LOOP Terminal

Size limits

LOA 339.5m, draught 27.6m, BCM 169.7m, 321,300DWT.

Load line zone

Summer.

Tides

Heavy outflow from Mississippi River may cause a W current in the vicinity of LOOP, identified by the colour of the sediment in the river, with a rate often in excess of 2kts.

At the port, significant wave height is less than 1.8m for 72% of the time and greater than 3.0m for 5.4% of the time. Currents take a generally W'ly direction 75% of the time. Average current speed is 0.7kt, but 3% of the time the current can reach a speed of 2kts or more.

Deepest first. The draught is the largest any of the terminal's berths states; a dash means the source gives none.

Approach

The LOOP site is within a deepwater port safety zone approached through a 78-mile-long safety fairway. The entrance to the safety zone from the safety fairway is marked by private lighted buoys. The PPC and each SPM is within an area to be avoided.

LOOP recommends that tankers enter or leave the LOOP safety fairway at its southern most point or at least S of Lat 28°18.0'N.

The approach should be made within the safety fairway from a position in the vicinity of 27°53.0'N 089°53.0'W, at the edge of the continental shelf along a track leading N for 25nm to the junction with the offshore route in the vicinity of 28°18.0'N 089°54.0'W; then the track continues N for 30nm, with 1 small change of direction, to the pilot boarding position in 28°48.0'N 089°53.0'W; then N for 1nm and WNW for 1.5nm.

Entry is made within a safety zone, marked by lightbuoys, leading WNW for 5nm to the berthing area, clear of shoals and a wreck.

Anchorages

An Anchorage area is in the NE part of the Safety Zone 'E' of the PPC and SPMs, marked by privately maintained lightbuoys, mid position 28°52.0'N 089°55.0'W; depths are 38m to 45m.

Restrictions

Safety Zones: The person in charge of any vessel planning to enter a safety zone should contact the port vessel traffic controller on Ch 10 or 74 before entry and comply with that person's instructions.

Key to regulated activities:

F-Force majeure.

N-Not permitted.

C-Tanker calling at port and support vessel movements: Permitted when cleared by vessel traffic controller.

P-Vessels other than tankers or support vessels: Permitted when not in immediate area of tanker, clearance by vessel traffic controller required. Communications with vessel traffic controller required. For transiting foreign flag vessels, the requirement for clearance to enter the safety zone is advisory in nature.

UKC: The max draughts allow for a gross under keel clearance of 6.0m during gulf coast low water and calm seas. The maximum draughts result in a clearance of 2.9m above the SPM base U-joints, since the U-joints are 3.4m above the ocean bottom. Gross under keel clearance means the distance between the keel of a tanker and the ocean bottom when the tanker is moored in calm seas. Net under keel clearance means the distance between the keel of a tanker that is anchored and the ocean bottom , considering ship motion in response to wind, wave, tide and current conditions. It is required that there be a net under keel clearance of 4.7m during bad weather.

Note: Significant wave height is the average height of the highest one-third of all waves passing a point in a given period of time.

Tugs

Escort and emergency response vessel (ERV): A rapid and effective response by the towing vessel is dependant on it being proximate to the tanker. Accordingly, the LOOP port operations procedure may require escort of tankers coming to berth and tankers departing berth for the period of time the mooring master is onboard. The purpose of the ERV is to provide emergency assistance to the tanker should a problem develop with the tanker's steering or propulsion systems. The vessel will have a towing line aboard, suitable for connection at the bow or stern of the tanker. The ERV is also fendered to allow pushing directly on the hull of the tanker and has onboard oil spill response equipment.

All light tankers, departing the mooring may also be provided with an escort to at least the outer perimeter of the terminal section of the safety zone.

Principle of the Escort Vessel Towing Package: The towing gear assembly on the tug is dedicated for emergency use. It has been designed on the principle that all components will be provided by the tug, except the heaving lines, which are to be provided by the tanker. The dimensions of the equipment are specifically sized for the anticipated work and the serious difficulties that can be routinely encountered in trying to put large tankers in tow, especially in adverse weather.

Description of the Towing Gear Assembly: The following is a physical description of the assembly and the intended use and deployment of each.

Floating Pick up Line: A floating pick up line that is made fast to the towing pendant is attached to the heaving line sent to the tug. This pick up line is designed to be used by the tanker for warping or hand pulling the towing hawser onboard.

Towing Hawser: A light-weight floating Spectra Fibre line will be carried aboard the tug and be pulled onboard the tanker by the pick-up line and secured to the tanker by attaching the 2.4m soft eye end to the tanker emergency towing equipment as recommended by IMO. While the line is chafe protected, care should be taken and watch maintained to prevent towing hawser wear, especially at chocks and bitts.

Mooring

The LOOP maintenance vessel functions primarily for inspection, servicing, and maintenance of Marine Terminal components.

Charts and publications

BA 3851. Admiralty Pilot NP69A, NP286(5).

US 11340, 11358 and 11359. US Coast Pilot No 5. (Gulf of Mexico, Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands).

ETA and pre-arrival notices

Shipper must provide LOOP with the ETA of vessels at 168hrs (7 days), 72hrs (3 days), 48hrs (2 days) and 24hrs (1 day) in advance of their ETA. Each notice shall be sent to Vessel Traffic Controllers and Schedulers at [email protected]. The 24hr ETA shall also be sent to the United States Coast Guard Captain of the Port.

Vessels arriving in first US port: Please see country information.

Communications

Transit traffic: LOOP maintains a VHF maritime radio system capable of communicating with vessels other than tankers or LOOP support vessels if such vessels are equipped with comparable equipment. When necessary to communicate with vessels of unknown communication capabilities, the vessel traffic controller will attempt to contact such vessel on Ch 16. If such efforts at radio communication are unsuccessful, a LOOP mooring launch or personnel boat will be dispatched to advise the vessel of any potential danger to the vessel as observed by the vessel traffic controller's surveillance and also to advise the vessel operator of the port's precautionary areas and areas to be avoided.

Documents

The distance to shore puts LOOP outside US Territorial Waters, and special agreements in international sea law are made to allow ships from other countries to come under US jurisdiction to visit LOOP.

Cargo documentation: The cargo quantity and quality report, which is a LOOP document, will be completed as much as possible by LOOP personnel before each tanker's arrival. After the tanker finishes discharging, the mooring master receives the necessary figures by radio from the cargo transfer supervisor so that the document can be completed before sailing. Cargo quantity is measured by representatives of LOOP by using turbine meters and provers on the pumping platform. Cargo quality is monitored by automatic sampling devices on the platform, and for accounting purposes, manual tests are done on samples taken from the automatic sampler on the platform. LOOP furnishes United States Customs authorities with the necessary documentation.

Identification of Personnel Onboard: All vessels calling at LOOP are required to provide a list of all personnel onboard. This list will be provided to the appropriate regulatory authorities to verify that no individuals with known links to terrorist organisations are present.

Agent Notification: The agents or operators of vessels calling at LOOP must provide a complete list of all personnel onboard as soon as practical after the vessel discharge window has been assigned by the Scheduling Department. This list should be sent by facsimile by the ship's agent or operator. The passenger list/crew list shall be in the format required by US Customs Service or US Immigration and Naturalisation Service regulations and include, in alphabetical order, each person's full name, rank or position in the crew, nationality, passport number, date of birth and place of embarkation.

Confirmation by master: Upon arrival at LOOP, the master must provide a confirmation list of all persons onboard, their respective nationalities and identifying documents. The master's list must also include any persons who will be joining and/or departing the ship while at LOOP. This confirmation list must be signed and stamped by the master of the vessel.

Please also see country information for details of documentation requirements.

Health

No action initiated unless there is illness onboard.

Ship Sanitation Control Certificates: Please see country information.

Customs and immigration

Customs: LOOP furnishes Customs authorities with documentation of volumes and evidence of quality of cargoes received into the system based on measurements at the Marine Terminal pumping platform. Arrangement for the posting of such sureties and payment of fees or duties, and for other documentation that may be required, is the responsibility of the importer and/or operator of the tanker. The importer's Customs broker, or his other authorised representative, will advise the importer regarding procedures and the amount of duty or fees levied on oil shipped through the port complex.

Immigration: For crew not to be detained onboard, each crew member must have a visa in their passport or Seaman's Book.

Notices and regulations

Note: Consideration should be given to washing dirty ballast tanks as soon as is practical to allow for ballasting should the weather conditions deteriorate.

Inert gas systems: The masters of tankers calling at LOOP are required by Regulation 46 CFR 32.53 to have IGS operational and capable of maintaining an inert atmosphere in the cargo tanks at the required positive gas pressure of 100mm (4in) of water on filled cargo tanks and during loading and unloading, except when the cargo tanks are gas free. Additionally, all tankers calling at LOOP will be in strict compliance with Regulation 46 CFR 32.51-1 through 46 CFR 32.53-85 to ensure that the approval, operation (including instructions), control and instrumentation of IGS are valid and functional in all respects.

Tanker departure:

Normal departure procedure: Upon completion of the cargo discharge, the tanker master or chief officer and the mooring master together estimate the time needed to prepare the tanker for departure. This time will be given to the Vessel Traffic Controller on the control platform so that clearance for departure can be planned and so that a mooring launch can be summoned to assist the tanker in the operations of unmooring.

When the tanker is ready to leave the SPM, the assistant mooring master on the bow recommends the use of the tanker's engines in order to ease the load on the mooring lines. When the load is eased enough, the tanker's crew can then disengage the mooring hawser and lower the mooring lines to the water.

Departure time is the time when the last mooring line is cast off. After the tanker is unmoored, it manoeuvres to go clear of the SPM Buoy and to take a course for departure through the safety fairway. Departure from the SPM to the disembarking point of the mooring master is done under the mooring master's guidance and the vessel traffic controller's surveillance.

Emergency departure procedure: An emergency departure can be initiated either from the control platform or from the tanker. If initiated from the platform, the mooring master is so notified. The tanker's engines must then be made ready for immediate service, and if cargo is being discharged, the tanker's pump must be shut down in accordance with the seriousness of the emergency. If an abrupt shutdown of the platform's booster pumps is necessary, it is essential that the tanker's pumps either be immediately shut down or shifted to a recirculation mode. In accordance with the nature of the emergency, cargo hoses may be lowered by line-slipping to the water. All other procedures are the same as those initiated from the ship. The master of a tanker may, in an emergency for the protection of life or property, depart from an SPM without clearance from the vessel traffic controllers.

Port State Control here: US Coast Guard.

Foreign ships are examined by the US Coast Guard. File the Advance Notice of Arrival 96 hours ahead (33 CFR 160).

ISPS

ISPS Designated Authority: United States Coast Guard, Office of Compliance. Address: 2100 Second St, SW, Washington DC, 20593, USA. Tel: +1 202 267 2978. Fax: +1 202 267 4858. Email: [email protected]. For further ISPS information see IMO website http://www2.imo.org/ISPSCode.

Repairs

Minor repairs can be undertaken.

Bunkers, water and stores

Bunkering: LOOP does not provide any bunkering services or facilities to tankers operating in the LOOP deep-water port area. Such bunkering will be conducted by private concerns under arrangement made with the owners or operators of tankers.

Fresh water: Fresh water is not available to ships from LOOP’s port.

Stores: Provisions and fresh water may be embarked at anchor or at a SPM by prior arrangement.

Medical

There is no medical service on LOOP's offshore platforms. Medical service ashore, as well as helicopter service for medical evacuation, is available through the agents.

Crew change

Helicopter flights for crew replacement may be made with prior arrangement.

Transport

Nearest airport: New Orleans, 144km.

Where it is

The Louisiana Offshore Oil Port (LOOP) is situated in the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico approximately 18nm SE of the Supply Base of Port Fourchon and mainland of Louisiana State.

The port

The Louisiana Offshore Oil Port (LOOP) is a deep-water port designed for unloading crude oil cargoes from deep-draught tankers. The port is owned and operated by LOOP LLC under licences granted by the Governments of the USA and State of Louisiana and handles up to 13% of the country's foreign oil.

The Offshore Pumping Terminal Complex (PPC) consists of a Control Platform with an adjacent Pumping Platform (joined by a walkway) and three SIngle Point Mooring Buoys (SPMs) all of which are Single Anchor Leg Moorings (SALM) in type. Pipelines are laid from each SPM to the Pumping Platform, then in a direction NNW to the shoreline. The depth of water at the SALMs is in excess of 31m and which reportedly can allow for deep water tankers of up to 700,000DWT.

As much as 109,000m³ (1,200,000bbls) of oil can be handled each day, pumped to the Pumping Platform via a 1.4m (56in) diameter submarine pipe.

The Pumping Platform contains four 7,000hp (5 MW) pumps, power generators, metering and laboratory facilities. Crude oil is only handled on the pumping platform where it is measured, sampled, and boosted to the LOOP onshore storage facilities via a 48-inch (1.2 m) diameter pipeline. The Control Platform is a two deck structure and is equipped with a helicopter pad, living quarters, control room manned 24hrs per day, vessel traffic control station, offices and life support equipment. The control room personnel, when so directed, cam assume control of all the LOOP Offshore Terminal processes otherwise normally initiated from the Operations Centre located near Galliano, Louisiana.

Three Vessel Maintenance Buoys are also located near the LOOP Offshore Terminal Complex.

The onshore facilities for LOOP consist of the Fourchon Booster Station and the Clovelly Dome Storage Terminal, from where the oil is transferred to US refineries, when required. The Dome Storage has a total capacity of up to 7,900,000m³ (50,000,000bbls).

What time zone is LOOP Terminal in?

Local time at LOOP Terminal is UTC−6. Clocks go to UTC−5 on 14 Mar 2027. Back to UTC−6 on 7 Nov 2027.

What is the maximum draft at LOOP Terminal?

The deepest berth listed is at Louisiana Offshore Oil Port (LOOP): 27.60 m maximum draught. The "Max draft per terminal" table gives each terminal's figure.

Which load line zone is LOOP Terminal in?

Summer.

Who carries out Port State Control at LOOP Terminal?

Port State Control at LOOP Terminal: US Coast Guard.

What is the UN/LOCODE of LOOP Terminal?

The UN/LOCODE of LOOP Terminal is USLO9.

What crews who called at LOOP Terminal say: pilot boarding, the agent's papers, inspections, shore leave. Each tip is shown with the writer's rank and ship type, and an AI summary sits on top once there are three or more.

Read and add tips for LOOP Terminal →