Patent ID: 8308517

Claim:
A floating relocatable method for processing natural gas using a floating vessel, wherein the method comprises: a. mooring the floating vessel to a seabed with a mooring spread; b. using a soft yoke having two telescoping mooring arms to moor a transport vessel to the floating vessel, wherein each telescoping mooring arm comprises: a boom with a moveable jib slidably disposed inside the boom, wherein the telescoping mooring arm holds the transport vessel from the floating vessel at a nominal distance using a controller and an adjusting means to adjust the position of the transport vessel with the jib to accommodate wave action, wind effects, vessel dynamics, pitch, yaw, roll, surge, sway, and heave producing forces on the transport vessel and the floating vessel; c. receiving a dry gas; d. on the floating vessel: cooling the dry gas to a cryogenic temperature, forming a liquefied natural gas; and e. transferring the liquefied natural gas from the floating vessel to the transport vessel; f. transferring personnel and equipment over an enclosed gangway formed between the floating vessel and the transport vessel when the at least two telescoping mooring arms engage the transport vessel; g. returning hydrocarbon vapor to the floating vessel using at least one flexible vapor return conduit slidably connected to the at least two telescoping mooring arms, wherein the hydrocarbon vapor is formed during offloading of the liquefied natural gas from the floating vessel to the transport vessel; and h. cooling the hydrocarbon vapor to a cryogenic temperature and using the hydrocarbon vapor as a fuel for the floating vessel.