Underwater Fuel And Oil Storage
Authors: Hanna Fares K. 
Published: December 2007

HANNA, FARES K., Hanna Construction Co., Houston, Texas

Publication Rights Reserved

This paper is to be presented at the 38th Annual Fall Meeting of the Society of Petroleum Engineers of AIME in New Orleans, La., on Oct. 6–9, 1963, and at the California Regional Meeting in Santa Barbara, Calif., on Oct. 24–25, 1963, and is considered the property of the Society of Petroleum Engineers. Permission to publish is hereby restricted to an abstract of not more than 300 words, with no illustrations, unless the paper is specifically released to the press by the Editor of JOURNAL OF PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGY or the Executive Secretary. Such abstract should contain conspicuous acknowledgment of where and by whom the paper is presented. Publication elsewhere after publication in JOURNAL OF PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGY or SOCIETY OF PETROLEUM ENGINEERS JOURNAL is granted on request, providing proper credit is given that publication and the original presentation of the paper.

Discussion of this paper is invited. Three copies of any discussion should be sent to the Society of Petroleum Engineers office. Such discussion may be presented at the above meeting and considered for publication in one of the two SPE magazines with the paper.

First interest in underwater oil storage facilities started in early 1956 when the late Mr. Rechtin, then manager of Bethlehem Shipyard, Beaumont, Texas retained the firm of Fares Hanna and Assoc. to design his first concept of underwater oil storage. Bethlehem Steel has pioneered the development of underwater storage until their efforts were gratified by a contract with The California Company in 1961 to build and install two units in water depth of 20–30 feet. Other units have been proposed, however, never left the drafting board. Few designs have been proposed to the oil industry, basically they are the same, however, the configuration of the storage container differ. These proposed units are based on oil-water displacement to which operators objected. Several methods were considered to separate or prevent oil-water contact, none of which was feasible or practical.

Rubber diaphragms and synthetic material were considered, however, none of these would have lasted any length of time due to their failure in folding or creasing. In a joint effort between U.S. Rubber Co. of Mishowaka, Indiana and Fares Hanna and Assoc. of Houston, Texas a system was devised where available fuel cells could be harnessed to a steel frame to provide a storage system which is the topic of our paper.

Introduction

Bethlehem Shipyard of Beaumont, Texas pioneered the development of storage units supported on mat type foundation. The design comprised of an above water storage tank with production facilities mounted on the upper tank deck. The lower hull or barge is designed for flotation of the units only and is not intended for oil storage.

In 1957 the California Company engaged our engineering firm "Fares Hanna and Associates" of Houston to prepare a feasibility study for an underwater crude oil storage unit in approximately 100 ft. of water. The study was extended to provide for final design and preparation of bid plans.

The estimated cost of other systems considered in the feasibility portion of the study ranged from $25 to $40 per barrel of storage. System included in the feasibility study were:Column stabilized sinking-Bethlehem Unit.Jacket-Piling-Column supported above waterstorage. (Conventional)Catamaran or split hull under water storage.

Relative cost and capacity of storage as presented in the study are presented in graph No. 1.