Single Point Mooring: SPM Operating & Maintenance Manual

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OFFSHORE DIVISION
Single Point Mooring

SPM Operating &
Maintenance Manual
OFFSHOREDIVISION
RuaComendadorFranciscoAlvesQuintas
POBox26,4490489PvoadeVarzim,Portugal
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Email:spm@lankhorstropes.com
SPMHawserOperatingandMaintenanceManual
TableofContents
1. Introduction
2. MaintenanceGuidelines
3. OperatingGuidelines
4. RecommendedSpareParts
5. RecordKeeping
Appendices
I
Pre&PostBerthingCheckList
II
OperatingMooringDataSheet
III
MooringRopesPerformanceData
IV
MooringComponentsPerformanceData
V
OverallSPMPerformanceData
References
1. MooringEquipmentGuidelines,3rdEdition[MEG3]
2. OCIMFRecommendationsforEquipmentEmployedintheBowMooringofConventional
TankersatSinglePointMoorings,4thEdition2007.
3. OCIMFSinglePointMooringMaintenanceandOperationsGuide,2ndEdition1995.
OffspringInternationalLtd
Unit8,CastleCourt2,CastlegateWay,Dudley,WestMidlandsDY14RH.UK
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1. Introduction
TheseguidelinesareheavilyinfluencedbytheOCIMFGuidelinesspecifiedinthereference
section.Theinformationsetoutinthisdocumentisofageneralnatureintendedtoprovide
guidancetoallSPMoperators.Environmentalandoperatingconditionsvaryfromterminalto
terminal and it is the responsibility of each terminal to develop their own safe working
practices.LankhorstRopesOffshoreDivisionwarrantthatallproductsleavingthefactoryare
free of defects due to material or workmanship, but can have no control over how the
productsarehandledafterleavingthefactory.
2. MaintenanceGuidelines
Optimum rope performance and extended life can be achieved, if operators observe and
develop their own inspection, handling and maintenanceprocedurescompatiblewith local
environmental and operational conditions. Routine updating and review of maintenance
procedures will enable operators to predict life expectancy of their hawsers within the
parameters of the use for which they were first selected. This will allow a hawser to be
retiredonascheduledbasisprovidedthatconditionsofusageremainunchanged.
Abrasion
AsignificantnumberofSPMhawserproblemsarecausedbycuttingandabrasion.Veryoften
the damage can occur during unboxing, loading on supply vessels, or during actual
deployment.Italsohappensfrequentlywhenthereisnotevenavesselattheberthandthe
ropeisfloatingfreelyinthewaterorisinasecuredpositiontotheoffshoreloadingtower.
Damageariseswhenthehawserisincontactwithanysharpedgesonthemooringbuoyor
loadingtowerthemselves,orfromsuchcommonthingsasladders,chainsonsupportbuoys,
hoseflangesonoilloadinghoses,hosehandlingwiresandindeedendterminationsonthe
hawseritself.Aloosethimblecanabradearope,ifthewavemotionconstantlymovesthe
rope in the thimble when the hawser is not under tension during a mooring operation.
Poorlydesignedorinferiorqualitythimblesmayhaveroughsurfacesorsharpedgeswhich
willalsocutthesurfacefibresorstrandsoftherope.
MarineGrowthandOilContamination
Marinegrowthwillnotdegradeorphysicallydamagethehawserevenifheavilyencrusted.
This has been verified by tests on ropes deployed at buoy moorings for several years.
Howeverthegrowthwilladdweightandcouldcauseflexfatiguefailureoftheropefibresor
indeed the rope system to ultimately sink. Similarly during a period of inactivity, a heavy
concentration of oil scum in the surrounding seawater could lead to contamination of the
hawser, which in high ambient temperatures, can become baked hard onto the hawser
surface.Thismayconsequentlycontributetolocalisedstiffeningandflexfatiguedamageto
thehawser.
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GeneralMaintenance
Little maintenance can be carried out to the rope hawser itself. Large used hawsers rarely
can be repaired, although some systems are returned to the factory on occasions for re
splicing. All will have a reduced residual strength and after resplicing will inevitably be
shorter in length. The ancillary components such as chain, shackles and buoys are usually
replacedatadifferenttimescaleintervaltotheropehawseritself.
PreventativeMaintenance
Alwaysusespecialcarewhenstoring,unpacking,handlingandinstallinganewhawser.New
hawsers are more susceptible to damage, on land or on service vessels than when in the
water.
Storing
Ropes should preferably be stored in their kraft paper or polythene lined packing case
assuming they arrive in good condition, and internally are still clean and dry. The cases
shouldbestoredundercoveroutofdirectsunlightandawayfromextremetemperatures.
Unpacking
When unpacking from the crate always use the lifting sling provided and do not drag the
hawser over rough ground. Dirt and grit picked up by the rope can work into the strands
cuttingtheinsidefibresduringcyclicloading.
PostInstallation/Operation
a) Maintainahawserservicehistoryincludinganyunusualheavyweatherconditions.
b) Leavetheberthiftheweatherdeterioratestoapointwherethehawsermaybeover
loaded.
c) Endeavourtopreventthetankerrunningupontothebuoythehawsermaybecome
trappedbetweenthetankerhull,hoseorbuoy,wherewaveactioncancausedamage.
d) Educatesupportvesseloperatorstostayclearandavoidrunningoverthehawser.
e) KeeptheSPMinstallationfreeofanyprotrusionsthatmaychafethehawser.
f) Inspectthevisibleportionofthemooringsystematthetankerendduringeachmooring.
Notemissinghawserfloatswherefitted.
g) Removerthehawsertostorageduringlongidleperiodswhentankersarenotonstation.
Inspection
Anymaintenanceprocedurehastoincludeperiodicvisualexaminations,todetermineropes
currentconditionandestimatedremaininglifetime.
a) Inspectforexteriordamage,alongtheentirelengthbutinparticular,aroundsplices,eyes
andthimbles.
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b) Implementscheduledinspectionsoftheentirehawsersystem,usingservicelaunchor
divers.
c) Checkbuoysupportchainandtheconnectionpointunderthebuoy.
d) Isthechainsupportbuoyfloatingatthecorrectlevel?Damagewillcausethebuoyto
ridelowerinthewater.
e) Examinechafechainsforwearmeasurechainlinkdiameterattheinterlinkbearing
point.Chainshouldbereplacedifdiameterisreducedbymorethan10%oforiginal.
f) Surveyfloatsforpossibledamage,replacemissingfloatsanddamagedlacings.
ResidualStrengthInspection
Itisvirtuallyimpossibletovisuallydeterminetheresidualstrengthofausedhawser.Ropes
withoutobviousexternaldamage,mayhavebeenweakenedbylongexposureinthewater
or overloading. This cannot be determined by visual inspection but some typical damage
signsindicatingoverloadorflexfatigueare:
a) Averyhardrope,wherethestrandsarenearlyimpossibletopriseopen.
b) Ahardropethatisoversizedevenwhenunderslighttensionof500kgto1000kg.
c) Theropecircumferenceis20%to25%greaterthanwhatwasobservedwhennew.
d) AfuzzyorpowderyresidueisevidentbetweenthestrandsofaLankhorstDoubleBraid
rope,oran8strandSquarelinerope.WithLankhorstGAMA98parallelstrandcircular
braided ropes, a slight residue between the cover and cores is quite normal. If severe
fluffing or powdering is evident, particularly between core strands, then this would be
evidenceofflexfatigueortensileoverload.
e) Fraying,fusedorloosestrandsinthecrotchofaneyesplice.
Never proof test a used fibre rope above its recognised SWL. Tests at any load do not
guarantee that a further loading, to the same level, would not break the rope. An actual
breaktestofausedhawseranalysedagainsttheservicehistoryofthehawseristhemost
expedientwaytopredictfutureperformanceofsimilarhawsersonthesamebuoy.
RetirementCriteria
AlmosteverySPMlocationisdifferent,sowecannotgiveasingleruleforretirementofthe
hawser. A large number of hawsers last at least six months or more, except in the most
severe environments. In calm weather areas and sheltered water locations, ropes are
sometimesleftinserviceforuptotwoyears.
Many operators use the number of tanker berthings to determine retirement standards,
whileothersusethenumberofhourstheberthwasactuallyoccupiedandsomemonitorthe
numberofloadingsaboveacertainloadlevel.
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Inanyevent,syntheticfibreropehawsersgraduallyloosestrength.Evenfloatinginseawater
under zero tension, but subject to the influence of wind and wave motion, many hawsers
experiencedamage,withrapidreductionofstrength.
Itisimpossibleforthehawsermanufacturertoprovidespecificrecommendationsandthe
operatormustthereforedevelophisownproceduresbasedonhisexperienceofthelocation
andproduct.
LankhorstRopesTechnicalDepartment
DuetothewiderangeofropessuppliedforSinglePointMooringsystems,ropecondition,
andexposuretoseveralfactorsaffectingropebehaviourandthedegreeofriskto lifeand
the environment, it is impossible to cover all aspects of maintenance likely to arise in this
document.ThefacilitiesofourTechnicalDepartmentareavailabletocustomersinallcases
whereanyriskisinvolvedorthereisaquestionaboutuseormaintenance.
3. OperatingGuidelines
At an SPM or FSO/FPSO mooring, the shuttle tanker bow is secured to the buoy or FPSO
using a specially supplied mooring system. This will generally consist of either one or two
specialmooringlineswithchafechainsattachedtotheendofeachhawser.Thechainspass
throughtheshipsfairleadsandareconnectedonboardtospeciallydesignedchainstoppers
orbracketslocatedonthefocsleforthispurpose.Thechainistypicallymanufacturedfrom
76mmdiameterlinkswithamaximumsafeworkingloadof250tonnes,dependantuponthe
gradeofsteelused.
Thechainsandhawsersaresupportedinthewaterbyachainsupportbuoy,andattachedto
thefreeendofthechain(sometimesviaashortlengthofwire)isafloatingpolypropylene
pickuprope,generally80mmindiameterandapproximately150metreslong.
As the shuttle tanker starts her approach to the buoy or FSO, a messenger line should be
madereadyonthefocslerunningthroughoneofthebowfairleads.Thismessengershould
pass through the chain stopper before going to a winch. If at all possible, the messenger
shouldbesecuredaroundawinchdrumsothatthewholeoperationcanbecarriedoutona
HandsOffbasis.
Themooringoperationshouldusuallybesupervisedbyapilotstationedonthebowofthe
shuttle tanker. He should be accompanied by a responsible officer who should be in radio
contactwiththebridge,passingonthepilotsinstructions.
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Inordertoavoiddamagetosubmarinepipelinesandanchorchains,theshipsanchorshould
notbedroppedexceptinanextremeemergency.
WhenthetankerisclosetotheSBMorFSO,themessengershouldbeloweredtoamooring
launchforconnectiontothepickuprope.Whenthelaunchisclearofthesystemshouldbe
startedtobewinchedin.Thepickupropeshouldbefullyretrieveduntilthechafechain(s)
passesthroughthefairleadandreachestherequiredposition.
Careshouldbetakenwhenwinchinginthepickupropeandchafechaintoensurethatthere
isalwayssomeslackinthemooringassembly.Itcanbeverydangeroustothemooringcrew
iftheassemblybecomestightbeforetheconnectioniscompleted,andthetankershouldbe
carefullymanoeuvredtoensurethatthisdoesnotoccur.
THEPICKUPROPEMUSTNEVERBEUSEDTOHEAVETHESHIPINTOPOSITIONORTO
MAINTAINITSPOSITION.
Once the chafe chain is in position it should be secured to the chain stopper as quickly as
possible.
Oncethechainisconnectedandsecuredthepickupropeshouldbeslowlywalkedbackuntil
allweightistransferredtothechainstopperorSmitbracket.
Tendering of the moorings is not always required, however an experienced crew member
shouldbepostedforwardatalltimestoobservethemooringsandtheSBMorFSOandto
adviseiftheshuttletankerstartstorideupontheSBMorFSOorstartstoyawexcessively.
When unmooring, the chains should be walked back into the water and the pickup rope
shouldbeslowlypaidoutthroughthefairleads.
ItisrecommendedwhenmooringtoanSBMorFSOtoalwayshaveafewitemsofessential
equipmentsuchasalargeaxe,sledgehammer,andcrowbarreadilyavailabletothecrew.
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4. RecommendedSpareParts
A sufficient quantity of spare parts should be available to ensure reliable uninterrupted

operationoftheSPM.
The following recommendations for the quantities of spare parts to be kept in stock are
basedonafacilityconsistingofasingleSPM.IfthefacilityconsistsofmorethanoneSPMa
fullsparesbackupwillnotberequiredforeachSPM.
Exceptwherelimitedshelflifedictatesotherwise,morethan100%backupmayberequired
whenbothleadtimesandusagearetakenintoaccount.
Description
Mooringhawsers
Chainsupportbuoys,shacklepins,thimbles&link
Chafingchains(buoysideandtankerside)
Hawserfloats
Messenger/Pickuplines
Markerbuoys
Recommended
SparesQty
200%
100%
200%
100%
200%
100%
5. RecordKeeping
The schedules necessary for regular maintenance, servicing and replacement of the
components of a SPM can only be established with experience. The condition of individual
components will depend upon specific design parameters, operating history and
environmental factors and will differ for each SPM. A major requirement therefore is that
detailedrecordsarekeptofeachitemofequipmentinserviceorinsparestock.
RecordContentRecordsshouldinclude:
Basicdatadimensionsandstrength.
Datesreceived,datesinserviceandreasonforretirement.
Theexactlocationoftheitemofequipmentwithinthesystem.
Detailsofwearobservedduringinspections.
Detailsofsubsequenttests,maintenanceorrepairs.
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Such records will be of invaluable assistance and are essential for ensuring efficient
maintenance.
Observationsmade,andrecordskept,duringtheearlymonthsofoperatinganewSPMare
of particular importance as these will give the first and earliest indication of the
deterioration to be expected, particularly for components which require more frequent
replacement.
IndividualcomponentsoftheSPMshouldbecoveredbyrecordstoadegreethatwillensure
they receive sufficient attention as required by their function in the system and the
degreeofwearobserved.Inthisway,theriskofbreakdownandunscheduledrepairwork
willbesubstantiallyreduced.
TypicalAreastobeCoveredbytheRecordSystem
PreandPostMooringChecks
EachtimeavesselberthsataSPMageneralinspectionshouldbemadeofallequipment
and materials which are within easy reach at that time. Any small defects should be
madegoodattheearliestopportunitysoastopreventfurtherdeterioration.Acheck
list should be completed by the berthing master both before and after berthing. A
sampleofaPreandPostBerthingCheckListisinAppendixI.
OperatingMooringData
TherelevantsectionsoftheOperatingMooringDatasheetshouldbefilledineveryhoura
ship is on the mooring, and if possible every four hours at other times. In weather
conditionsthatarechangingrapidly,thefrequencyofobservationsshouldbeincreasedso
thatareconstructionofthebroadpatterncanbecarriedoutfromtherecordeddata.
In cases where instruments are not available for recording certain weather criteria, best
estimatesshouldbemadeandtheletterEinsertedaftertheobservationtodrawattention
tothefactthatitwasestimated.AsampleofanOperatingMooringDataSheetisgivenin
AppendixII.
EquipmentPerformance
Asstatedpreviously,eachitemofequipmentshouldbecoveredbytherecordsystem
so that its condition can be monitored and any rapid deterioration quickly
identified. Moreover, inspection and maintenance schedules can be modified, as
necessary,inthelightofexperiencegained.
Majoritemsforwhichspecimenrecordorperformancesheetsaregivenareasfollows,and
samplesofrecordsheetsaregiveinAppendixIIIIV.
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MooringHawsers
Torecordtheoperatinghistoryandperformanceofmooringropesbasedonthenumberand
durationofberthing.
Other mooring assembly components such as chafing chains, triangular plates, chains
andshackles.
Similartothoseformooringhawsers.
OverallSPMPerformance
In addition to records for individual components, records of berth occupancy, throughput
and downtime will, if maintained over a period of time, give a valuable indication of
overallterminalperformance.Therequireddatashouldbeenteredeveryday.Monthlyand
yearly cumulative figures expressed as total times and percentages will indicate
performanceandutilisationtrends.AsampleofanOverallSPMPerformanceDataSheetis
giveninAppendixV.
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AppendixI
PreandPostBerthingChecklist
SPMRecord
BerthInspectionData
Date
SPMLocation
PreBerthCheck:
SATISFACTORY
YES
NO
YES
NO
YES
NO
YES
NO
YES
NO
YES
NO
YES
NO
YES
NO
YES
NO
YES
NO
YES
NO
SPMCheck:
HawserAssembly
ChafingChain
SupportBuoys
Shackles
Messenger/PickupRopes
PostDepartureCheck:
SATISFACTORY
YES
NO
YES
NO
YES
NO
YES
NO
YES
NO
YES
NO
YES
NO
YES
NO
YES
NO
YES
NO
YES
NO
ActionRequired:
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AppendixII
OPERATINGMOORINGDATASHEET
Vessel:
HourlyInformationSheet
DateofBerthing:
Date
Time
H.W.
L.W.
Name
Cabin
Tel.
H.W.
Pilot
TimeHighWater:
L.W.
Insp.
H.W.
Insp.
Range:mts
L.W.
B.M.
H.W.
TugF.
TugA.
Time
Rate/Hr
Total
ToGo
B.P.
PSI
Temp
DegC
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Draft
Fwd/Aft
Mooring
Angle/Wt
Ships
Head
Current
Wind
Remarks
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AppendixIII
SPMRecordSheet:
SPMLocation:
Position
Manufacturer
Identification
Construction
PurchaseDetails
Size
Length
Type
Received
Installed
Removed
ShipsBerthed
TimeinUse
TimeinPosition
ReasonforRemoval
Telemetry
Information
CyclicLoading
History
Date:
Individual
Port
Starboard
DamageReport:
FailureReport:
Guidelines:
Damage:BrokenYarns/Strands,Fusion,ExternalWear,Thimble,Other
Failure:Damage,HighLoad,Incident,Weather,Other
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AppendixIV
MOORINGCOMPONENTSPERFORMANCEDATA
SPMRecordSheet:
SPMLocation:
Components
Manufacture
OCIMF
Parts/Size
BuoySide:
P
S
P
S
Chain
Triangle
Shackle
Shackle
Shackle
Shackle
Damage:Failure:Wear downReport:
ShipSide
P
S
P
S
PickupRope
Triangle
Shackle
Shackle
Shackle
Shackle
Triangle
Triangle
PearLink
SupportBuoy
Damage:Failure:Wear downReport:
Received
P
Installed
P
Removed
P
Ships
Berthed
P
S
MooringComponentsPerformanceData
Date:
TimeIn
TimeIn
Reasonfor
Use
Position
Removal
P
S
P
S
P
S
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AppendixV
SPMRecordSheet:
SPMLocation:
Date
Wind
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
Date:
Wave
Current
Suitable
For
BuoyInoperable
DueDefect/
Maintenance
TotalDowntimeOvertheMonthinHours:
PercentageDowntimeOverMonth:
TotalDowntimeOvertheYearinHours:
PercentageDowntimeOverYear:
Buoy
InoperableDue
toWeather
Buoy
Occupancy
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LANKHORST ROPES Offshore Division

Rua Comendador Francisco Alves Quintas
PO Box 26, 4490-489 Pvoa de Varzim
Portugal
Tel: +351 252 690 800
Fax: +351 252 690 801
E-mail: spm@lankhorstropes.com
Worldwide sales agents for Single Point Moorings
and Deep Water Moorings
OFFSPRING INTERNATIONAL LTD
Unit 8, Castle Court 2
Castlegate Way
Dudley, West Midlands, DY1 4RH
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 1384 453880
Fax: +44 1384 453888
E-mail: mail@offspringinternational.com
www.lankhorstropes.com
Member of the Royal Lankhorst Euronete Group

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