Subsea technique for promoting fluid flow

• US 9,435,185 B2
• Filed: 12/24/2010
• Issued: 09/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wright's IP Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: Wright's Well Control Services, LLC
• Inventors: Wright, David C., Dufrene, Jeffery Wilbert
• Primary Examiner(s): Freay, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): ZOLLINGER, NATHAN C
• Application Number:
  US12/978,448
• Publication Number:
  US 20110158824A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,083 Days
• Field of Search: 417/375, 417/408, 166/105.5, 166/304, 175/5, 175/6
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 19/0042 modifying the liquid flow B01D19/0021 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 19/0063 Regulation, control including valves and floats for construction and details of valves F16K
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 17/20 Flexible or articulated drilling pipes , e.g. flexible or articulated rods, pipes or cables
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 37/06 using chemical means for preventing or limiting , e.g. eliminating, the deposition of paraffins or like substances
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 41/0007 for underwater installations E21B41/005, E21B41/04, E21B41/06, E21B41/08, E21B41/10 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 41/0099 specially adapted for drilling for or production of natural hydrate or clathrate gas reservoirs; Drilling through or monitoring of formations containing gas hydrates or clathrates
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/01 specially adapted for obtaining from underwater installations
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/35 specially adapted for separating solids down-hole drilling fluid separation systems E21B21/002; separating solids from drilling fluids E21B21/065
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/36 Underwater separating arrangements E21B43/38 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 47/08 the motors being actuated by fluid
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 2/16 with helical teeth, e.g. chevron-shaped, screw type for non-parallel axes of movement F04C3/00

Abstract

The present application is directed to a submersible pumping system operable under hydrostatic pressure. The system suitably comprises a prime mover submersible within a first fluid; a pump means submersible within the first fluid and sealably coupled to the prime mover; and a fluid source in fluid communication with the prime mover, the fluid source providing a second fluid effective to act on the prime mover to power the pump means; wherein the second fluid is discharged in the first fluid after acting on the prime mover; and wherein the second fluid has a chemical composition substantially similar to the first fluid.

Claims

1. A method of recovering a pipeline fluid from a source of the pipeline fluid located in a subsea environment comprising the steps of:

positioning a fluid powered motor and a pump in the subsea environment;

connecting the pump to the source of the pipeline fluid with one or more conduits, wherein the source of the pipeline fluid consists of a pipeline, a pipeline end termination, a producing well, a pipeline and a pipeline end termination, or a pipeline and a producing well;

connecting a separator to the source of the pipeline fluid with a pipeline conduit of the one or more conduits;

connecting the separator to the pump with a first fluid conduit of the one or more conduits;

communicating pressurized seawater from a water surface through a seawater conduit into the fluid powered motor to actuate the fluid powered motor;

discharging the pressurized seawater from the fluid powered motor into the subsea environment;

driving the pump with the fluid powered motor to decrease pressure in at least the first fluid conduit and the pipeline conduit of the one or more conduits for removing or acting on a blockage in the pipeline fluid to result in a flow or an increased flow of the pipeline fluid from the source of the pipeline fluid; and

pumping a liquid portion of the pipeline fluid with the pump through a second fluid conduit to the water surface.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

providing the separator along the pipeline downstream from the source of the pipeline fluid, wherein the step of driving the pump with the fluid powered motor decreases pressure in the separator;

communicating the pipeline fluid having the blockage acted on or removed into the separator to separate the pipeline fluid into gas and liquid; and

venting the gas from the separator.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the blockage comprises a hydrate plug, an ice plug, a paraffin wax deposit, or a paraffin deposit.

4. A method for hydrate remediation and fluid recovery from a subsea location, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a pump in fluid connection with a separator, wherein the pump and the separator are connected with a first fluid conduit and are located in a subsea environment;

connecting the separator to a subsea fluid source using a pipeline conduit, wherein the subsea fluid source consists of a pipeline, a pipeline end termination, a producing well, a pipeline and a pipeline end termination, or a pipeline and a producing well, wherein the subsea fluid source contains a fluid comprising a blockage;

actuating the pump to decrease pressure in at least the separator and in the pipeline conduit to act on or remove the blockage in the fluid to result in flow or increased flow of the fluid from the subsea fluid source through the pipeline conduit into the separator;

separating the fluid into a gas and a liquid with the separator; and

pumping the liquid with the pump through a second fluid conduit to a water surface.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of communicating the gas from the separator through a third fluid conduit to the water surface.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of injecting methanol, a methanol solution, or a hydrate inhibitor into the separator, pipeline conduit, or combinations thereof to prevent hydrates from forming.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the blockage comprises a hydrate plug, an ice plug, a paraffin wax deposit, or a paraffin deposit.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising deploying equipment from a surface platform.

9. A method for acting on or removing a blockage from a pipeline fluid in a subsea environment, the method comprising the steps of:

positioning a fluid pump and a separator in the subsea environment, wherein the fluid pump and the separator are connected by a first fluid conduit;

connecting the separator to a pipeline comprising the pipeline fluid containing the blockage;

actuating the fluid pump to decrease pressure in at least the separator and the pipeline, thereby;

acting on or removing the blockage to result in flow or increased flow of the pipeline fluid; and

communicating the pipeline fluid having the blockage acted on or removed through the separator to separate the pipeline fluid into liquid and gas; and

pumping the liquid with the fluid pump through a second fluid conduit.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of communicating the gas from the separator through a third fluid conduit.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the blockage comprises a hydrate plug, an ice plug, a paraffin wax deposit, or a paraffin deposit.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of injecting methanol, a methanol solution, or a hydrate inhibitor into the separator, the pipeline, or combinations thereof to prevent hydrates from forming.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising deploying equipment from a surface platform.