A method and system for coordinating offshore transportation by ocean-going vessels

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method and system for coordinating offshore transportation by ocean-going vessels. The method is a computer-implemented method for coordinating offshore transportation by ocean-going vessels. The method comprises the step of receiving a vessel information including at least a carrying capacity of an ocean-going vessel to provide offshore transportation services. The method further comprises the step of receiving a first input including at least a first carrying capacity requirement for a vessel, a first transportation time and first voyage locations requested by a first offshore facility requiring an offshore transportation service. Additionally, the method comprises the step of receiving a second input including at least a second carrying capacity requirement for a vessel, a second transportation time and second voyage locations requested by a second offshore facility requiring an offshore transportation service. The method also comprises the step of, based on the vessel information and the first and second inputs, determining whether to recommend sharing of transportation use of the ocean-going vessel between the first and second offshore facilities for the offshore transportation service.

Description

A METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR COORDINATING OFFSHORE TRANSPORTATION BY OCEAN-GOING VESSELSFIELD OF INVENTION

[0001] The present disclosure relates broadly, but not exclusively, to a method and a system for coordinating offshore transportation by ocean-going vessels.BACKGROUND

[0002] Offshore logistics involves the coordination and management of activities necessary for supporting offshore operations. It includes transportation of personnel, equipment, and supplies to and from offshore facilities, as well as the provision of storage, maintenance, and waste management services by offshore support vessels. Effective offshore logistics is crucial for ensuring operational efficiency and cost-effectiveness in offshore industries such as oil and gas, renewable energy, and marine construction.

[0003] Conventionally, vessel owners provide exclusive charter services to offshore facilities through long-term service agreements between both parties. The lack of proper listing of vessel’s availability hinders the ability to efficiently book these vessels by other offshore facilities. Thus, there are many offshore vessels that remain idle and underutilized. The surplus of uncontracted vessels negatively impacts overall profitability of vessel owners.

[0004] On the other hand, the operators of offshore facilities may have challenges in locating suitable vessels for timely transportation of their cargo and passengers at a reasonable cost, especially when they only require a portion of a vessel's deck capacity. This can hinder their logistics operations and lead to delays. Additionally, in emergency situations, chartering a vessel can be a time-consuming and costly process, further exacerbating the difficulties faced by offshore facilities in ensuring efficient and timely transportation.

[0005] Vessel sharing between different offshore facilities rarely occurs due to a lack of coordination among the facilities. When sharing does happen, it is typically done on an ad- hoc basis and the relevant terms and requirements required for preparing the sharing agreement prior to the shared voyage involves lengthy negotiations, causing a prolonged lead time for the vessel sharing arrangement. This is undesirable for all parties involved, especiallyconsidering the cumbersome paperwork. Additionally, the current vessel sharing arrangement presents certain limitations in the payment transfer process among the relevant parties, which further discourages its use as a default option for offshore logistics.

[0006] Essentially, there is a lack of coordination between the supply and demand of offshore support vessels for offshore logistics. A need therefore exists to address the problems above or to provide a useful alternative.SUMMARY

[0007] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer- implemented method for coordinating offshore transportation by ocean-going vessels, the method comprising the steps of: receiving a vessel information including at least a carrying capacity of an ocean-going vessel to provide offshore transportation services; receiving a first input including at least a first carrying capacity requirement for a vessel, a first transportation time and first voyage locations requested by a first offshore facility requiring an offshore transportation service; receiving a second input including at least a second carrying capacity requirement for a vessel, a second transportation time and second voyage locations requested by a second offshore facility requiring an offshore transportation service; and based on the vessel information and the first and second inputs, determining whether to recommend sharing of transportation use of the ocean-going vessel between the first and second offshore facilities for the offshore transportation service.

[0008] The step of determining whether to recommend sharing of the transportation use of the ocean-going vessel may comprise determining whether the first and second voyage locations are part of the same cluster of offshore facilities.

[0009] The step of determining whether to recommend sharing of the transportation use of the ocean-going vessel may comprise determining whether the first voyage locations and second voyage locations are within a predetermined distance range.

[0010] The predetermined distance range may be a circular area spanning 80 nautical miles in diameter.

[0011] The step of determining whether to recommend sharing of the transportation use of the ocean-going vessel may comprise determining whether the carrying capacity of the oceangoing vessel is sufficient to meet the first carrying capacity requirement and the second carrying capacity requirement.

[0012] The vessel information may further include an availability schedule of the ocean-going vessel.

[0013] The method may further comprise the steps of: in response to determining to recommend sharing of transportation use of the oceangoing vessel, generating a consolidated voyage schedule incorporating the first and second voyage locations; and generating a consolidated cargo plan associated with a distribution of cargo storage on the ocean-going vessel between the first and second offshore facilities.

[0014] The method may further comprise the steps of: receiving feedback on at least one of the consolidated voyage schedule and the consolidated cargo plan; and based on the feedback, modifying at least one of the consolidated voyage schedule and the consolidated cargo plan.

[0015] The first carrying capacity requirement may comprise first historical data associated with carrying capacity requirements of the first offshore facility in the past.

[0016] The second carrying capacity requirement may comprise second historical data associated with carrying capacity requirements of the second offshore facility in the past.

[0017] The method may further comprise the steps of: in response to determining to recommend sharing of transportation use of the oceangoing vessel, transmitting an authorisation to disburse payment to a custodian of the ocean-going vessel; and generating an invoice to at least one of the first and second offshore facilities.

[0018] At least one of the first and second inputs may further include a cost criterion as a limitation for the offshore transportation service.

[0019] According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system for coordinating offshore transportation by vessels, comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory module having computer program code stored thereon, the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the system to: receive a vessel information including at least a carrying capacity of an ocean-going vessel to provide offshore transportation services; receive a first input including at least a first carrying capacity requirement for a vessel, a first transportation time and first voyage locations requested by a first offshore facility requiring an offshore transportation service; receive a second input including at least a second carrying capacity requirement for a vessel, a second transportation time and second voyage locations requested by a second offshore facility requiring an offshore transportation service; and based on the vessel information and the first and second inputs, determine whether to recommend sharing of transportation use of the ocean-going vessel between the first and second offshore facilities for the offshore transportation service.

[0020] The system may be further caused to determine whether the first and second voyage locations are part of the same cluster of offshore facilities to determine whether to recommend sharing of transportation use of the ocean-going vessel.

[0021] The system may be further caused to determine whether the first voyage locations and second voyage locations are within a predetermined distance range to determine whether to recommend sharing of transportation use of the ocean-going vessel.

[0022] The predetermined distance range may be a circular area spanning 80 nautical miles in diameter.

[0023] The system may be further caused to determine whether the carrying capacity of the ocean-going vessel is sufficient to meet the first carrying capacity requirement and the secondcarrying capacity requirement to determine whether to recommend sharing of the transportation use of the ocean-going vessel.

[0024] The vessel information may further include an availability schedule of the ocean-going vessel.

[0025] In response to determining to recommend sharing of transportation use of the oceangoing vessel, the system may be further caused to: generate a consolidated voyage schedule incorporating the first and second voyage locations; and generate a consolidated cargo plan associated with a distribution of cargo storage on the ocean-going vessel between the first and second offshore facilities.

[0026] The system may be further caused to: receive feedback on at least one of the consolidated voyage schedule and the consolidated cargo plan; and based on the feedback, modify at least one of the consolidated voyage schedule and the consolidated cargo plan.

[0027] The first carrying capacity requirement may comprise first historical data associated with carrying capacity requirements of the first offshore facility in the past.

[0028] The second carrying capacity requirement may comprise second historical data associated with carrying capacity requirements of the second offshore facility in the past.

[0029] In response to determining to recommend sharing of transportation use of the oceangoing vessel, the system may be further caused to: transmit an authorisation to disburse payment to a custodian of the ocean-going vessel; and generate an invoice to at least one of the first and second offshore facilities.

[0030] At least one of the first and second inputs may further include a cost criterion as a limitation for the offshore transportation service.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] Embodiments of the invention are provided by way of example only, and will be better understood and readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art from the following written description and the drawings, in which:

[0032] Figure 1 depicts a flowchart illustrating a process of coordinating offshore transportation through vessel sharing among various offshore facilities in accordance with an example embodiment.

[0033] Figure 2A depicts a representation illustrating a vessel sharing model 202 in a pilot phase in accordance with an example embodiment.

[0034] Figure 2B depicts a representation illustrating another vessel sharing model 218 in a first development phase in accordance with an example embodiment.

[0035] Figure 2C depicts a representation illustrating yet another vessel sharing model 220 in a second development phase in accordance with an example embodiment.

[0036] Figure 3 depicts a flowchart illustrating a method for coordinating offshore transportation by ocean-going vessels.

[0037] Figure 4 shows a schematic diagram illustrating a computer suitable for implementing the system and method of the example embodiments.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] Some portions of the description which follows are explicitly or implicitly presented in terms of algorithms and functional or symbolic representations of operations on data within a computer memory. These algorithmic descriptions and functional or symbolic representations are the means used by those skilled in the data processing arts to convey most effectively the substance of their work to others skilled in the art. An algorithm is here, and generally, conceived to be a self-consistent sequence of steps leading to a desired result. The steps are those requiring physical manipulations of physical quantities, such as electrical, magnetic oroptical signals capable of being stored, transferred, combined, compared, and otherwise manipulated.

[0039] Unless specifically stated otherwise, and as apparent from the following, it will be appreciated that throughout the present specification, discussions utilizing terms such as “receiving”, “determining”, “calculating”, “comparing”, “generating”, “modifying”, “transmitting”, or the like, refer to the action and processes of a computer system, or similar electronic device, that manipulates and transforms data represented as physical quantities within the computer system into other data similarly represented as physical quantities within the computer system or other information storage, transmission or display devices.

[0040] The present specification also discloses apparatus for performing the operations of the methods. Such apparatus may be specially constructed for the required purposes, or may comprise a computer or other device selectively activated or reconfigured by a computer program stored in the computer. The algorithms and displays presented herein are not inherently related to any particular computer or other apparatus. Various machines may be used with programs in accordance with the teachings herein. Alternatively, the construction of more specialized apparatus to perform the required method steps may be appropriate. The structure of a computer will appear from the description below.

[0041] In addition, the present specification also implicitly discloses a computer program, in that it would be apparent to the person skilled in the art that the individual steps of the method described herein may be put into effect by computer code. The computer program is not intended to be limited to any particular programming language and implementation thereof. It will be appreciated that a variety of programming languages and coding thereof may be used to implement the teachings of the disclosure contained herein. Moreover, the computer program is not intended to be limited to any particular control flow. There are many other variants of the computer program, which can use different control flows without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0042] Furthermore, one or more of the steps of the computer program may be performed in parallel rather than sequentially. Such a computer program may be stored on any computer readable medium. The computer readable medium may include storage devices such as magnetic or optical disks, memory chips, or other storage devices suitable for interfacing with a computer. The computer readable medium may also include a hard-wired medium such as exemplified in the Internet system, or wireless medium such as exemplified in the GSM mobiletelephone system. The computer program when loaded and executed on such a computer effectively results in an apparatus that implements the steps of the preferred method.

[0043] The present invention relates to a method and a system for coordinating transportation requests from offshore facilities, such as oil rigs, wind farms, and offshore data centres via a digital platform. Its goal is to streamline the sharing process of ocean-going vessels between offshore facilities. The platform can be a software, an application, or a website on various computing devices such as computers, phones and tablets. The primary users of the digital platform are vessel custodians (e.g. vessel owners and vessel charterers) and vessel renters.

[0044] Vessel custodians are required to register their vessels on the digital platform prior to advertising them. This registration process includes submitting details such as specification, carrying capacity, location details and certifications / licenses of the vessels, which will be made accessible to the potential vessel renters. Once approved by the system, vessel custodians can list the vessels for renting / sharing and update the availability schedule of their vessels on the platform, thereby increasing the opportunity to monetize the unutilized space on their vessels. On the other hand, vessel renters can search for sharing opportunities of vessels which may advantageously reduce the costs of offshore transportations for them.

[0045] Figure 1 depicts a flowchart 100 illustrating a process of coordinating offshore transportation through vessel sharing among various offshore facilities in accordance with an example embodiment. The vessel involved can transport passengers / crews and a wide variety of cargo (e.g. goods, materials, equipment, commodities), depending on the transportation requirements of the offshore facilities. In the scenario described in Figure 1 , the vessel is chartered by the operator of a first offshore facility (hereinafter “first operator”) for a specific period or voyage. Accordingly, the first operator assumes the role of the vessel's custodian and acts as a seller that rent out vessel space. The vessel is listed on the platform with available vessel space for rent, facilitated by either the vessel owner or the first operator.

[0046] The operator of a second offshore facility (hereinafter “second operator”) in need of offshore transportation is searching for vessel sharing opportunities on the platform. For example, the second operator enters their specific requirements, such as carrying capacity, transportation time, voyage locations, costs, etc., into the platform. Based on the inputs of the second operator, the system’s algorithm displays vessels that fulfil the requirements, along with relevant information such as cost and potential savings by renting a specific vessel.Accordingly, the second operator acts as the buyer renting a vessel space. It should be noted that offshore facilities with more stringent health and safety requirements are better suited as sellers, as other offshore facilities visiting their platforms may require additional approvals.

[0047] At step 102a, the system receives lookahead schedules from the first and second offshore facilities. Specifically, the system receives a vessel information from either the vessel owner or the first operator. The vessel information includes at least a carrying capacity of the vessel for providing offshore transportation services. Since the vessel has been chartered by the first operator, the carrying capacity typically refers to the vessel space that is unutilized by the first operator.

[0048] At step 102a, the system also receives input from the first operator (hereinafter “first input”). The first input includes transportation time (hereinafter “first transportation time”), such as the departure time for a planned or requested voyage by the first offshore facility. Additionally, the first input includes voyage locations (hereinafter “first voyage locations”) planned or requested by the first offshore facility, which specify the point of departure and the point of arrival for the voyage. At step 102a, the system also receives input from the second operator (hereinafter “second input”). The second input includes transportation time (hereinafter “second transportation time”), such as the departure time for a planned or requested voyage by the second offshore facility. Additionally, the second input includes voyage locations (hereinafter “second voyage locations”) planned or requested by the second offshore facility, which specify the point of departure and the point of arrival for the voyage.

[0049] At step 102b, the system receives the first input, which includes a carrying capacity requirement for a vessel requested by the first offshore facility (hereinafter “first carrying capacity requirement”). In the example embodiment, the system collects from the first operator historical data associated with carrying capacity requirements of the first offshore facility in the past (hereinafter “first historical data”). Using this first historical data, the system estimates the actual carrying capacity requirement for the vessel requested by the first offshore facility at a specific period.

[0050] At step 102b, the system also receives the second input, which includes a carrying capacity requirement for a vessel requested by the second offshore facility (hereinafter “second carrying capacity requirement”). In the example embodiment, the system collects from the second operator historical data associated with carrying capacity requirements of thesecond offshore facility in the past (hereinafter “second historical data”). Using this second historical data, the system estimates the actual carrying capacity requirement for the vessel requested by the second offshore facility at a specific period. It should be noted that instead of estimating the actual carrying capacity requirements using historical data, the system may directly obtain the actual carrying capacity requirements for the first and second offshore facilities from their respective operators.

[0051] Using the vessel information, the first input and the second input, the system determines whether to recommend sharing of transportation use of the vessel between the first and second offshore facilities. Specifically, at step 104, the system identifies whether there are any voyages planned or requested by the first and second offshore facilities that depart within the same time frame, e.g. such as within a 3-day difference. If there are voyages that depart within the same time frame, the system proceeds to step 106 to identify the locations of the respective voyages. At step 108, the system determines whether the voyage locations of the two offshore facilities are part of the same cluster of offshore facilities. Offshore facilities that belong to the same cluster can be characterized by their proximity to one another, shared infrastructure and resources, similar functional purposes, common ownership (operated by the same company) or being governed by the same administrative jurisdiction.

[0052] If the voyage locations of the two offshore facilities are within the same cluster, the system proceeds to step 110 to recommend sharing of the transportation use of the vessel between the first and second offshore facilities. Otherwise, the process continues to step 1 12, where the system determines whether the voyage locations requested by the first and second offshore facilities are in a circular area spanning 80 nautical miles (nm) in diameter. If the voyage locations are within the circular area of 80 nm diameter, the system proceeds to step 110 to recommend sharing of the transportation use of the vessel between the first and second offshore facilities. If the voyage locations are not within the circular area of 80 nm diameter, the system proceeds to step 114 to conclude that there is no sharing opportunity for the voyages of the two offshore facilities.

[0053] An example of voyage locations requested by the first and second offshore facilities is provided in the table below. Using this example, the system will determine at step 108 whether the first offshore facility, Port A and Port B are within the same cluster. If they are not within the same cluster, the system will determine at step 1 12 whether the first offshore facility, Port A and Port B are within a circular area of 80 nm diameter.

[0054] At step 1 16, using the carrying capacity requirements estimated in step 102b, the system determines whether the carrying capacity of the vessel is sufficient to meet the carrying capacity requirements requested by the first and second offshore facilities. If the carrying capacity of the vessel is sufficient to meet the carrying capacity requirements of the first and second offshore facilities, the system proceeds to step 1 18 to generate as-is and to-be schedules, including the cycle time, distance travelled and other parameters, for the first and second operators. The as-is schedule refers to the original / planned schedule of the first and second operators, while the to-be schedule refers to a new agreed schedule that meets the requirements of the first and second operators. Otherwise, the system proceeds to step 1 14 to conclude that there is no sharing opportunity for the voyages of the two offshore facilities.

[0055] The steps explained above, from the system receiving the vessel information and the first and second inputs at step 102, to the system determining whether the carrying capacity of the vessel is sufficient to meet the carrying capacity requirements requested by the first and second offshore facilities at step 116, are related to the ‘Time and Location Matching’ stage of the voyages planned or requested for the first and second offshore facilities by their respective operators. These steps are completed between 14 to 30 days before the departure date of the shared voyage.

[0056] At step 120, the system compares the metrics of the as-is and to-be schedules (e.g. cycle time, distance travelled by the vessel, etc.). At step 122, the system determines whether the cycle time deviation is within a predetermined limit. If the cycle time deviation is not within the predetermined limit, the system proceeds to step 1 14 to conclude that there is no sharing opportunity for the voyages of the two offshore facilities. Otherwise, the system will proceed to step 124.

[0057] At step 124, the system receives preload lists of cargo from the first and second operators. Using the received preload lists, the system generates a consolidated cargo plan that outlines the distribution of cargo storage on the vessel between the first and second offshore facilities. The system considers various factors in determining the cargo distributionon the vessel, such as loading and unloading time of the cargo to optimize efficiency, as well as weight distribution of the cargo to maintain the stability of the vessel.

[0058] Additionally, at step 124, the system generates a consolidated voyage schedule that incorporates the first and second voyage locations and accommodates the first and second transportation times. The system then sends the consolidated voyage schedule and consolidated cargo plan to the first and second operators. At step 126, the first and second operators review the consolidated voyage schedule and consolidated cargo plan and decide whether to accept / reject the proposed sharing voyage.

[0059] The steps explained above, from the system generating as-is and to-be schedules at step 1 18, to the first and second operators reviewing the consolidated voyage schedule and consolidated cargo plan at step 126, are related to the ‘Demand and Cycle Time Verification’ stage. These steps are completed between 7-14 days before the departure date of the shared voyage. If there is any delay in pre-voyage activities caused by the first or second operator, such as a delay in sending preload list, there may be an increase in the cost that will eventually be charged to the party responsible for the delay.

[0060] At step 128, the first or second operator can communicate any feedback on the consolidated voyage schedule or consolidated cargo plan to the system. Using the received feedback, the system modifies at least one of the consolidated voyage schedule and consolidated cargo plan, as explained in the examples provided below in steps 130 and 132.

[0061] At step 130a, the system receives feedback from the first or second operator to adjust the carrying capacity allocated to the offshore facilities for which the operator is responsible. The system then proceeds to step 130b to initiate a negotiation between the first and second offshore facilities. Once the negotiation stage is completed at step 130c, the process returns to step 116 to determine the sufficiency of the carrying capacity of the vessel, and continues with the subsequent steps, including modifying the consolidated cargo plan at step 124.

[0062] At step 132a, the system receives feedback from the first or second operator to adjust the consolidated voyage schedule to accommodate transportation time or duration at one or more voyage locations requested by the operator. At step 132b, the system receives a request from the first or second operator to prioritize one or more voyage locations over others. The system then proceeds to step 132c to consider the feedback and based on the feedback, thesystem rearranges the sequence of voyage locations. Once the rearrangement of the sequence is completed at step 132d, the process returns to step 118 and continues with the subsequent steps, including modifying the consolidated voyage schedule at step 124.

[0063] At step 128, if the first or second operator has no feedback, the system will finalise the coordination to match the voyages between the first and second offshore facilities. The process continues to step 134 to the payment stage.

[0064] The steps explained above, from the system receiving feedbacks at steps 130 and 132, to the system modifying the consolidated cargo plan or consolidated voyage schedule at steps 130c and 132d, are related to the ‘Feedback and Special Requirements’ stage. These steps are completed between 0-7 days before the departure date of the shared voyage. If the feedback is given by the operator near to the departure date of the shared voyage, for example, within 3 days, additional cost may be charged to the responsible party.

[0065] Between 1 -3 days before the departure date, the first and second operators make berth booking at the voyage locations and request for fuel supply if needed. If there are any last- minute changes to the finalized consolidated voyage schedule or consolidated cargo plan, and the affected offshore facility does not accept the changes, then the affected offshore facilities would revert to booking their own vessel, and dispute management will take place later. Additionally, to ensure health and safety regulations are properly complied, the relevant approvals required are obtained ahead of shared voyage.

[0066] On the execution date of the shared voyage, the cargo is carefully loaded onto or unloaded from the vessel according to the consolidated voyage schedules and consolidated cargo plan generated by the system. The first or second operator handles customs clearance and generates the necessary payload and backload documentation. Fuel bunkering of the vessel takes place, and cargo are transported from the warehouse or vendor to the pier. Relevant personnel, including operators of the offshore facilities and the operator of the platform, are deployed at the voyage locations to oversee the process. Once the cargo loading or unloading is completed, the vessel sets sail to the next destination. Afterwards, the vessel returns to supply base to distribute the backload materials.

[0067] If the finalized consolidated voyage schedule and consolidated cargo plan are not followed during the execution of the shared voyage, then dispute management will be initiated by the system. The relevant parties, including the operator of the platform, will investigate the root causes of the non-adherence. The process then continues to financial reconciliation which includes monthly true-up and the payment stage, followed by performance review and reporting. It will be appreciated that the platform operator may earn a service fee from at least one of the first and second offshore facilities. For example, during the payment stage, the system transmits an authorisation to disburse payments to the custodian of the vessel, which in this case is the first operator, and generates an invoice for the second offshore facilities that rented the vessel space.

[0068] In the example embodiment explained in Figure 1 , the vessel is chartered by the first operator for a specific period or voyage. In an alternative embodiment, the vessel is not chartered by any offshore facilities. In this case, the vessel owner acts as the custodian and lists the uncontracted vessel on the platform for rent. This is done by submitting the vessel information, including at least the carrying capacity of the vessel and its availability schedule, to the platform. The system would recommend the vessel for rent if the vessel information meets the request criteria inputted by operators of offshore facilities. If the operators of offshore facilities book the vessel, the system will send a reservation request to the vessel owner, who can accept or reject the booking made by the operators. The system may also send trigger alerts to the vessel owner, requesting their acceptance or rejection of the booking. If the booking is accepted, vessel owner proceeds to make necessary arrangements based on requests made by the operators.

[0069] Additionally, in the example embodiment explained in Figure 1 , the process of coordinating offshore transportation through vessel sharing are divided into three stages, which are completed within 30 days before the departure date of the shared voyage, with the ‘Time and Locations Matching’ stage completed between 14-30 days, the ‘Demand and Cycle Time Verification’ stage completed between 7-14 days, and the ‘Feedback and Special Requirements’ stage completed between 0-7 days before the departure date of the shared voyage respectively. In alternative embodiments, the process and its three stages can be completed according to a different timeline.

[0070] At steps 102a and 102b, the system receives the first and second inputs, including carrying capacity requirements for a vessel, transportation times and voyage locations,requested by first and second offshore facilities respectively. In an alternative embodiment, each of the first and second input may further include a cost criterion as a limitation for the search of vessel to provide offshore transportation service to the offshore facilities.

[0071] At step 1 12, the system determines whether the voyage locations requested by the first and second offshore facilities are in a circular area spanning 80 nm in diameter. In an alternative embodiment, the system may determine at step 1 12 whether the voyage locations requested by the first and second offshore facilities are within a different predetermined distance range.

[0072] Figure 2A depicts a representation illustrating a vessel sharing model 202 in a pilot phase in accordance with an example embodiment. As depicted in Figure 2A, a first offshore facility 204 and a second offshore facility 206 are buyers of vessel space and are searching for vessel sharing opportunity. A vessel owner 208 and a third offshore facility 210 have a charter party agreement and listed the vessel on the platform for vessel space sharing as sellers. The buyers and sellers enter into a coordination agreement to share the transportation use of the vessel.

[0073] A system 212 is under pilot agreements with both the buyers and sellers to facilitate the vessel sharing process. The system 212 receives vessel information from the seller, such as carrying capacity and vessel availability schedule, and inputs from the buyers and sellers, such as carrying capacity requirements, transportation times and voyage locations. Additionally, the system 212 generates schedules of the shared voyage and coordinates fuel bunkering and berth booking for the vessel through a fuel provider 216 and a supply base 214 respectively. These arrangements are maintained via contractual relationships within the offshore ecosystem.

[0074] In the pilot phase, the system 212 can make use of existing contracts and agreements established among the buyers and sellers to develop the pilot and coordination agreement, thus minimising deviation from the normal operations. Existing contracts and agreements are typically specific to the parties involved, so they may need to be revised for the buyers and sellers. During this phase, payments are made directly from sharing offshore facilities to vessel owners or via fuel bunkering. Since the vessel sharing model 202 is still in the pilot phase, the platform operator may offer low pricing or even free services to the buyers and sellers to driveadoption and scale the business. As a result, there may be minimal or zero margin for the platform operator at this stage.

[0075] Figure 2B depicts a representation illustrating another vessel sharing model 218 in a first development phase in accordance with an example embodiment. The vessel sharing model 218 here represents the subsequent phase of development following the vessel sharing model 202 described in Figure 2A. In this first development phase, the existing coordination agreement from the pilot phase is modified by adding an addendum that relates to vessel sharing between the buyers and sellers.

[0076] The pilot agreements with the buyer and seller from the pilot phase are replaced with one-off marketplace agreements that enables the listing and booking of vessels through the platform. At this stage, the platform operator receives a service fee, calculated as a specific percentage of the voyage price paid by the buyer. The specific percentage may be determined based on the results of the vessel sharing model 202 during the pilot phase.

[0077] Figure 2C depicts a representation illustrating yet another vessel sharing model 220 in a second development phase in accordance with an example embodiment. The vessel sharing model 220 here represents the subsequent phase of development following the vessel sharing model 218 described in Figure 2B. In this second development phase, the coordination agreement between the buyers and sellers in the first development phase is replaced with a simple booking agreement that can be signed off by the buyers and sellers using e-signatures on the platform.

[0078] Additionally, the platform operator enters into a long-term contract with the offshore ecosystem such as the supply base 214 and fuel provider 216 to get competitive rates, thereby reducing the cost further. The platform may also provide suggestions for marine insurance or act as an intermediary between insurance companies and the owners of uncontracted vessels. At this stage, the platform operator receives the voyage price from the offshore facilities and disburses payments to the vessel owner. In exchange for the services rendered, the platform operator receives a service fee calculated as a specific percentage of the voyage price paid by the buyer.

[0079] Figure 3 depicts a flowchart illustrating a method for coordinating offshore transportation by ocean-going vessels. At step 302, a system receives a vessel information including at least a carrying capacity of an ocean-going vessel to provide offshore transportation services. At step 304, the system receives a first input including at least a first carrying capacity requirement for a vessel, a first transportation time and first voyage locations requested by a first offshore facility requiring an offshore transportation service. At step 306, the system receives a second input including at least a second carrying capacity requirement for a vessel, a second transportation time and second voyage locations requested by a second offshore facility requiring an offshore transportation service. At step 306, based on the vessel information and the first and second inputs, the system determines whether to recommend sharing of transportation use of the ocean-going vessel between the first and second offshore facilities for the offshore transportation service.

[0080] Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and a system for coordinating offshore transportation of ocean-going vessels. The claimed invention offers a digital platform that aggregates information from relevant parties and schedules shared voyages in an unbiased manner. The pay-per-use vessel sharing models may provide a low barrier of entry for the buyers and sellers to use the platform as no upfront subscriptions are required to access the services provided by the platform. The relevant payment details are handled by the system in a transparent manner, building trust and credibility among the businesses. The platform also provides streamlined payment channels which reduces administrative processes and errors caused by manual intervention.

[0081] The claimed invention allows buyers to have visibility on vessels that are available for renting, thereby improving the operational efficiency of offshore facilities through a larger aggregated fleet of offshore support vessels. It may also speed up the process of meeting unplanned or urgent logistics requirements. Sharing vessel space can also provide an advantage by reducing the overall chartering costs payable by the offshore facilities. Additionally, it will enhance the environmental, social and governance (ESG) credential of offshore companies by reducing the carbon footprint. For vessel owners, the platform may advantageously increase their revenue by helping them expand their services to ship more cargoes.

[0082] Figure 4 depicts an exemplary computing device 400, hereinafter interchangeably referred to as a computer system 400, where one or more such computing devices 400 may be used to coordinate offshore transportation by ocean-going vessels. The exemplary computing device 400 can be used to implement the method and system explained in Figure 1 , the platform 212 shown in Figure 2A, 2B and 2C and the method shown in Figure 3. The following description of the computing device 400 is provided by way of example only and is not intended to be limiting.

[0083] As shown in Fig. 4, the example computing device 400 includes a processor 407 for executing software routines. Although a single processor is shown for the sake of clarity, the computing device 400 may also include a multi-processor system. The processor 407 is connected to a communication infrastructure 406 for communication with other components of the computing device 400. The communication infrastructure 406 may include, for example, a communications bus, cross-bar, or network.

[0084] The computing device 400 further includes a main memory 408, such as a random access memory (RAM), and a secondary memory 410. The secondary memory 410 may include, for example, a storage drive 412, which may be a hard disk drive, a solid state drive or a hybrid drive, and / or a removable storage drive 417, which may include a magnetic tape drive, an optical disk drive, a solid state storage drive (such as a USB flash drive, a flash memory device, a solid state drive or a memory card), or the like. The removable storage drive 417 reads from and / or writes to a removable storage medium 477 in a well-known manner. The removable storage medium 477 may include magnetic tape, optical disk, non-volatile memory storage medium, or the like, which is read by and written to by removable storage drive 417. As will be appreciated by persons skilled in the relevant art(s), the removable storage medium 477 includes a computer readable storage medium having stored therein computer executable program code instructions and / or data.

[0085] In an alternative implementation, the secondary memory 410 may additionally or alternatively include other similar means for allowing computer programs or other instructions to be loaded into the computing device 400. Such means can include, for example, a removable storage unit 422 and an interface 450. Examples of a removable storage unit 422 and interface 450 include a program cartridge and cartridge interface (such as that found in video game console devices), a removable memory chip (such as an EPROM or PROM) and associated socket, a removable solid state storage drive (such as a USB flash drive, a flashmemory device, a solid state drive or a memory card), and other removable storage units 422 and interfaces 450 which allow software and data to be transferred from the removable storage unit 422 to the computer system 400.

[0086] The computing device 400 also includes at least one communication interface 427. The communication interface 427 allows software and data to be transferred between computing device 400 and external devices via a communication path 426. In various embodiments of the inventions, the communication interface 427 permits data to be transferred between the computing device 400 and a data communication network, such as a public data or private data communication network. The communication interface 427 may be used to exchange data between different computing devices 400 which such computing devices 400 form part an interconnected computer network. Examples of a communication interface 427 can include a modem, a network interface (such as an Ethernet card), a communication port (such as a serial, parallel, printer, GPIB, IEEE 1394, RJ45, USB), an antenna with associated circuitry and the like. The communication interface 427 may be wired or may be wireless. Software and data transferred via the communication interface 427 are in the form of signals which can be electronic, electromagnetic, optical or other signals capable of being received by communication interface 427. These signals are provided to the communication interface via the communication path 426.

[0087] For example, data such as the vessel information, the first and second inputs are transferred from the external devices to the computing device 400 via the communication path 426. The consolidated voyage schedule and the consolidated cargo plan generated by the computing device 400 are transferred from the computing device 400 to the external devices via the communication path 426.

[0088] As shown in Fig. 4, the computing device 400 further includes a display interface 402 which performs operations for rendering images to an associated display 404 and an audio interface 452 for performing operations for playing audio content via associated speaker(s) 457.

[0089] As used herein, the term "computer program product" may refer, in part, to removable storage medium 477, removable storage unit 422, a hard disk installed in storage drive 412, or a carrier wave carrying software over communication path 426 (wireless link or cable) to communication interface 427. Computer readable storage media refers to any non-transitory,non-volatile tangible storage medium that provides recorded instructions and / or data to the computing device 400 for execution and / or processing. Examples of such storage media include magnetic tape, CD-ROM, DVD, Blu-rayTM Disc, a hard disk drive, a ROM or integrated circuit, a solid state storage drive (such as a USB flash drive, a flash memory device, a solid state drive or a memory card), a hybrid drive, a magneto-optical disk, or a computer readable card such as a PCMCIA card and the like, whether or not such devices are internal or external of the computing device 400. Examples of transitory or non-tangible computer readable transmission media that may also participate in the provision of software, application programs, instructions and / or data to the computing device 400 include radio or infra-red transmission channels as well as a network connection to another computer or networked device, and the Internet or Intranets including e-mail transmissions and information recorded on Websites and the like.

[0090] The computer programs (also called computer program code) are stored in main memory 408 and / or secondary memory 410. Computer programs can also be received via the communication interface 427. Such computer programs, when executed, enable the computing device 400 to perform one or more features of embodiments discussed herein. In various embodiments, the computer programs, when executed, enable the processor 407 to perform features of the above-described embodiments. Accordingly, such computer programs represent controllers of the computer system 400.

[0091] Software may be stored in a computer program product and loaded into the computing device 400 using the removable storage drive 417, the storage drive 412, or the interface 450. The computer program product may be a non-transitory computer readable medium. Alternatively, the computer program product may be downloaded to the computer system 400 over the communications path 426. The software, when executed by the processor 407, causes the computing device 400 to perform functions of embodiments described herein.

[0092] It is to be understood that the embodiment of Fig. 4 is presented merely by way of example. Therefore, in some embodiments one or more features of the computing device 400 may be omitted. Also, in some embodiments, one or more features of the computing device 400 may be combined together. Additionally, in some embodiments, one or more features of the computing device 400 may be split into one or more component parts.

[0093] When the computing device 400 is configured to coordinate offshore transportation by ocean-going vessels, the computing system 400 will have a non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon an application which when executed causes the computing system 400 to perform steps comprising: receive a vessel information including at least a carrying capacity of an ocean-going vessel to provide offshore transportation services; receive a first input including at least a first carrying capacity requirement for a vessel, a first transportation time and first voyage locations requested by a first offshore facility requiring an offshore transportation service; receive a second input including at least a second carrying capacity requirement for a vessel, a second transportation time and second voyage locations requested by a second offshore facility requiring an offshore transportation service; and based on the vessel information and the first and second inputs, determine whether to recommend sharing of transportation use of the ocean-going vessel between the first and second offshore facilities for the offshore transportation service.

[0094] It will be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that numerous variations and / or modifications may be made to the present invention as shown in the specific embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention as broadly described. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive.

Claims

CLAIMS1 . A computer-implemented method for coordinating offshore transportation by oceangoing vessels, the method comprising the steps of: receiving a vessel information including at least a carrying capacity of an ocean-going vessel to provide offshore transportation services; receiving a first input including at least a first carrying capacity requirement for a vessel, a first transportation time and first voyage locations requested by a first offshore facility requiring an offshore transportation service; receiving a second input including at least a second carrying capacity requirement for a vessel, a second transportation time and second voyage locations requested by a second offshore facility requiring an offshore transportation service; and based on the vessel information and the first and second inputs, determining whether to recommend sharing of transportation use of the ocean-going vessel between the first and second offshore facilities for the offshore transportation service.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the step of determining whether to recommend sharing of the transportation use of the ocean-going vessel comprises determining whether the first and second voyage locations are part of the same cluster of offshore facilities.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the step of determining whether to recommend sharing of the transportation use of the ocean-going vessel comprises determining whether the first voyage locations and second voyage locations are within a predetermined distance range.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the predetermined distance range is a circular area spanning 80 nautical miles in diameter.

5. The method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the step of determining whether to recommend sharing of the transportation use of the ocean-going vessel comprises determining whether the carrying capacity of the ocean-going vessel is sufficient to meet the first carrying capacity requirement and the second carrying capacity requirement.

6. The method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the vessel information further includes an availability schedule of the ocean-going vessel.

7. The method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, further comprising the steps of: in response to determining to recommend sharing of transportation use of the oceangoing vessel, generating a consolidated voyage schedule incorporating the first and second voyage locations; and generating a consolidated cargo plan associated with a distribution of cargo storage on the ocean-going vessel between the first and second offshore facilities.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, further comprising the steps of: receiving feedback on at least one of the consolidated voyage schedule and the consolidated cargo plan; and based on the feedback, modifying at least one of the consolidated voyage schedule and the consolidated cargo plan.

9. The method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first carrying capacity requirement comprises first historical data associated with carrying capacity requirements of the first offshore facility in the past.

10. The method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the second carrying capacity requirement comprises second historical data associated with carrying capacity requirements of the second offshore facility in the past.11 . The method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, further comprising the steps of: in response to determining to recommend sharing of transportation use of the oceangoing vessel, transmitting an authorisation to disburse payment to a custodian of the ocean-going vessel; and generating an invoice to at least one of the first and second offshore facilities.

12. The method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the first and second inputs further includes a cost criterion as a limitation for the offshore transportation service.

13. A system for coordinating offshore transportation by vessels, comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory module having computer program code stored thereon, the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the system to: receive a vessel information including at least a carrying capacity of an ocean-going vessel to provide offshore transportation services; receive a first input including at least a first carrying capacity requirement for a vessel, a first transportation time and first voyage locations requested by a first offshore facility requiring an offshore transportation service; receive a second input including at least a second carrying capacity requirement for a vessel, a second transportation time and second voyage locations requested by a second offshore facility requiring an offshore transportation service; and based on the vessel information and the first and second inputs, determine whether to recommend sharing of transportation use of the ocean-going vessel between the first and second offshore facilities for the offshore transportation service.

14. The system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the system is further caused to determine whether the first and second voyage locations are part of the same cluster of offshore facilities to determine whether to recommend sharing of transportation use of the ocean-going vessel.

15. The system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the system is further caused to determine whether the first voyage locations and second voyage locations are within a predetermined distance range to determine whether to recommend sharing of transportation use of the ocean-going vessel.

16. The system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the predetermined distance range is a circular area spanning 80 nautical miles in diameter.

17. The system as claimed in any one of claims 13-16, wherein the system is further caused to determine whether the carrying capacity of the ocean-going vessel is sufficient tomeet the first carrying capacity requirement and the second carrying capacity requirement to determine whether to recommend sharing of the transportation use of the ocean-going vessel.

18. The system as claimed in any one of claims 13-17, wherein the vessel information further includes an availability schedule of the ocean-going vessel.

19. The system as claimed in any one of claims 13-18, wherein in response to determining to recommend sharing of transportation use of the ocean-going vessel, the system is further caused to: generate a consolidated voyage schedule incorporating the first and second voyage locations; and generate a consolidated cargo plan associated with a distribution of cargo storage on the ocean-going vessel between the first and second offshore facilities.

20. The system as claimed in claim 19, wherein the system is further caused to: receive feedback on at least one of the consolidated voyage schedule and the consolidated cargo plan; and based on the feedback, modify at least one of the consolidated voyage schedule and the consolidated cargo plan.21 . The system as claimed in any one of claims 13-20, wherein the first carrying capacity requirement comprises first historical data associated with carrying capacity requirements of the first offshore facility in the past.

22. The system as claimed in any one of claims 13-21 , wherein the second carrying capacity requirement comprises second historical data associated with carrying capacity requirements of the second offshore facility in the past.

23. The system as claimed in any one of claims 13-22, wherein in response to determining to recommend sharing of transportation use of the ocean-going vessel, the system is further caused to: transmit an authorisation to disburse payment to a custodian of the ocean-going vessel; and generate an invoice to at least one of the first and second offshore facilities.

24. The system as claimed in any one of claims 13-23, wherein at least one of the first and second inputs further includes a cost criterion as a limitation for the offshore transportation service.

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