Apparatus for mitigating slugging in flowline systems
First Claim
1. A system for mitigating slugging in the conveyance of hydrocarbons in a flowline from the sea floor to the surface of the sea, comprising:
- a subsea flowline extending substantially longitudinally along a surface of the sea floor, the subsea flowline carrying multiphase hydrocarbons therein;
a riser extending from the surface of the sea in fluid communication with the flowline; and
a slug-mitigating assembly positioned between the subsea flowline and the riser so that the slug-mitigating assembly receives the hydrocarbons, front the flowline and conveys the hydrocarbons to the riser, the slug-mitigating assembly having a plurality of consecutively joined tubular segments that are each arcuate along a predetermined arcuate angle, each segment having a substantially uniform cross-section, wherein each tubular segment positioned between the tubular segments connected to the flowline and the riser, respectively, is oriented at a predetermined angle of rotation relative to adjacent tubular segments, the angle of rotation being such that the flowpath of the hydrocarbons is in a spiral through the slug-mitigation assembly.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for mitigating slugging in the conveyance of hydrocarbons in a flowline includes a first portion of flowline that extends substantially longitudinally along a declining surface. The first flowline portion carries multiphase hydrocarbons. A second portion of flowline extends upward from adjacent the first portion of flowline, and is in fluid communication with the first portion of flowline. A slug-mitigating region is between the first and second portions of flowline so slug-mitigating assembly receives the hydrocarbons from the first portion of flowline and conveys the hydrocarbons to the second portion of flowline. The slug-mitigating region has consecutively joined tubular segments that are each arcuate along a predetermined arcuate angle, with substantially uniform cross-sections. The first portion of flowline can be a subsea flowline extending along a sea floor, and the second portion of flowline can be a riser.
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Citations
36 Claims
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1. A system for mitigating slugging in the conveyance of hydrocarbons in a flowline from the sea floor to the surface of the sea, comprising:
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a subsea flowline extending substantially longitudinally along a surface of the sea floor, the subsea flowline carrying multiphase hydrocarbons therein; a riser extending from the surface of the sea in fluid communication with the flowline; and a slug-mitigating assembly positioned between the subsea flowline and the riser so that the slug-mitigating assembly receives the hydrocarbons, front the flowline and conveys the hydrocarbons to the riser, the slug-mitigating assembly having a plurality of consecutively joined tubular segments that are each arcuate along a predetermined arcuate angle, each segment having a substantially uniform cross-section, wherein each tubular segment positioned between the tubular segments connected to the flowline and the riser, respectively, is oriented at a predetermined angle of rotation relative to adjacent tubular segments, the angle of rotation being such that the flowpath of the hydrocarbons is in a spiral through the slug-mitigation assembly. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An assembly for mitigating slugging of multiphase hydrocarbons that is to be positioned between a subsea flowline extending substantially longitudinally along a sea floor and a riser extending from a surface of the sea toward the sea floor, the assembly comprising:
a plurality of consecutively joined tubular segments, each of the segments being arcuate along a predetermined arcuate angle, having a substantially uniform cross-section, wherein each tubular segment positioned between the tubular segments to be connected to the flowline and the riser, respectively, is oriented at a predetermined angle of rotation relative to adjacent tubular segments, the predetermined angle being between 0 and 90 degrees. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method for mitigating slugging in the conveyance of hydrocarbons from the sea floor to the surface of the sea, comprising:
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a) conveying multiphase hydrocarbons from a flowline to a riser through a slug-mitigating region, the slug-mitigating region comprising a plurality of tubular segments, each of the plurality of tubular segments being oriented at a predetermined angle of rotation relative to the immediately prior tubular segment, thereby causing a flowpath of the hydrocarbons to be in a spiral though the slug-mitigation assembly; (b) maintaining a volume within the slug-mitigating region for the conveyance of the multiphase hydrocarbons with a substantially uniform cross-section of the slug-mitigating region through which the hydrocarbons flow; (c) altering a flowpath of the hydrocarbons along a plurality of arcs formed in the slug-mitigating region; and (d) inducing the hydrocarbons to swirl when passing through the slug-mitigation assembly in response to the spiral shape. - View Dependent Claims (23)
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24. A system for mitigating slugging in the conveyance of hydrocarbons in a flowline, comprising:
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a first portion of flowline extending substantially longitudinally along a declining surface of the sea floor, the first portion of flowline carrying multiphase hydrocarbons therein; a second portion of flowline extending upward from adjacent the first portion of flowline, the second portion of flowline being in fluid communication with the first portion of flowline; and a slug-mitigating region positioned between the first and second portions of flowline so that the slug-mitigating region receives the hydrocarbons from the first portion of flowline and conveys the hydrocarbons to the second portion of flowline, the slug-mitigating region having a plurality of consecutively joined tubular segments that are each arcuate along a predetermined arcuate angle, each segment having a substantially uniform cross-section, wherein each tubular segment positioned between the tubular segments connected to the first and second portions of flowline, respectively, is oriented at a predetermined angle of rotation relative to adjacent tubular segments, and the angle of rotation being such that the flowpath of the hydrocarbons is in a spiral through the slug-mitigation region. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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Specification