Patent ID: 7793723

Claim:
An offshore hydrocarbon loading system for use in a sea location of a predetermined depth comprising a dynamic positioning vessel that floats at the sea surface and is free of a mooring connection to the sea floor through lines or chains, and a pipe with a stationary pipe end ( 24 ) lying approximately on the sea floor, the system including a conduit ( 30 ) that includes a flexible hose ( 70 ), with said conduit extending between said stationary pipe end and said vessel, wherein: said conduit includes a fluid-carrying rigid pipe section ( 34 ) that extends a distance of a plurality of meters at an upward incline from said stationary pipe end and that connects to said flexible hose but with said rigid pipe section having a length no more than 10% of the said conduit length to carry fluid between them; said rigid pipe section including a base fixed to the sea floor, and a pivot fluid swivel ( 66 ) through which fluid flows and that pivotally connects a lower end of said rigid pipe section to said stationary pipe end and that allows said rigid pipe section to pivot about two perpendicular axes ( 67 , 68 ) on said base, said flexible hose extending in line with and primarily vertically upward along a plurality of meters above an upper end of said rigid pipe section, said flexible hose extending along a majority of the conduit length between said stationary pipe end and said vessel.