Novel mooring system

Novel mooring system receives large development investment

Aberdeen-based Sigma Offshore Limited has received a major investment totaling GBP 2 million for further development of its innovative mooring technology, the Smart Mooring System (SMS). Described as an enabling technology for stranded reserves, the SMS reportedly offers reduced cost and modification to production and storage vessels, while also providing significant time savings.
Conventional mooring systems are mounted to the hull of storage ships such as floating production storage and offloading vessels (FPSOs). The SMS system mounts to a ship’s bow via a cantilever support structure and gimbal, which minimizes hull invasion and allows for unlimited weathervaning of the vessel. The patented design also saves time because it can be quickly installed or removed from the vessel and does not require the vessel to be dry-docked, making the system well suited for tanker conversions.
The result of 14 years of development and testing, the SMS is currently available in three versions:
• A disconnectable system, suitable for relatively short-term early-production system deployments and for FPSOs in areas vulnerable to hurricanes and typhoons. This system can also be used when the storage vessel is used to export oil.
• A permanent system for long-term deployments in which the need for regular or emergency disconnects is not expected.
• A single-riser system, the simplest product which is ideally suited to extended well test deployment in which relatively frequent mooring and disconnection—such as for relocation—is envisaged.

Half of the new GBP 2 million infusion comes from Scottish Enterprise’s Scottish Venture Fund, and the other half comes from Energy Ventures, Sigma Offshore’s original investor and main shareholder. “The financial boost will enable us to continue to develop and promote our innovative mooring system while also providing the opportunity to grow our teams in Aberdeen and at strategic locations around the world,” said Alistair Dornan, chief executive of Sigma. “To secure such a major investment in these financially challenging times is a massive achievement for the team and testimony to the potential of the technology.”
This investment will also reportedly help Sigma Offshore further demonstrate the potential of the technique as providing a viable solution to tanker owners who have no in-house mooring technology and who want to use an entirely independent turret supplier. The system will also contribute to keeping field development costs to a minimum and help enable oil pockets not close enough to existing infrastructure to be developed.
Sigma currently employs 22 people at its headquarters in Aberdeen and is targeting key markets including South East Asia, South America and West and North Africa. Although founded in 2004, the company received its initial technology investment in late 2007 and has a core of experienced engineers who have successfully completed more than 10 FPSO and FSO projects together