GUIDE TO SINGLE POINT MOORINGS

The present publication has been prepared to serve as a reference tool covering numerous important aspects of SPM, standing for the single point mooring systems. Such systems are widely used to keep a marine facility stationed at one particular fixed location. The vessels to be fixed could be FSO or FPSO. Nowadays, there are hundreds of SPM systems operational.

The opening part of this volume gives some brief historical background of the origins of oil and gas exploration and the supply and demand for oil in today's situation. In addition, this publication also shows the history of the development of the SPM systems, addressing some of the important aspects of designing these systems. The author of this volume also goes into details of the hydrodynamics and loadings acting on these facilities by waves and wind together with the behaviour of various types of mooring systems. The historical overview is followed by the chapter describing the basic technical characteristics of FPSOs and relevant terminology as well as fundamental design considerations. There is a separate chapter dedicated to the weather conditions, i.e. current, wind, waves including simulation, and hurricane conditions.

Mooring elements and risers are described in the next chapters. The book is also dealing with such aspects as riser analysis, hydrodynamic forces, particulars of VLCCs, wind and current loads acting on FPSOs and VLCCs, first and second order wave forces, roll and pitch, viscous forces, signal analysis, mat equations, model testing and so many others.