Method and apparatus for transferring fluid offshore

Claim 1

A METHOD OF ESTABLISHING A FLUID CONDUCTIVE CONNECTION BETWEEN A SHIP MOORED AT AN OFFSHORE BERTH AND A SHORE FLUID STORAGE WHILE ALLOWING FOR THE NORMAL SIDEWAYS DRIFT AND THE NORMAL UP AND DOWN MOTION OF THE SHIP AT ITS MOORINGS, SAID METHOD COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: ARRANGING A SUBMERGED, RIGID-WALL PIPELINE TO EXTEND ALONG THE SEA BED FROM THE SHORE STORAGE TO AN END OF THE BERTH; FIXING SAID PIPELINE WITH RESPECT TO THE SEA BED AT A POINT SPACED FROM THE BERTH BY A DISTANCE SUCH THAT THE PIPELINE BETWEEN SAID BERTH AND SAID POINT IS ABLE TO BEND TO PERMIT THE OFFSHORE END THEREOF TO BE RAISED TO THE SHIP''S HULL AND THEN MOVED WITH THE SHIP DURING NORMAL SIDEWAYS MOVEMENTS OF THE SHIP AT THE BERTH WITHOUT EXCEEDING THE ELASTIC LIMIT OF THE PIPELINE MATERIAL; SECURING THE OFFSHORE END OF SAID PIPELINE TO A PALLET STRUCTURE; CONNECTING THE SHIP''S TACKLE TO SAID PALLET STRUCTURE TO RAISE THE OFFSHORE PIPELINE END AND TO SECURE THE PALLET STRUCTURE FIRMLY TO THE SHIPS HULL SO THAT IT MOVES THEREWITH; ESTABLISHING A FLUID CONDUCTIVE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE SHIP AND THE OFFSHORE END OF THE PIPELINE; AND TETHERING SAID OFFSHORE END OF THE PIPELINE TO THE SEA BED TO PREVENT THE PIPELINE FROM BEING BENT BEYOND ITS ELASTIC LIMIT.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF ESTABLISHING A FLUID CONDUCTIVE CONNECTION BETWEEN A SHIP MOORED AT AN OFFSHORE BERTH AND A SHORE FLUID STORAGE WHILE ALLOWING FOR THE NORMAL SIDEWAYS DRIFT AND THE NORMAL UP AND DOWN MOTION OF THE SHIP AT ITS MOORINGS, SAID METHOD COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: ARRANGING A SUBMERGED, RIGID-WALL PIPELINE TO EXTEND ALONG THE SEA BED FROM THE SHORE STORAGE TO AN END OF THE BERTH; FIXING SAID PIPELINE WITH RESPECT TO THE SEA BED AT A POINT SPACED FROM THE BERTH BY A DISTANCE SUCH THAT THE PIPELINE BETWEEN SAID BERTH AND SAID POINT IS ABLE TO BEND TO PERMIT THE OFFSHORE END THEREOF TO BE RAISED TO THE SHIP''S HULL AND THEN MOVED WITH THE SHIP DURING NORMAL SIDEWAYS MOVEMENTS OF THE SHIP AT THE BERTH WITHOUT EXCEEDING THE ELASTIC LIMIT OF THE PIPELINE MATERIAL; SECURING THE OFFSHORE END OF SAID PIPELINE TO A PALLET STRUCTURE; CONNECTING THE SHIP''S TACKLE TO SAID PALLET STRUCTURE TO RAISE THE OFFSHORE PIPELINE END AND TO SECURE THE PALLET STRUCTURE FIRMLY TO THE SHIPS HULL SO THAT IT MOVES THEREWITH; ESTABLISHING A FLUID CONDUCTIVE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE SHIP AND THE OFFSHORE END OF THE PIPELINE; AND TETHERING SAID OFFSHORE END OF THE PIPELINE TO THE SEA BED TO PREVENT THE PIPELINE FROM BEING BENT BEYOND ITS ELASTIC LIMIT.