International Journal

on Marine Navigation

and Safety of Sea Transportation

Volume 4

Number 4

December 2010

391

1 INTRODUCTION

The idea of construction of the oil terminal came in-

to view in 1998. The special attention was paid to

search of a natural reservoir with an exit in the sea.

After long debate the settlement Kulevi was chosen.

By the end of 1998 survey and a preparatory works

began. The works lasted for one year and in Decem-

ber 1999 construction works of the oil terminal and

port Kulevi began.

Figure 1. Location of Black Sea Terminal & Port Kulevi

The position of terminal is the river Khobi mouth,

settlement Kulevi – Latitude 42.16 N & Longitude -

041. 38 E, flowing into the sea on distance of 17 km

from port Poti. The river Khobi flowing into Black

sea between the rivers Enguri (15 km to the North)

and Rioni (8 km to the South) (see fig. 1). The low

coast between the rivers is bordered by shoal which

is formed by carrying out of these rivers. The coast

in the region of the river Khobi is low and sandy.

The choice of the given place was caused by the fol-

lowing reasons:

1 Presence of closely located powerful railway

junction - Samtredia;

2 Presence of the big areas of free territories suita-

ble for construction;

3 Presence of the developed infrastructure of a

highway motorway;

4 Natural big depth of a mouth of the river Khobi -

6-9 meters;

5 Depths around the mouth of the river Khobi

smoothly increase in process of removing from

coast: 10 meters contour line passes in distance of

1.3 km from coast; 20 meters contour line - 2.5

km, and 30 - meters contour line - 3.2км.

6 Possibility of an arrangement of moorings on the

left bank of the river Khobi which in this area

practically is not washed away, and also, possibil-

ity of creation of the entrance channel, direction

New Black Sea Terminal of Port Kulevi and it

Navigating Features

A. Gegenava, N. Varshanidze & G. Khaidarov

Batumi Maritime Academy, Batumi, Georgia

ABSTRACT: In May, 2007 in Georgia the new Black Sea Terminal (including the complex of a railway junc-

tion, capacities for storage of oil) was opened in the port Kulevi. Necessity of creation of the named terminal

in Georgia was caused by following factors:

1. The necessity of search and the creation new alternative ways of safe transportation of oil to Europe;

2. A favourable geographical position of Georgia - Asia, the Near East and Europe crossroads;

3. Presence of already existed means of communication between Georgia and oil-producing regions - Ka-

zakhstan, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan.

Choosing the port and terminal place it was necessary to be guided first of all by maintenance of safety navi-

gation and minimum expenses from the point of view of an economic profit. That is why the special attention

was paid to search of a natural reservoir with an exit in the sea.

This article deals with the questions of construction of the oil terminal, maintenance of port Kulevi with

means of the navigating aids and features of entering and leaving vessels.

392

of which, practically with the minimum expenses,

coincides with a direction of a berthing line.

2 CONSTRUCTION OF THE OIL TERMINAL

AND PORT KULEVI

The basic criteria at construction of the oil terminal

and port were: taking into account the natural and

climatic conditions for creation protected from ex-

citement and sediments of aquatory with the least

volume of dredging operations; preservation of the

region’s ecosystem; construction of the oil terminal

on handling and to storage of oil; construction of

new port - Kulevi with a navigation channel;

maintenance with the terminal and port processing

of tankers given in table 1.

Table 1. Types of tankers are processed with the terminal and

port

___________________________________________________

Deadweight 100.000 40.000 28.700 17.100 7.600

(t)

Length Overall 250.0 195.0 179.0 151.5 114.6

(m)

Breath Mounded 42.2 28.0 25.3 22.4 16.5

(m)

Max. Draft 15.0 12.2 11.0 8.7 6.0

Loaded (m)

___________________________________________________

Construction of port and the terminal was simul-

taneously carried.

Territory of port occupied approximately 10 acre,

and the terminal of 173 acre. In this territory the sea

level from a chart datum on long-term supervision

varies from 0.1 up to 1.0 meters. Because of a wave

mode of the sea and prevention of flooding from the

mouth of the river Khobi territories of port, the deci-

sion to raise safe height construction from a chart

datum up to 2.5 meters it was accepted. In the be-

ginning of construction approximately 11000 m³ of

the vegetative layer of a ground (sickness of 0.5 me-

ter), was removed. For formation of the construc-

tion areas approximately 70000 m³ of a sandy

ground were covered. Dredging operations at the

right coast of a mouth river Khobi and directly in

aquatory of the future port were carried out with the

help of dredgers and dredges allowing the increasing

of the width of aquatory up to 290 meters. The de-

sign of a mooring facility of port was constructed in

the following sequence: creation of an obverse wall

by immersing of piles from metal grooves, marks

LX-32, alternation 27 and 25 meter piles; immersing

of piles from metal pipes diameter 820 mm on depth

up to 25 meters in a unloading wall; immersing of

piles from metal pipes diameter 1020 mm on depth

up to 27 meters in anchor wall; dredging from pipes,

using grab plant; installation channel frames in

heads of piles from pipes with concreting; installa-

tion of an obverse distributive belt; dredging under

anchor bar; stacking of wooden nozzles under an-

chor bar; installation anchor bar using the crane with

their tension; concreting anchor beams; covering

anchor bar a sandy ground with a layer not less than

1 meter; concreting head a mooring; dribble feed

bosoms of a mooring up to a bottom of a final cover-

ing with level-by-level condensation; arrangement of

a mooring after the end of dredging operations at a

mooring and in water area of port.

As a result of the made construction the new oil

terminal and port Kulevi consists of:

− The oil terminal on handling and to storage of oil

distributed in 16 shore tanks, each in volume of

20000 m³ (see fig. 2);

− A complex of hydraulic engineering constructions

providing unloading of oil from railway or road

transport to shore tanks, communication with ob-

jects of a tank farm, transportation of oil to moor-

ings and their loading on tankers;

− Hydraulic engineering constructions, which con-

sist of: mooring №1 for reception of vessels by

deadweight 100000 т., mooring №2 for reception

of vessels by deadweight 40000 т. and mooring

№3 for vessels of auxiliary fleet (see fig. 3, 4);

− A navigation channel, including: the entrance

channel, manoeuvring space – swinging room

(swinging pool) and operational space at moor-

ings (see fig. 5).

Figure 2. Shore tanks of oil terminal

Figure 3. Hydraulic engineering constructions

393

Figure 4.Hydraulic engineering constructions

Figure 5. Navigation channel

3 NAVIGATING PROVISION OF PORT

KULEVI

3.1 ORT KULEVI

Port Kulevi (42°16'N, 041°38'E) is located in the

mouth of the river Khobi, the settlement Kulevi,

running into the sea on distance of 17 km to the

North from port Poti.

Depths in mouth sites of the rivers Enguri, Khobi

and Rioni are changeable because of moving sedi-

ments and constant sea stream directed from the

South on the North up to 0.4 - 0.6 knots.

Grounds in a coastal zone up to contour line 10 m

- silt with fine sand, in sea zone - dense silt with fine

sand, clay, a broken shell.

Fogs in area of a mouth of the river Khobi - 29

days with fogs on the average per year.

Visibility is mainly good. Visibility range more

than 5 miles is observed in 90 % of cases. In 65 % of

cases visibility range about 10 miles – transmissivity

of atmosphere Т = 0.74.

The entering channel begins on natural depths

and proceeds up to a mooring №1. Length of the

channel - 2.3 miles, width in a bottom - 210 m, esti-

mated depth - 18,2 m.

The manoeuvring space is used for a swinging.

Diameter swinging room (swinging pool) - 500 m,

which is settled on the distance of 800 m from a

mooring №1.

Operational space meets the conditions of safe

manoeuvring of vessels in narrow pools with a one-

way location of moorings. The width of operational

space is - 230 m.

Moorings - №1 for reception of vessels by

deadweight 100000 т., №2 for reception of vessels

by deadweight 40000 т. and №3 for vessels of auxil-

iary.

Anchorages - the area №200 is located on outer

roads of port Poti, in distance of 5 miles on the

South from a mouth of the river Khobi.

The western part of this area with depths from 20

up to 90 m is suitable for anchorage tankers with

draft up to 15 m.

Pilot - Compulsory. Vessels expect pilotage in

area of №200. With the help of VTS operator the pi-

lot meets a vessel at receiving buoy (OMT2) in 2.3

miles to NW from an extremity of a mooring №1.

Communication with operator VTS and the pilot is

carried out on VHF, the channel 73.

Aids of navigation provide navigation of vessels

on the entering channel in the daytime. Navigating

orientation is carried out with the help of complex

use of coastal and floating aids of navigation. The

entering channel is equipped with sector light bea-

con - PEL-6-10D, fixed on an axis of the channel

and a floating protecting buoy, exposed on outer

limit of fairway on Lateral System (IALA) - Region

A « red to port side ». Swinging pool and the deep

space of port are protected special buoys.

Navigation regime in the zone of responsibility of

Georgia is performed in accordance with recom-

mended routes, which are indicated on the charts and

pilot books. Recommended track from the port of

Kulevi to the port of Poti navigation should be car-

ried out in accordance with two-way recommended

track, the separate line of which is laid through the

recommended two-way track №02 (see table 2).

394

Table 2. Recommended two-way track from the port of Kulevi to the port of Poti

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Name of the point Coordinates of the points Direction of the way between the points Nautical miles

Latitude N Longitude E

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

K01 φ=42°18.78’N λ=041°32.97’E 186-06 4,2

P01 φ=42°14.63’N λ=041°32.36’E

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Figure 6. The bloc scheme VTS-Navi Harbour Port Kulevi

3.2 VTS - NAVI HARBOUR OF PORT KULEVI

For provision of complex system of safety of navi-

gation of tankers on the channel and to moorings of

the terminal, VTS - NAVI HARBOUR of port

Kulevi was created, including the following equip-

ment and elements (see fig. 6):

− Radar station - Bridge Master-E with the radar

processor;

− The registrar VHF VTS Audio;

− Server reference data VTS (VTS Information

System);

− Server VTS;

− The equipment of operator VTS - Monitor TFT

24 ", the PC of the workstation, the specialized

keyboard of operator VTS, Software operators

display module Navi Harbour (see fig. 7);

− System of TV observation VTS consisting of –

CCTV camcorder VTS of 120 mm, with rotator

and control panel, TV monitor TFT 20 ", obser-

vation registrar (CCTV) (see fig. 8);

− Base station DGPS Trimble DCM232;

− Base station Transas Redundant UAIS;

− VHF VTS - ICOM-M602 and ICOM-А110 for

communication with aircrafts;

− Coastal station GMDSS A1- 16/70 channel -2x

RT4160, DSC modem T500.

Figure 7. Workstation of operator VTS

Figure 8. System of TV observation VTS

395

Recommended tracks pass in distance 8-10 miles

from coast and there are no navigating dangers near

them. According to Resolution IMO A.529 the area

of navigation is related to a voyage stage - «ap-

proaches to ports». Under the calculations and the

analysis of the received indicators carried out for,

the following conclusion was made for recommend-

ed entering tracks: the visual navigation aids do not

provide necessary accuracy of position fixing during

navigation on the channel. Necessary accuracy of

position fixing is possible only by using sector lead-

ing light, floating navigating protections and VTS -

NAVI HARBOUR.

3.3 ANALYSIS OF HUDRO METEOROLOGICAL

CONDITIONS

The analysis of hydrometeorological characteristics

showed, that the limiting factor, influencing on the

safety of navigation and effective operation of hy-

draulic engineering constructions of port Kulevi, is

the excitement arising mainly at action of winds of

the westerly.

Thus, at an initial stage wind conditions of the

given area were carefully analyzed.

The analysis of wind conditions showed, that the

basic wave creating winds are winds of the westerly.

The winds of easterly are coastal and do not render

essential influence on a wave situation (see fig.9).

The most dangerous, from the point of view of

safety of navigation, are winds of the western and

southwest directions due to the big dispersal of

waves (see table 3). At moderate and rough sea on

approaches to a mouth of the river Khobi the tied rip

is formed. At rough sea in a mouth of the river it is

observed tyagun.

Notation conventions

Calm

Speed of a wind 1-4 m/s

Speed of a wind 5-9 m/s

Speed of a wind 10-15 m/s

Speed of a wind more 15m/s

Figure 9. Annual wind rose

4 FEATURES OF ENTRANCE AND EXIT OF

VESSELS TO PORT KULEVI

In-coming channel of port Kulevi has the following

data: length - 2.3 miles;

Distance from receiving buoy up to swinging

pool - 1.2 miles; diameter swinging pool - 500 me-

ters; distance from the centre swinging pool up to an

entrance to port - 5.7 cables.

For a safe entrance and exit of vessels at least 3

tows are used.

The entrance is carried out on a technological

card of enter and mooring (see fig. 10):

− Entering vessel accepts the pilot at receiving buoy

(OMT2) and under supervision of operator VTS

begins to move on an axis of the channel with

maximum critical speed of 4-5 knots.

− For fast repayment of headway of a vessel, during

its move to swinging pool to pass stern towing

line on a tug.

− On arrival of a vessel to the swinging pool its in-

ertia decreases, and turn of a vessel begins

through the starboard (position 1,2) with the help

of two tugs and bow thruster (if those are at enter-

ing vessel).

− A vessel is swinging 180

(position 3, 4), then the

stern tug starts to tighten a vessel to stern in a di-

rection to a mooring (a position 5).

The exit of a vessel is carried out without any dif-

ficulties as a vessel stands bow outward at a moor-

ing. It is necessary to make small efforts from the

bow and stern to withdraw a vessel using tugs from

a mooring and it immediately appears on a channel

axis and in its own power exits outward moving on

the channel to receiving buoy under the direction of

the pilot and operator VTS.

Figure 10. Technological card of enter and mooring tankers of

Kulevi port

396

Table 3. Wind directions & speed in harbourage of Kulevi port

______________________________________________________________________________

Speed of a wind m/s Direction Total

- N NE E SE S SW W NW

______________________________________________________________________________

Calm 8.2 - - - - - - - - 8.2

1-4 - 1.7 5.0 17.3 4.2 4.6 12.2 10.4 4.5 59.9

5-9 - 0.3 1.1 8.7 0.9 1.8 5.3 3.4 1.3 22.8

10-15 - - 0.1 3.4 0.1 0.5 1.1 0.9 0.3 6.4

More 15 - - 0.1 1.9 - 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.1 2.7

Total 8.2 2.0 6.3 31.3 5.2 7.0 18.8 15.0 6.2 100

______________________________________________________________________________

5 CONCLUSIONS

It is possible conclude, that prospect of development

of port Kulevi from the point of view of safety navi-

gation, its economic feasibility and also effective

operation of hydraulic engineering:

− In connection with that buoys, bordering width of

the channel are established on depths of 8-12 me-

ters, and their anchor cables length is 30 meters.

They drift under the influence of current, the

width of the channel varies and a basis of safe

movement of a vessel in the channel is orientation

with help VTS - NAVI HARBOUR.

− In area of port Kulevi dynamics of the sediments

is caused, basically, a firm drains of the river

− Khobi. The basic sedimentation of deposits oc-

curs on internal water area, and also on a site en-

tering channel in 0-700 meters, that is why it is

necessary to carry out measurements of depths

per 2 weeks and after each storm.

− The most dangerous, from the point of view of

safety of navigation, are a wind of the western

and southwest directions. It is expedient to carry

out the complex analysis of hydrometeorological

characteristics in area of port Kulevi with the

purpose of development of an optimum variant of

the protective constructions, allowing to increase

a degree of navigating safety at navigation on wa-

ter area, and also to increase efficiency of its op-

eration.

REFERENCES

Georgian Maritime Administration, The Regulations On estab-

lishing the traffic separation scheme, separation of sea cor-

ridors and maritime special areas in the territorial sea of

Georgia. www.maradgeorgia.org

Dzhaoshvili S. “Hydrologic-morphological processes in mouth

zone river Rioni and their anthropogenesis changes”. Water

resources, w.25, №2, 1998.

Varazashvili N. “Geological processes and the phenomena in a

zone of construction of sea hydraulic engineering construc-

tions and actions on improvement of a coastal situation”.

Engineering geology (excerpt). Academy of Sciences the

USSR. Moscow, 1983.

Dzhaoshvili S. “New data about beach formed sediments of a

coastal zone of Georgia”. Water resources (excerpt). Acad-

emy of Sciences the USSR. Moscow, 1984.

Materials of supervision over elements of a hydrometeorolog-

cal mode for the period 1971-1999. (Information of Poti

mouth stations).

Bettes P. “Diffraction and refraction of surface waves using fi-

nite and infinite elements”. Numerical Meth. London, 1997.

Bach H., Christiansen P. “Numerical investigations of creeping

waves in water theory”. ZAMM. New York, 2004.

Black Sea Terminal of Port Kulevi.

http://www.kulevioilterminal.com