Concept design and cost–benefit analysis of pile-guide mooring system for an offshore LNG bunkering terminal

Abstract

This study proposes a pile-guided floater, a new mooring concept, for large offshore floating structures such as an offshore liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering terminal. The economic feasibility of the new mooring system was demonstrated through a cost–benefit analysis. The environmental loads acting on the floaters were computed using wave data at the target location. The mooring system was designed using finite element analysis to estimate the additional investment. An LNG ship-to-ship bunkering operation that included an LNG bunkering terminal, LNG carrier, LNG bunkering shuttle, and LNG receiving ship was adopted. To estimate the technical feasibility and economic benefit of the proposed mooring system, the availabilities of two types of LNG bunkering terminals were compared considering the acceptance criteria for LNG ship-to-ship transfers. One LNG bunkering terminal was a typical barge-type floater and the other was the pile-guided floater. The relative motion of the terminal with the LNG carrier and the LNG bunkering shuttle was analyzed. The limiting wave height was determined from the maximum relative vertical motion between the floaters at the position of the LNG loading arms. The availability of the pile-guided LNG bunkering terminal was significantly improved owing to the reduced vertical motion. Finally, a cost–benefit analysis verified that the new mooring concept for an offshore LNG bunkering terminal was economically feasible.