Nautical Bridge Simulation Study and Vessel Traffic Simulation Study for the Port of Ras Laffan

Challenge

Qatar Petroleum (QP) operates the Port of Ras Laffan, the world’s leading port for liquefied natural gas (LNG), exporting more than 70 million metric tons annually. Preparing for the further volume increase to 100 million tons and eventually 108 million tons, QP planned to build three new berths in the port. This would lead to a further increase in vessel traffic, which is limited by the capacity of the approach channel, and thus, potentially to longer vessel waiting times. Qatargas, a subsidiary of QP, who is producing and exporting LNG with its own fleet of tankers, intended to verify the nautical accessibility of the new berths and to validate the resulting vessel service quality of the port with the expected 30% increase in vessel traffic. Therefore, they contracted HPC to conduct a nautical bridge simulator study for the new berths and a vessel traffic simulation study for the port as a whole.

Tasks Performed

• Review of port rules and regulations, as well as environmental conditions
• Definition of simulation scenarios for bridge simulation and vessel traffic simulation study
• Setup of bridge simulator model, including port layout and relevant vessels
• Conducting bridge simulator tests, verifying nautical access under different conditions
• Setup of vessel traffic simulation model, including port layout, resources and regulations
• Calibration and validation of the traffic simulation model against real operational data
• Conducting vessel traffic simulation analysis, determining expected vessel waiting times in response to tugboat and pilot resources

Benefit

While HPC's nautical bridge simulator study for the new berths enabled Qatargas to verify the nautical accessibility, the vessel traffic simulation study for the port as a whole analysed vessel service quality.