SOFEC Inc.

particular application,” says Duggal. “Most of our turret moorings have standard components that we use from project to project, but the actual system is customized, based on client requirements in terms of materials, functionality, and operability. Those are things that we are very good at adapting to. There’s also the customization that’s required for the particular reservoir that the facility is going on. Waronoff adds that those delivery times generally vary between 18 and 24 months, but for one extremely large project that the company is currently working on in Mozambique, Africa, the project schedule from start to finish is much longer. “It’s the longest project that we’ve worked on so far, but it’s a much more complex floating LNG mooring system.” “To give you a feeling for size: some of our systems weigh three or four-hundred tons and the one we’re doing in Mozambique is close to 8,000 tons, which is one of the reasons why it takes such a long time,” Duggal notes. “It’s for a very big floating LNG facility in very deep water and has to be designed for typhoon conditions. So, it’s a very severe environment and it’s a huge vessel – much bigger than the vessels that are typically used to transport oil.” The company is also working on a brand new, innovative design for the more shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico. “This is a very large, disconnectable facility in about 100 feet of water,” Duggal explains. “It’s a very complex FPSO that’s moored to what we call a Tower Yoke mooring system, which is unlike a traditional mooring system that uses chains and anchors for the mooring legs. Because the water depth is so shallow, we use a mooring tower. Our bearing and fluid transfer system are located at the top of that tower. We employ mechanical linkages and a very heavy weight, a water filled ballast tank, to provide the mooring system’s restoring force. This has been successfully used in relatively mild environments all around the