Methods and systems for passivation of remote systems by chemical displacement through pre-charged conduits

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10137484-B2
Application number	US-201615188352-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 21, 2016
Priority date	Jul 16, 2015
Publication date	Nov 27, 2018
Grant date	Nov 27, 2018

Abstract

The present techniques are directed to systems and methods for displacing a structure in a fluid handling system with a displacement fluid. A system includes a plurality of storage conduits that can hold a treatment fluid or a barrier fluid. The treatment and barrier fluids are transferred from the storage conduits by a displacement fluid using a driver.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for displacing fluids from a fluid handling system that is comprised of at least one structure requiring displacement, the system for displacing fluids comprising:
i) a plurality of storage conduits, each storage conduit having an outlet and an inlet valve proximate an inlet;
ii) an outlet manifold having a plurality of inlets, one for each outlet of the plurality of storage conduits, and a manifold outlet spaced from the plurality of inlets;
iii) an outlet valve proximate the manifold outlet and connected to a flow line in fluid communication with an inlet of the at least one structure to be displaced;
iv) an inlet manifold having an inlet and a plurality of outlets, each of the plurality of outlets in fluid communication with an associated inlet valve of one of the plurality of storage conduits;
v) a displacement fluid inlet manifold inlet valve having an inlet in fluid communication with a source of a displacement fluid and an outlet in fluid communication with the inlet manifold;
vi) a treatment fluid inlet manifold inlet valve having an inlet in fluid communication with a source of a treatment fluid and an outlet in fluid communication with the inlet manifold;
vii) a barrier fluid inlet manifold inlet valve having an inlet in fluid communication with a source of a barrier fluid and an outlet in fluid communication with the inlet manifold; and
viii) at least three drivers for transferring fluids into and out of the plurality of storage conduits and in fluid communication with the inlet manifold;
wherein the at least three drivers include a first driver to transfer displacement fluid, a second driver to transfer treatment fluid, and a third driver to transfer barrier fluid into the storage conduits to selective recharge the storage conduits.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system for displacing fluids is located remotely from a control facility and configured for remote operation from the control facility.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the storage conduits is charged with a treatment fluid and at least one of the storage conduits is charged with a barrier fluid.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the treatment fluid is for preventing or remediating hydrate formation and is selected from the group consisting of methanol, ethanol, ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, and combinations thereof.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein the barrier fluid is selected from the group consisting of diesel, stabilized crude oil, nitrogen, argon, and combinations thereof.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the displacement fluid is seawater and the source of the displacement fluid is an ocean.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one driver is a pump.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one driver is a compressor or a pressurized vessel.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system for displacing fluids is in fluid communication with, and used for displacing fluids from, a fluid handling system that is a hydrocarbon production system.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the hydrocarbon production system is a subsea hydrocarbon production system.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the at least one structure to be displaced is a production flow line including a riser.

12. A method for displacing fluids in a fluid handling system comprising at least one structure to be displaced and a plurality of storage conduits, the method comprising:
transferring a treatment fluid from at least one of the plurality of storage conduits towards or into the at least one structure to be displaced using at least one driver, while charging the storage conduit(s) from which the treatment fluid is transferred with displacement fluid;
transferring a barrier fluid from at least one of the plurality of storage conduits towards or into the at least one structure to be displaced using the at least one driver, while charging the storage conduit(s) from which the barrier fluid is transferred with displacement fluid; and
transferring the displacement fluid from at least one of the plurality of storage conduits into the at least one structure to be displaced.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising repeating the transfer of the treatment fluid from one or more additional storage conduits containing the treatment fluid until a desired volume of treatment fluid has been transferred out of the plurality of storage conduits or all of the plurality of storage conduits containing treatment fluid have been emptied.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising repeating the transfer of the barrier fluid from one or more additional storage conduits containing the barrier fluid until a desired volume of barrier fluid has been transferred out of the plurality of storage conduits or all of the plurality of storage conduits containing barrier fluid have been emptied.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising recharging the storage conduit(s) from which the treatment fluid was transferred with treatment fluid and recharging the storage conduit(s) from which the barrier fluid was transferred with barrier fluid.

16. A method for displacing active hydrocarbon fluids to shut-in a hydrocarbon production system comprising at least one structure to be displaced and a plurality of storage conduits, the method comprising:
transferring a treatment fluid from at least one of the plurality of storage conduits towards or into the at least one structure to be displaced using at least one driver, while charging the storage conduit from which the treatment fluid is transferred with displacement fluid;
transferring a barrier fluid from at least one of the plurality of storage conduits towards or into the at least one structure to be displaced using the at least one driver, while charging the storage conduit from which the barrier fluid is transferred with displacement fluid; and
transferring the displacement fluid from at least one of the plurality of storage conduits into the at least one structure to be displaced.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising repeating the transfer of the treatment fluid from one or more additional storage conduits containing the treatment fluid until a desired volume of treatment fluid has been transferred from the plurality of storage conduits or all of the plurality of storage conduits containing treatment fluid have been emptied.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising repeating the transfer of the barrier fluid from one or more additional storage conduits containing the barrier fluid until a desired volume of barrier fluid has been transferred from the plurality of storage conduits or all of the plurality of storage conduits containing barrier fluid have been emptied.

19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising recharging the storage conduit(s) from which the treatment fluid was transferred with treatment fluid and recharging the storage conduit(s) from which the barrier fluid was transferred with barrier fluid.

Assignees

• Turner Douglas J
• Dubois Jonathan R
• Young Marc S
• Exxonmobil Upstream Res Co

Inventors

• Turner Douglas J
• Dubois Jonathan R
• Young Marc S

Classifications

• E21B21/08

  Controlling or monitoring pressure or flow of drilling fluid, e.g. automatic filling of boreholes, automatic control of bottom pressure (valve arrangements therefor E21B21/10) · CPC title

• F17D5/00

  Protection or supervision of installations (arrangements for protecting foundations E02D31/00; protecting pipes from damage or internal or external wear F16L57/00, against corrosion and scale F16L58/00; investigation of the fluid-tightness of structures G01M3/00) · CPC title

• E21B41/0007 Primary

  for underwater installations (E21B41/005, E21B41/04, E21B41/06, E21B41/08, E21B41/10 take precedence) · CPC title

• B08B9/0325 Primary

  Control mechanisms therefor · CPC title

• E21B21/06

  Arrangements for treating drilling fluids outside the borehole · CPC title