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Douglas CALM

The Douglas CALM buoy is a catenary anchor leg mooring system located in the UK Central North Sea, serving the Douglas oil field export system. Installed in the 1990s, it provides offshore offloading capability for stabilized crude oil from the Douglas FPSO to shuttle tankers. It is an unmanned marine installation with no processing capability.

Operator: Eni

Status: Operational

Douglas CALM platform photo

Image Source: Eni. (All rights belong to the original owner.)

Production: Oil

Operations start: 1996

Water depth: 33 m

Country: UK

Block: 110/8a

Type: Floating (SPM)

Field

The Douglas oil field is situated in the Central North Sea and produces oil from Paleocene sandstone reservoirs. Developed using floating production facilities, the field relies on offshore storage and tanker export, necessitating a dedicated CALM buoy for safe crude offloading operations.

Facilities

The CALM buoy provides a single-point mooring for shuttle tankers during offloading operations. Stabilized crude oil is transferred from the Douglas FPSO to the buoy via subsea pipelines and flexible hoses, then onward to the tanker. The buoy is anchored to the seabed by multiple catenary chains and designed to rotate freely, allowing tankers to weather-vane. Facilities include product swivel systems, cargo transfer piping, control and monitoring systems, and emergency release mechanisms. Safety features include remotely operated valves, leak detection, and emergency shutdown interfaces with the FPSO. The installation operates without permanent staffing and is monitored remotely. The Douglas CALM buoy is designed for long-term marine service and reliable tanker export under North Sea environmental conditions.

Douglas CALM layout
Image Source: Eni. (All rights belong to the original owner.)

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