Method and apparatus for flow assurance management in subsea single production flowline

• US 8,469,101 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2008
• Issued: 06/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Exxonmobil Upstream Research Company (Exxon Mobil Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Exxonmobil Upstream Research Company (Exxon Mobil Corporation)
• Inventors: Fowler, Tracy A., Bennett, Jim R., Fontenette, Lionel M., Stoisits, Richard F., Witteveld, Virginia C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Buck, Matthew
• Assistant Examiner(s): SAYRE, JAMES G
• Application Number:
  US12/676,542
• Publication Number:
  US 20100252260A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,775 Days
• Field of Search: 166/311, 166/312, 166/369, 166/338, 166/339, 166/344, 166/345, 166/347, 166/352, 166/366, 166/367
• US Class Current: 166/338
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/01 specially adapted for obtaining from underwater installations
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 1/17 by mixing with another liquid , i.e. diluting

Abstract

Managing hydrates in a subsea includes a host production facility, a production cluster comprising one or more producers, a water injection cluster comprising one or more water injectors, a water injection line, and a single production line for directing production fluid from the one or more producers to the host production facility. The methods comprise placing a pig in the subsea production system, shutting in production from the producers, and injecting a displacement fluid into the subsea production system in order to displace the hydrate inhibitor and any remaining production fluids in the production flowline and to further move the pig through the production flowline. The method may also include further injecting displacement fluid into the subsea production system in order to displace the hydrate inhibitor and pig through the single production line and to the host production facility.

Claims

1. A method of managing hydrates in a subsea production system, the subsea production system having a host production facility, a production cluster comprising one or more producers, a water injection cluster comprising one or more water injectors, a water injection line, and a single production line for directing fluids from the one or more producers to the host production facility, the method comprising:

storing a pig in the subsea production system by injecting the pig into the water injection line, and advancing the pig into a subsea storage location in the subsea production system using injection water;

storing the pig in the subsea storage location for a period of time;

shutting in production from the one or more producers;

injecting a hydrate inhibitor into the subsea production system in order to move the pig to the subsea production cluster, thereby at least partially displacing production fluids from the production cluster;

launching the pig from the subsea storage location; and

injecting a displacement fluid into the subsea production system in order to displace the hydrate inhibitor and any remaining production fluids into the single production line, and to further move the pig through the production line.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

further injecting displacement fluid into the subsea production system in order to displace the hydrate inhibitor and pig through the single production line and to the host production facility.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the displacement fluid is crude oil, diesel, or a combination thereof.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the displacement fluid is additional hydrate inhibitor.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the hydrate inhibitor is selected from the group consisting of methanol and a low dosage hydrate inhibitor (LDHI).

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the production cluster further comprises a production manifold, and jumpers for providing fluid communication between the production manifold and the one or more producers.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the single production line comprises a subsea production flowline and a production riser in fluid communication with the host production facility.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the subsea production system further comprises a control umbilical having a hydrate inhibitor line and a displacement fluid service line, and wherein displacement fluid is injected from the displacement fluid service line into the subsea production system.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein injecting a hydrate inhibitor into the subsea production system further comprises pumping the hydrate inhibitor from the hydrate inhibitor line into the production manifold in order to provide light touch operations before moving the pig through the production cluster.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the subsea production system further comprises a water injection cluster comprising one or more water injectors, and a water injection manifold; and

the water injection line comprises a water injection riser and a subsea flowline for receiving injection water from the host production facility.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

isolating the subsea storage location after launching the pig.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the subsea production system further comprises a crossover manifold;

a central pipeline resides in the crossover manifold and provides fluid communication between the water injection cluster and the production cluster; and

launching the pig comprises advancing the pig from the subsea storage location, through the central pipeline, and to the production manifold.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises:

launching a new pig from the host production facility, through the water injection riser, through the water injection flowline, and to the subsea storage location;

storing the new pig in the subsea storage location; and

putting the producers back into production.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

putting the producers back into production; and

producing hydrocarbon fluids from the one or more producers, through the production manifold, through the production flowline, through the production riser, and to the host production facility.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

injecting injection water through the one or more injectors.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein storing a pig in the subsea production system comprises placing the pig into a subsea pig launcher, and the method further comprises:

storing the pig in the subsea pig launcher for a period of time; and

launching the pig from the subsea pig launcher.

17. The method of claim 2, wherein water continues to be injected through the one or more injectors while the pig is being moved to the subsea production cluster.

18. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the subsea production system further comprises a stand-alone manifold located near an outer end of the production flowline; and

the water injection line and the manifold are interconnected by an extension of the water injection flowline and a smaller-bore water return line.

19. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

depressuring the single production line after shutting in production from the one or more producers.

20. A method of managing hydrates in a subsea production system, the subsea production system having a host production facility, a production cluster comprising one or more producers, a water injection cluster comprising one or more water injectors, a crossover manifold having a central pipeline connecting the production cluster and the water injection cluster, a water injection line, and a single production line for directing fluids from the one or more producers to the host production facility, the method comprising:

storing a pig in a subsea storage location;

shutting in production from the one or more producers;

injecting a hydrate inhibitor into a production manifold of the production cluster to inhibit the formation of hydrates;

further injecting the hydrate inhibitor in order to move the pig from the subsea storage location, thereby at least partially displacing production fluids from the production cluster;

injecting a displacement fluid into the production system in order to displace the hydrate inhibitor and any remaining production fluids into the single production line, and to further move the pig through the production line; and

further injecting the displacement fluid into the production system in order to displace the hydrate inhibitor and pig through the single production line and to the host production facility.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein:

the subsea storage location is a water injection manifold in the water injection cluster; and

the displacement fluid is a dead displacement fluid.

22. A system for managing hydrates in a subsea production system, the subsea production system comprising:

a production cluster comprising one or more producers operatively connected to a single production line;

a water injection cluster comprising one or more water injectors operatively connected to a water injection line, which is configured to deliver a pig into a subsea storage location, wherein the subsea storage location is operatively connected to at least the water injection line, the single production line, and a chemical injection service line;

a crossover manifold operatively connected to the production cluster, the water injection cluster, and the chemical injection service line configured to inject a hydrate inhibitor into the crossover manifold to move the pig through the production cluster and into the single production line;

a displacement fluid injection service line configured to inject displacement fluid into the crossover manifold; and

a control umbilical, the control umbilical comprises at least the displacement fluid injection service line and the chemical injection service line,

wherein the production cluster further comprises a production manifold operatively connected to the single production line and at least one production jumper line, each of the at least one production jumper line operatively connected to one of the producers,

wherein the water injection cluster further comprises a water injection manifold operatively connected to the water injection line and at least one injection jumper, each of the at least one injection jumper operatively connected to one of the injectors,

wherein the crossover manifold further comprise a central pipeline operatively connected to at least the water injection manifold, the production manifold, the chemical injection service line, and the displacement fluid injection service line,

wherein the central pipeline is further configured to store the pig and launch the pig.

23. The system of claim 22, further comprising at least one host production facility operatively connected to the water injection cluster by the water injection line and the production cluster by the single production line.

24. The system of claim 22, further comprising at least two host production facilities, wherein the water injection line is operatively connected to one of the at least two host production facilities and the single production line is connected to another of the at least two host production facilities.