SOFEC Supplies Catenary Anchor Leg Mooring Buoys to PEMEX

SOFEC has delivered Five Catenary Anchor Leg Mooring Buoys to Petróleos Mexicanos Refinacion.

SOFEC was contracted via Integrated Trade Systems, Inc. of Houston Texas under an EPC contract for the supply of the CALM Buoys to be installed in Mexican waters. These buoys are replacement buoys for existing terminals for: the Office of Maritime and Port Operations, Rosarito, Baja California; the Marine Terminal at Tuxpan; and the Marine Terminal at Salina Cruz.

SOFEC was responsible for the engineering, procurement and construction of these replacement CALM Buoys and assistance in offshore commissioning activities. The CALM Buoys were constructed at Gulf Copper Fabricators in Port Arthur, Texas.

The buoys are designed to weathervane with a tanker moored. The design allows for continued liquid hydrocarbons transfer operations between the fixed pipeline and floating tanker systems regardless of vessel heading. This capability to weathervane allows hydrocarbon transfer to continue in relatively high operational environments. The buoys will be installed in water depths ranging from 18 to 23 meters mean sea level and are designed to moor up to 60,000 DWT vessels. Cargo transfer operations will include gasoline in all varieties, diesel, MTBE and TAME at flow rates up to 15,000 bbl/hr.

This is SOFEC’s first contract with PEMEX for CALM Buoys. However, SOFEC has delivered a turret moored FSO, in conjunction with its parent MODEC USA, for the Ta’Kuntah Field which has offloaded more than one billion barrels of oil.

According to SOFEC senior management, SOFEC is very proud to be taking steps to continue building our relationship with PEMEX.

“Our relationship for the Ta’Kuntah Field has proven itself very beneficial to both parties. We anticipate many more projects with PEMEX for both marine terminals and floating storage,” said the company.