On the 12th of January Energomoantaż-Północ Gdynia accomplished fabrication of the structure for Single Anchor Loading System. Section was loaded on the ship by gantry crane. Construction will be installed on the Greater Stella mining field at a depth about 87 meters.
The Single Anchor Loading (SAL) was developed as a low-cost alternative to the STL system for use in situations where traditional CALM Buoys cannot be used. SAL has been installed in many different soil conditions, typically with single-piled or suction anchor bases. Oil is transferred through the subsea swivel and hose to the dynamic positioning-assisted shuttle tanker and a quick connect-disconnect coupler ensures easy and safe connection of the loading hose.
The contractual partner – Advanced Production Loading (APL) is a specialist Norwegian engineering company supplying loading and transfer systems for offshore platforms and ships. APL is a part of National Oilvell Varco. The first STL system was installed in the Fulmar field in the North Sea in 1993.
The Stella field is located in the UK Section of the Central North Sea . The field was discovered in 1979 when well 30/6-2 was drilled through a section of Paleocene Andrew sand. It encountered gas and condensate throughout the section.