Advanced Production and Loading (APL) - STL, STP and SAL Systems

Advanced Production and Loading AS (APL) is a technology company dedicated to the international marketing, development, production and delivery of Submerged Turret Loading (STL), Submerged Turret Production (STP), Single Anchor Loading (SAL) and related technology.

SUBMERGED TURRET LOADING (STL)

Proven and standardised system for offshore oil loading.

The Submerged Turret Loading system represents the state of the art within offshore loading technology. The system is well proven and installed at seven fields in the North Sea and Norwegian Sea by November 2001. One additional system is in construction. Submerged Turret Loading technology offers a flexible, safe and cost-effective solution for offshore loading of crude oil.

The basis of the Submerged Turret Loading system is the buoy moored to the seabed. The buoy is pulled into and secured in a mating cone in the bottom of the vessel and thus connecting the mooring system. Internal in the buoy is the turret with connection to the mooring and riser systems. The outer buoy hull can rotate freely with the vessel around the turret by means of internal turret bearings. Oil is transferred through an in-line swivel via the loading manifold to the piping system of the vessel. Disconnected, the buoy will float in an equilibrium position ready for new connection.

SUBMERGED TURRET PRODUCTION (STP)

The standardised and compact turret system for FPSO applications.

Submerged Turret Production technology represents a simple, compact and flexible concept for a new generation of floating production vessels, made suitable for a wide range of applications. Submerged Turret Production is developed from the basis of our proven STL system and represents a further development of this. For transfer of well streams, water, gas, signals or power from the geo-stationary risers to the piping/ cabling system of the freely weather-vaning vessel towards the process plant onboard the FPSO, a multipath swivel system is introduced. Two STP systems are operative for the Chinese Lufeng 22/1 and UK Pierce fields and one system is under commissioning for the Chinese Wenchang field.

SINGLE ANCHOR LOADING (SAL)

The Single Anchor Loading system has also proved to be very competitive. As of November 2001, four systems have been delivered: South Arne and Siri at the Danish continental shelf and Banff in the UK sector and Hanze in the Dutch Central North Sea. The Single Anchor Loading system was developed to represent an alternative to the STL system, for use in situations with less demanding operational requirements. While the STL system is virtually weather independent, the Single Anchor Loading system will typically have an upper operational limit dependent on water depth and vessel size/type. The Single Anchor Loading system design is based on the technology of the proven STL system. Single Anchor Loading systems can cover water depth ranges from extremely shallow to ultra deep.

OTHER PRODUCTS

• Single Anchor Production (SAP): Based on SAL concept accommodating multiple risers and umbilicals for FPSO applications.
• Buoy Turret Loading (BTL): Floating buoy systems for Mooring/ fluid transfer for Shuttle Tankers, FSOs and FPSOs
• Internal Turret Loading/ Production (ITL/ ITP): Internal turret mooring system for FSOs and FPSOs.
• External Turret Loading/ Production (ETL/ ETP): External (bow or side mounted) turret mooring system for FSOs and FPSOs.
• Soft Arm Turret (SAT) Large scale internal turret