BP MAY USE SPECIAL TERMINAL FOR NORTH SEA OIL

British Petroleum Co. Ltd. will probably use the "Elf-Ocean" oscillating platform tower, developed by Elf-E.R.A.P. and Dravo Ocean Structures, Inc., for producing and transporting oil from its new field in U.K. North Sea Block 21/10, because of the water depth and roughness and the difficulty of constructing a pipeline. In the fall of 1970, trials were successfully completed on the mooring of a 15,000 ton tanker to the platform, and crude oil was pumped through the system. ERAP feels that it can be used in rough water of 350 ft depth, with 60 ft waves, 3 knot currents, and 150 mph winds. Tankers are moored by the bow and can swing through over 60 deg. A flexible hose was designed by Institut Francais du Petrole, and operations are remotely controlled from the platform by an underwater electric cable system, also designed by IFP. A 12 in. dia flowline connects the submerged storage with the platform shell and an above-water outlet, and a pump in the platform body transfers the crude from storage to tanker. BP's North Sea crude is 37 deg API and very low in sulfur and asphaltenes. BP's Grangemouth refinery, which processes similar Libyan crudes, could easily accommodate it.

• Publication Date: 1971-4

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 14-15
• Serial:
  • World Petroleum
  • Volume: 42
  • Issue Number: 3

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Offshore terminals; Petroleum; Petroleum terminals; Single point moorings
• Old TRIS Terms: Spm tower structures
• Subject Areas: Geotechnology; Marine Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00056586
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: American Petroleum Institute
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 22 1974 12:00AM