中文
Single Buoy Mooring (SBM) is a floating dock system widely used in offshore crude oil and liquefied product loading and unloading. It is usually set up in offshore areas several kilometers from the shore, serving as a transit node between large oil tankers and land-based oil and gas facilities, enabling safe and efficient transportation of crude oil.
Composition of SBM system
Mooring system
The buoy is fixed to the seabed by multiple anchor chains (usually 4-8 piece), the ends of which are connected to gravity bases or pile anchors. This connection method allows the buoy to move within a certain range with wind, waves and currents, which can effectively buffer the forces of the marine environment and ensure the stability of the system.
Product delivery system
Its core components include the submarine pipeline end manifold (PLEM), flexible risers and swivel joints. The flexible riser connects the PLEM to the buoy and can adapt to the dynamic movement of the buoy, ensuring that the crude oil can be smoothly transported from the submarine pipeline to the buoy. The floating hose strings are usually equipped with a Marine Breakaway Coupling (MBC) with a disconnect protection function, which can automatically close the valve in an emergency to prevent crude oil leakage and ensure the safety of the marine environment.
Buoy structure
The buoy is equipped with a swivel bearing arrangement that allows the tanker to adjust its direction freely and always be in the position of minimum resistance, thereby reducing the impact of environmental loads on the tanker and mooring system. At the same time, the swivel joint on the buoy can ensure that the hose is not subjected to torsional stress during fluid transmission, thus extending the service life of the equipment.
Advantages of SBM system
● High loading and unloading efficiency: SBM can serve various large oil tankers including VLCC (very large crude carrier), and can give full play to the transportation advantages of large oil tankers and improve crude oil loading and unloading efficiency.
● Low operating costs: Tankers do not need to enter ports, shortening the sailing distance, which not only saves fuel costs, but also reduces related costs such as berthing time in the port, while reducing operational risks such as collisions that may be faced when entering and leaving the port.
● Good environmental performance: Through automatic valve closing and anti-leakage design, the SBM system can effectively prevent crude oil leakage, minimize pollution to the marine environment, and meet environmental protection requirements.
● Strong adaptability: Compared with fixed terminals, SBM has a short construction period and high flexibility. It is suitable for use in remote oil fields or temporary operating areas and can quickly respond to the development needs of different oil fields.
The single-buoy mooring system has become the core facility for modern offshore oil and gas transportation due to its excellent adaptability and economic advantages, and occupies an important position in the global crude oil transshipment field. As a professional supplier of offshore oil hoses, CDSR focuses on providing customized high-quality oil hoses for various offshore facilities. Our products are not only widely used in single buoy mooring systems, but also can meet the needs of various scenarios such as fixed oil production platforms, jack-up drilling platforms, refineries and chemical plants, and docks.
Single Buoy Mooring (SBM) is a floating dock system widely used in offshore crude oil and liquefied product loading and unloading. It is usually set up in offshore areas several kilometers from the shore, serving as a transit node between large oil tankers and land-based oil and gas facilities, enabling safe and efficient transportation of crude oil.
Date: 18 Dec 2025