) the jetty monitoring systems, multiple effect, tidal changes and vessel draft
with the control system logic used for is a tool used by the Pilot and vessel Mas- berths can be interfaced to a single control changes due to loading or discharge of
remote release. A growing trend is to ter to assist in manoeuvring the vessel point for integrated operator display, log- product.
physically locate the remote release con- towards the jetty during the last 300 m of ging and reporting. The efficiency of the mooring system is

GA Se
Still using ball valves for sampling & purging? S eu
st TEC s a
an H t
d
… you could be suffering leakage and high installation and maintenance costs… G7 200
0 5

40 years’ experience in cryogenic valve design innovation and manufacture has brought to the
LNG cargo carrier the solution to these problems…the Bestobell LNG needle globe valve.

• Precise flow control - not just on or off • Lighter weight 316 stainless steel design
• Simple two part assembly – body and headworks • Fire safety approved to BS6755 Part2
• Low maintenance, meaning reduced downtime • BP Amoco approved

The Bestobell LNG Needle Globe Valve

- selected by those who plan for low maintenance Korea Gas.

Bestobell LNG, President Park, President Way, Sheffield, S4 7UR

www.lngvalves.com Tel: +44 (0) 114 224 0000 | Fax: +44 (0) 114 278 4974
Part of Flow Industries Limited email: [email protected]

LNG journal November/December 2004 page 17

SHIPPING

largely dependent upon layout, length of

each mooring element, stiffness and con-
struction of mooring lines. The manage-
ment of the vessel's mooring system repre-
sents a great responsibility to both termi-
nal operator and Master and requires con-
siderable understanding of the factors dis-
cussed above, as well as effective informa-
tion feedback in order to allow time to
make the right decisions.
Therefore in addition to display of
load data in the jetty control room, it is
recommended that mooring loads are
available at each hook location (see Fig-
ure 4), linked to a high load alarm siren
and strobe, to alert jetty operators and
vessel crew immediately a line becomes
over-loaded. Corrective action can then Figure 6 Centralized monitoring screens provide a single user interface for all docking (left), mooring (right) & environmental data
be taken in timely response to changing
conditions. This local, real-time display is
also extremely useful in removing the mental and oceanographic sensors to pro- accommodate remote release control. side; however this could be extended to
guesswork during pre-tension of moor- vide valuable data during docking and A dedicated PC-based integrated sys- provide drift warning, release warning
ing lines to ensure loads are correctly bal- mooring and allow both terminal and ves- tem requires minimum operator specialist and environmental data.
anced and the vessel remains safely sel personnel to make informed decisions skills within a user-friendly interface to
moored from arrival. on vessel operations. provide display and recording of data Conclusion
The data is collected from a variety during the vessel mooring and cargo Mooring and monitoring systems for LNG
Environmental and Met of sensors that may typically include the transfer operations. The system raises marine terminals have undergone exciting
Ocean Monitoring following: - alarms, which must be acknowledged by and significant development during the
Wind, wave and current forces acting „ A weather station often located on the the mooring operator, if data from the past 5 years. Not so long ago, each of the
upon the vessel can have a significant roof of the Jetty Control Building load monitoring, docking or environmen- above systems may well have been
effect on vessel handling, particularly at „ Current monitoring, mounted off the tal sensors exceeds a user set range. The designed and supplied by a separate man-
slow speed and manoeuvring under tug jetty data can be networked to other locations ufacturer, each having its own PC control.
assistance. „ Wave height, profile and tide data, off over LAN or telemetry if required and The industry has certainly seen a positive
LNG marine facilities require environ- the jetty (see Figure 5) often specifications call for display of move towards fully integrated mechanical
„ Current and wave measurement 'off- docking data, line load and environmental and instrumentation systems, with the one
shore' either in a turning basin, data on a single portable monitor for use manufacturer responsible for the total
approach channel and/or offhore by the Pilot and Mooring Supervisor. package, including ongoing service; how-
mooring point Increasingly, alarm data generated by ever, there remain outdated specifications
The sensors communicate with the cen- the mooring monitoring is being inter- based on 'old' information. From the
tral PC over cable or telemetry, and data faced with the plant Distributed Control authors' experience, mooring systems
can be relayed to the portable monitor car- System (DCS) over industry standard pro- need to be considered during project
ried by the Pilot. tocols such as modbus. These can then be FEED and at each main design review to
transferred to the vessel over the Ship- ensure specifications incorporate the latest
An Integrated Approach Shore Link. SIGTTO recommendations, technology and operational feedback and
To Central Monitoring for example, call for load monitoring data provide the LNG facility with the tools to
The data from load cells, docking lasers to be available at the vessel whilst along- effect safe and efficient vessel mooring. „
and environmental sensors is relayed to
a central PC system usually located in Simon Wilson, Sales & Marketing Manag- HME was established in 1971 in Mel-
the Jetty Control Room. Signals from er in Harbour & Marine Engineering bourne and is a leading designer and sup-
these sensors are now over digital com- (HME), is responsible for international plier of mooring and monitoring systems to
munications transmitted over twisted business development. He is a Naval Archi- the oil and gas marine industry worldwide.
pair conductors, fibre optic or radio tect with experience in marine and offshore The company has supplied equipment to
telemetry and provide a significant oil & gas in the North Sea, USA and Asia. approximately 75% of LNG terminals
reduction in cabling requirements, cou- Tom Toth, Technical Director in HME, has (excluding Japan) over the past 3 years and
pled with an increase in reliability, com-
a degree in civil engineering and over 25 specialises in the design of integrated jetty
pared with just a few years ago. For
Figure 5 Wave Profiling/Tide laser sensor years experience in the marine field. He is mooring systems with both a strong
at Pyeong Taek LNG receiving terminal, example, Harbour & Marine's
responsible for the company's technical mechanical and instrumentation resource
Korea SmartHook® Load Monitoring system
management and product development. in-house.
utilises a digital link, which can also

Discover:
Distinguished speakers include:
How Egyptian LNG acquired financing for trains 1 & 2
and added a new style SPA into the matrix Head of Project Finance, Sakahlin

Financing the How to raise project finance for LNG projects in China
by getting to grips with downstream factors and pricing
implications with tips from CNOOC
Best practice LNG financing from the biggest LNG
Energy
Vice President of Finance, Petronet LNG
Finance Manager, CNOOC - Fujian LNG

LNG Supply Chain project - Sakhalin Energy

The importance of the SPA when raising project finance
– how to mesh the SPA with finance structures and gas
purchasing terms
Senior Associate, Norton Rose
Vice President, Global Energy Group,
Credit Suisse First Boston
Gas production  Liquefaction  LNG tankers Developing and financing LNG regasification terminals
Head of Project Finance, Baker Botts LLP
– in-depth structure analysis
 LNG receiving terminals  Pipelines
Industry leading insights into financing the entire value Senior Associate, Herbert Smith
2-day conference: 31st January – 1st February 2005 chain - from liquefaction to regas
Senior Associate, Norton Rose
Post event master-classes: 2nd February 2005 Supported by Head of Project Finance, HSBC
Venue: The Thistle Marble Arch, London

 +44 (0)20 7368 9300 / 0800 652 2363 +44 (0)20 7368 9301 [email protected] / www.oilandgasIQ.com/2376a

LNG journal November/December 2004 page 18