Patent ID: 6390733
Filing Date: 2002-05-21
Classification: B63B

Abstract:
A hydrocarbon storage system (10) for use in a sea to store liquid hydrocarbon, comprising:a barge (14) that includes a hull (30) with bow and stern ends (47,48), said bow and stern ends of said hull respectively forming front and rear ends of said hull and being longitudinally-spaced, with said hull forming a tank assembly (57); said tank assembly includes a plurality of rows (C1S, C2S; C1C, C2C; C1P, C2P etc.) of tanks, with the tanks of each row lying one longitudinally behind another and including an end tank at an end of said barge for each of said rows, said tanks having bottom walls (130) and including a plurality of fluid couplings (72, 76, 78) arranged to couple the tanks of each row longitudinally directly in series; a telemetry link (200) on said barge for receiving radio signals from a remote station not on said barge; a plurality of said fluid couplings each includes at least one shutoff valve (222, 224) connected to said telemetry link, so the valve can be closed by signals from said remote station.