Loading terminal for tankers or other large ships with flowable cargo

Claim 1

An offshore marine terminal for transferring fluids between a ship and an underwater pipe line comprising: a. an anchoring structure fastened to the sea floor with a vertical conduit through its in-water section which connects to an underwater pipeline, and b. a ring-swivel supported on a bearing around that part of the anchoring structure which extends above the sea bottom, said swivel being free to rotate 360* around a vertical axis through the anchoring structure, and c. a buoyant riser column connected at its lower end through a joint to the anchor structure and providing a conduit means through which fluid can be transferred vertically, said joint between the anchor structure and the riser column acticulated to allow the riser column to pivot about any horizontal axis at the top of the anchoring structure, and d. a flexible fluid coupling connecting the pipe through the anchor structure and the conduit in the riser column, and e. a fluid swivel for the transfer of fluid connected to the upper end of said riser column above the water line for ease of maintenance and prevention of oil leaks, and f. a rigid boom, hinged at its upper end to the said fluid swivel at the top end of said riser column, and Provided with a buoyancy chamber or chambers at its lower end, and g. a howser for holding the ship in place, and h. a mooring line connected at its lower end to the said ring swivel on the anchor structure and connected at its upper end to the lower end of said boom and also to said hawser which holds the ship in place, and i. said rigid boom connected at its lower, buoyant end to the upper end of the mooring line and to the lower end of the hawser that holds the ship moored, said rigid boom also carrying a conduit which is in fluid communication with swivel joint, and j. a flexible coupling conduit connected between the conduit at the lower end of the rigid boom and the moored ship.