HONIARA FUEL TANKER MOORING

Inspection and design of repairs of South Pacific Oil’s fuel tanker mooring system at Honiara after damage was caused from adverse weather conditions. The tanker mooring is a critical piece of infrastructure which enables fuel imports throughout the Solomon Islands. Assessment of damage and mooring analysis and detailed design of mooring system reinstatement to enable recommencement of tanker mooring and fuel discharge operations.

Mooring analysis took into account the stiffness of the system, depth of water, met-ocean conditions, vessel characteristics, orientation and wind conditions. Storm records were used to back analyse the conditions that led to the system overload and inform assessments of residual capacity and necessary repairs. This approach critically saved time and allowed the project to be delivered under budget. Design included pre-loading of the repaired system to best minimise risks of capacity shortfalls arising during subsequent operations.