Subsea fluid processing system and an associated method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9512700-B2
Application number	US-201414568759-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 12, 2014
Priority date	Nov 13, 2014
Publication date	Dec 6, 2016
Grant date	Dec 6, 2016

Abstract

A subsea fluid processing system is provided containing a liquid reservoir, an inlet tank, a pump, an outlet system, and a fluid re-circulation loop. The liquid reservoir circulates a primer liquid stream to the inlet tank via the fluid re-circulation loop. The inlet tank further receives a first production fluid stream and mixes it with the primer liquid stream to produce thereby a second production fluid stream having a reduced gas volume fraction (GVF) relative to the first production fluid stream. The pump receives the second production fluid stream from the inlet tank and increases its pressure. Further, the outlet system containing the liquid reservoir receives the second production fluid stream from the pump and separates at least a portion of the primer liquid stream from a principal production stream. The primer liquid includes at least one exogenous liquid not derived from the first production fluid stream.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A subsea fluid processing system comprising:
a liquid reservoir configured to deliver a primer liquid stream to an inlet tank configured to receive a first production fluid stream and mix it with the primer liquid stream and to produce thereby a second production fluid stream having a reduced gas volume fraction (GVF) relative to the first production fluid stream;
a pump configured to receive the second production fluid stream from the inlet tank and increase its pressure; and
an outlet system configured to receive the second production fluid stream from the pump and to separate at least a portion of the primer liquid stream from a principal production stream,
wherein the primer liquid stream comprises at least one exogenous liquid not derived from the first production fluid stream and water derived from the first production fluid stream, and wherein the outlet system comprises a reinjection loop configured to feed a portion of the primer liquid stream and the water to a reinjection well via a reinjection system.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the liquid reservoir is integral to the outlet system and coupled to an umbilical system configured to periodically feed the primer liquid stream to the liquid reservoir.

3. The system according to claim 2 , wherein the liquid reservoir is linked to the inlet tank via a fluid re-circulation loop.

4. The system according to claim 3 , wherein the fluid re-circulation loop comprises a flow-control valve configured to regulate a flow of the primer liquid stream.

5. The system according to claim 4 , wherein the liquid reservoir is further linked to at least one a fluid inlet coupled to the inlet tank, a feed line coupled to the pump, and the pump via the fluid re-circulation loop.

6. The system according to claim 5 , further comprising a plurality of sensors disposed on at least one of the fluid inlet, the inlet tank, the feed line, and the pump.

7. The system according to claim 6 , further comprising a control unit communicatively coupled to the plurality of sensors and configured to generate one or more control signals for controlling at least one of the flow-control valve to regulate the flow of the primer liquid stream, and the pump to regulate a speed of the pump.

8. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the primer liquid stream comprises one or more liquids selected from the group consisting of water, alcohols and oils.

9. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the primer liquid stream comprises at least one of an ethylene glycol, a 1,1,1-trichloroethane, and a carbon tetrachloride.

10. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the primer liquid stream comprises at least one liquid component present in the first production fluid stream.

11. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the primer liquid stream comprises one or more liquid hydrocarbons derived from the first production fluid stream.

12. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the outlet system further comprises another reinjection loop configured to feed a portion of the primer liquid stream and the one or more liquid hydrocarbons to a fluid outlet.

13. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising a by-pass valve configured to regulate a flow of the second production fluid stream to the outlet system and a distant storage facility.

14. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising a re-circulation liquid tank disposed downstream relative to the liquid reservoir and coupled to the inlet tank via a fluid re-circulation loop, wherein the fluid re-circulation loop comprises a check valve disposed between the re-circulation liquid tank and the liquid reservoir and configured to regulate a flow of the primer liquid stream from the liquid reservoir to the re-circulation liquid tank.

15. A method comprising:
circulating a primer liquid stream into an inlet tank from a liquid reservoir linked to the inlet tank via a fluid re-circulation loop, wherein the inlet tank is configured to receive a first production fluid stream and mix it with the primer liquid stream to produce thereby a second production fluid stream having a reduced gas volume fraction (GVF) relative to the first production fluid stream;
feeding the second production fluid stream from the inlet tank to a pump configured to increase pressure of the second production fluid stream;
receiving the second production fluid stream from the pump into an outlet system and separating at least a portion of the primer liquid stream from a principal production stream, wherein the primer liquid stream comprises at least one exogenous liquid not derived from the first production fluid stream and water derived from the first production fluid stream, and wherein the outlet system comprises a reinjection loop configured to feed a portion of the primer liquid stream and the water to a reinjection well via a reinjection system; and
transporting the principal production stream from the outlet system to a distant fluid storage facility via a fluid outlet.

16. The method according to claim 15 , further comprising circulating at least a portion of the primer liquid stream to at least one a fluid inlet coupled to the inlet tank, a feed line coupled to the pump, and the pump from the liquid reservoir via the fluid re-circulation loop.

17. The method according to claim 16 , further comprising controlling at least one of a flow of the primer liquid stream via a flow-control valve, and a speed of the pump, wherein the flow-control valve is coupled to the fluid re-circulation loop.

18. The method according to claim 17 , further comprising a control unit communicatively coupled to a plurality of sensors disposed on one or more components of a subsea fluid processing system and at least one of the flow-control valve and the pump, and configured to generate one or more control signals for controlling at least one of the flow-control valve to regulate the flow of the primer liquid stream and the pump to regulate the speed of the pump.

19. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the primer liquid stream comprises one or more liquids selected from the group consisting of water, alcohols and oils.

20. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the primer liquid stream comprises at least one of an ethylene glycol, a 1,1,1-trichloroethane, and a carbon tetrachloride.

21. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the primer liquid stream comprises at least one liquid component present in the first production fluid stream.

22. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the primer liquid stream comprises one or more liquid hydrocarbons derived from the first production fluid stream.

23. The method according to claim 22 , wherein the outlet system further comprises another reinjection loop configured to feed a portion of the primer liquid stream and the one or more liquid hydrocarbons to the fluid outlet.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Becquin Guillaume
• Ashar Jr Siddharth Navinchandra
• Michelassi Vittorio
• Castane Selga Rosa
• Du Cauze De Nazelle Rene

Classifications

• E21B43/36

  Underwater separating arrangements (E21B43/38 takes precedence) · CPC title

• Y10T137/86027

  Electric · CPC title

• Y10T137/2076

  Utilizing diverse fluids · CPC title

• E21B43/017 Primary

  Production satellite stations, i.e. underwater installations comprising a plurality of satellite well heads connected to a central station · CPC title

• Y10T137/86171

  With pump bypass · CPC title