VMOS Monobuoys Advance to Punta Colorada for Vaca Muerta Crude Exports

The two monobuoys of the VMOS project are being transported to Punta Colorada, in Rio Negro, with expected arrival by the end of October. There they will be integrated into the offshore system designed to load Vaca Muerta crude onto large export tankers.

Each structure weighs 272 tons and has a diameter of 15.3 meters. Its function will be to connect at sea the onshore pipeline with the tanker vessels that will transport the crude to international markets.

Oil will reach the Punta Colorada terminal through the VMOS system and then flow through a subsea pipeline of approximately seven kilometers, whose construction is already underway off the Rio Negro coast. At the marine terminus, a subsea manifold (PLEM) will distribute the flow and allow isolation of pipelines during operational or maintenance tasks.

From that point, the crude will rise through pipelines and hoses to the monobuoys. When the vessel is positioned, it will be moored to the structure via a high-strength cable. The transfer will be carried out through floating hoses connected to the ship, under a controlled operation scheme.

Although they will remain on the surface, the monobuoys will be anchored to the seabed with chains and anchors. The mooring system, which has already begun deployment off Punta Colorada, will also be prepared to withstand the stresses of mooring and control line tension.

The infrastructure will enable loading of VLCC vessels, large crude tankers used for international crude transport. The circuit will integrate the pipeline carrying Vaca Muerta production to Rio Negro, the storage terminal, the subsea pipeline, and the offshore facilities.

Based on information from Energía Online.