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Advanced Single Point Mooring (SPM) Systems in Oil & Gas Training Course

Covers the engineering, operation, inspection and integrity management of single point mooring systems used for offshore crude and product transfer.

MID · Midstream Operations, Pipelines, Storage & LNGAll Levels#2626ClassroomEnglish , Arabic
Duration
5 Days
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Free substitution at any time · 30+ days' notice: full refund minus 10%. Cancellation policy

Course Overview

This advanced training course provides a practical and technical framework for understanding, operating, inspecting, and managing Single Point Mooring (SPM) systems used for offshore crude oil and petroleum product transfer. It focuses on the engineering principles, equipment configuration, operational controls, integrity management, and safety requirements that govern reliable SPM performance. The programme examines the complete SPM system, including buoy and mooring arrangements, anchor legs, chains, hawser systems, swivels, marine hoses, submarine pipelines, product transfer systems, and associated safety and monitoring equipment. Participants explore how these components interact under environmental and operational loads. Particular attention is given to tanker approach and mooring, connection and disconnection procedures, cargo transfer operations, weather and environmental limitations, emergency shutdown, hose management, mooring loads, inspection, maintenance, and failure prevention. The course also addresses operational risks associated with weather, vessel movement, hose damage, excessive loads, leakage, and loss of containment. Through engineering case studies, operational scenarios, integrity assessments, risk analysis, and troubleshooting exercises, participants develop the ability to evaluate SPM system performance, identify critical failure modes, improve operational reliability, and strengthen safety throughout offshore loading and unloading operations.

Learning Objectives

  • Develop advanced technical knowledge of Single Point Mooring systems and their applications.
  • Understand the engineering principles governing SPM buoy, mooring, and transfer systems.
  • Analyse the functions and interaction of chains, hawsers, swivels, hoses, pipelines, and ancillary equipment.
  • Evaluate environmental and operational loads affecting SPM system performance.
  • Apply safe procedures for tanker approach, mooring, connection, cargo transfer, and disconnection.
  • Assess operating limitations related to wind, waves, current, vessel movement, and sea conditions.
  • Strengthen knowledge of marine hose integrity, handling, inspection, and failure prevention.
  • Apply risk-based approaches to SPM inspection, maintenance, and integrity management.
  • Identify common failure modes and diagnose operational and mechanical problems.
  • Improve emergency preparedness, shutdown response, and loss-of-containment prevention.
  • Evaluate SPM performance and identify opportunities for reliability and operational improvement.
  • Develop practical strategies for safe, reliable, and efficient SPM operations.

Who Should Attend

Oil & Gas Marine Terminal Managers SPM and Offshore Loading Operations Personnel Marine and Terminal Operations Engineers Offshore Loading and Unloading Supervisors Mechanical and Maintenance Engineers Pipeline and Integrity Engineers Reliability Engineers Marine and Mooring Engineers Inspection and Asset Integrity Professionals Operations and Process Engineers HSE and Risk Management Professionals Port and Marine Terminal Personnel Engineering and Technical Managers Professionals involved in SPM design, operation, inspection, maintenance, or integrity management

Learning Outcomes

  • Explain the configuration, operating principles, and applications of SPM systems.
  • Evaluate the function and condition of major SPM components.
  • Analyse mooring arrangements and environmental loads affecting system integrity.
  • Assess tanker approach, mooring, connection, and cargo transfer requirements.
  • Apply operational controls for safe crude oil and petroleum product transfer.
  • Evaluate marine hose condition, integrity, handling, and replacement requirements.
  • Identify critical failure modes across mooring and fluid transfer systems.
  • Assess inspection and maintenance requirements using risk-based principles.
  • Diagnose operational problems associated with excessive loads, vessel movement, hoses, swivels, and transfer equipment.
  • Apply emergency shutdown and response principles for abnormal operating conditions.
  • Develop practical measures to reduce operational and integrity risks.
  • Contribute to SPM reliability improvement and long-term asset integrity programmes.

Course Outline

Day 1

SPM System Engineering, Configuration & Design Principles

  • Single Point Mooring systems and offshore transfer applications
  • SPM operating concepts and system configurations
  • CALM, SALM, and other SPM arrangements
  • Buoy structure and principal mechanical components
  • Mooring chains, anchor legs, connectors, and foundations
  • Hawser systems and tanker connection arrangements
  • Product swivels and fluid transfer paths
  • Marine hoses and hose strings
  • Submarine pipelines and shore connection systems
  • Floating hoses, ancillary equipment, and support systems
  • Environmental design conditions and operational limits
  • SPM system interfaces with tankers and terminal facilities
  • Practical Application: Review an SPM system configuration and trace the mechanical and fluid-transfer interfaces from tanker to shore.
Day 2

Mooring Dynamics, Vessel Interaction & Cargo Transfer Operations

  • Principles of tanker approach and SPM connection
  • Mooring procedures and hawser connection
  • Vessel positioning and environmental influences
  • Wind, wave, current, and vessel drift effects
  • Mooring loads and system response
  • Hawser tension and operational monitoring
  • Vessel movement and hose behaviour during transfer
  • Cargo transfer systems and operating sequences
  • Loading and unloading procedures
  • Start-up, steady-state, and shutdown operations
  • Communication and coordination between vessel and terminal
  • Operating limits and weather-related restrictions
  • Practical Application: Analyse a tanker-SMP operating scenario and determine safe mooring and cargo transfer conditions.
Day 3

SPM Integrity, Inspection & Maintenance

  • SPM integrity management principles
  • Inspection philosophy and risk-based inspection
  • Mooring chain inspection and condition assessment
  • Hawser inspection and deterioration mechanisms
  • Swivel inspection and integrity considerations
  • Marine hose inspection and testing
  • Hose fatigue, abrasion, deformation, leakage, and failure mechanisms
  • Submarine pipeline integrity considerations
  • Corrosion, marine growth, fatigue, and structural degradation
  • Non-destructive testing and condition monitoring
  • Preventive and predictive maintenance strategies
  • Spare parts, critical equipment, and maintenance planning
  • Practical Application: Develop an inspection and maintenance strategy for critical SPM components based on failure modes and operational risk.
Day 4

SPM Risk Management, Emergency Response & Failure Prevention

  • SPM operational hazards and risk assessment
  • Loss of containment and hydrocarbon release scenarios
  • Hose rupture and transfer-line failure
  • Excessive mooring loads and hawser failure
  • Swivel and transfer equipment failures
  • Emergency shutdown systems and procedures
  • Emergency disconnection and tanker separation
  • Weather deterioration and operational suspension
  • Fire, pollution, and marine emergency considerations
  • Oil spill prevention and response interfaces
  • Incident investigation and root cause analysis
  • Barrier management and critical safety controls
  • Practical Application: Conduct a risk assessment for an SPM cargo transfer operation and develop emergency response measures for a simulated hose or mooring failure.
Day 5

Advanced SPM Reliability, Performance & Asset Integrity

  • SPM reliability management and criticality assessment
  • Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA)
  • Reliability-centred maintenance principles for SPM assets
  • Monitoring operational and integrity performance
  • Key performance indicators for SPM systems
  • Condition monitoring and early failure detection
  • Optimising inspection and maintenance intervals
  • Managing ageing SPM infrastructure
  • Lifecycle integrity and replacement planning
  • Digital monitoring and remote condition assessment
  • Continuous improvement and operational lessons learned
  • Integrating SPM integrity with terminal asset management
  • Final Workshop: Develop an integrated SPM Integrity and Reliability Improvement Plan covering operational controls, mooring integrity, hose management, inspection, maintenance, emergency response, risk reduction, and long-term asset performance.

Upcoming Dates

Selected date

Online · 6 – 10 Dec 2026

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CityDatesPrice per ParticipantEarly Bird
MarbellaScheduled
2 – 6 Nov 2026€6,000—
KigaliScheduled
2 – 6 Nov 2026€7,700—
ManamaScheduled
2 – 6 Nov 2026€5,300—
MarrakeshScheduled
9 – 13 Nov 2026€4,700—
MilanScheduled
16 – 20 Nov 2026€7,000—
MunichScheduled
23 – 27 Nov 2026€6,000€5,400until 2 Nov
MadinahScheduled
23 – 27 Nov 2026€4,800€4,320until 2 Nov
MuscatScheduled
30 Nov – 4 Dec 2026€6,300€5,670until 9 Nov
OnlineScheduled
6 – 10 Dec 2026€2,700€2,430until 16 Nov
MadridScheduled
14 – 18 Dec 2026€6,000€5,400until 23 Nov
ParisScheduled
14 – 18 Dec 2026€6,700€6,030until 23 Nov
RomeScheduled
21 – 25 Dec 2026€7,000€6,300until 30 Nov
RiyadhScheduled
21 – 25 Dec 2026€4,800€4,320until 30 Nov
ViennaScheduled
28 Dec 2026 – 1 Jan 2027€6,400€5,760until 7 Dec
AmmanScheduled
3 – 7 Jan 2027€4,000€3,600until 14 Dec
AbujaScheduled
4 – 8 Jan 2027€7,700€6,930until 14 Dec
AmsterdamScheduled
11 – 15 Jan 2027€6,000€5,400until 21 Dec
BakuScheduled
18 – 22 Jan 2027€5,300€4,770until 28 Dec
AccraScheduled
25 – 29 Jan 2027€7,700€6,930until 4 Jan
BarcelonaScheduled
25 – 29 Jan 2027€6,000€5,400until 4 Jan
CairoScheduled
1 – 5 Feb 2027€3,800€3,420until 11 Jan
DammamScheduled
8 – 12 Feb 2027€4,800€4,320until 18 Jan
CasablancaScheduled
8 – 12 Feb 2027€4,700€4,230until 18 Jan
DohaScheduled
15 – 19 Feb 2027€4,700€4,230until 25 Jan
BangkokScheduled
15 – 19 Feb 2027€6,700€6,030until 25 Jan
DubaiScheduled
21 – 25 Feb 2027€4,700€4,230until 1 Feb
GenevaScheduled
1 – 5 Mar 2027€7,300€6,570until 8 Feb
BeirutScheduled
7 – 11 Mar 2027€4,500€4,050until 15 Feb
HamburgScheduled
8 – 12 Mar 2027€6,200€5,580until 15 Feb
IstanbulScheduled
15 – 19 Mar 2027€5,300€4,770until 22 Feb

Available in: Istanbul · Dubai · London · Riyadh · Doha · Amsterdam

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