SPM
Single Point Mooring
Meaning
A single point mooring (SPM) is an offshore buoy a tanker moors to and loads or discharges through, connected to shore by subsea pipelines.
Also written as SBM, Single buoy mooring, CALM buoy
SPM explained
SPMs let large tankers load or discharge in deep water away from congested or shallow ports. The ship swings around the buoy with wind and current while cargo flows through floating hoses.
Weather limits at SPMs can stop operations, so charters should say how weather delays affect laytime.
Related terms
LOOP
LOOP (Louisiana Offshore Oil Port) is the only US port that can load and discharge fully laden VLCCs directly, via offshore single point moorings.
Lightering
Lightering is transferring part of a large tanker's cargo to smaller ships so it can enter a port too shallow for it fully laden.
Weather working day
A weather working day is a working day on which the weather allows cargo work; days or hours lost to bad weather do not count as laytime.