丹麦专利DK201570466A1 Subsea processing of well fluids

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专利摘要:
A towable unit for subsea processing of well fluids comprises a pipeline bundle extending between, and capable of acting in tension between, a first towhead at an upstream end of the bundle and a second towhead at a downstream end of the bundle. At least one of the towheads has an on-board processing facility for processing the well fluids, which facility effects at least separation of water phases that are present in the well fluids.
公开号:DK201570466A1
申请号:DK201570466
申请日:2015-07-15
公开日:2015-07-27
发明作者:Ratnam Sathananthan；Sigbjorn Daasvatn
申请人:Subsea 7 Norway As；
IPC主号:

专利说明:

Subsea processing øf well fluids
This invention relates to subsea processing or treatment of well fluids in oil and gas production from subsea wells. Some embodiments of the invention employ a wax removal system to enable ‘cold flow' oil and gas transportation in a subsea environment.
After extraction: at a subsea wellhead, well fluid (which may comprise crude oil and/or natural gas) is carried as a welfstream along a seabed pipeline or tie-back1 and then up å riser to å surface unit for temporary storage and onward transportation. Some examples of surface units are platforms, Floating Process, Storage and Offloading vessels (FPSOs), onshore plants and Floating Liquefaction of Natural Gas vessels (FLNGs). Tie-backs can extend for rnifiy kilometres; there is a trend toward longer tie-backs, 150km for example, as oil and gas production extends into deeper and more challenging waters.
At some point, the wellstream must be processed, for example to separate out water, gas and Sdlid-phase irhSteriai such as sand entrained in the wellstream. Processing may be performed at the surface unit but over the past twenty years, there has been a drive to adopt subsea processing. Subsea processing may also involve pre-processing, allowing for further processing steps: to: take place at the surface unit.
In general, subsea processing of the wellstream may involve pumping to increase its flow rates ihd/or pressure; separation Of Sub-products such as water, gas and solid-phase material; and warming or cooling the wellstream to achieve the best flow rate. More specifically, subsea processing technology encompasses functions such as manifolding, water/oil/gas separation, water cleaning, boosting, water re-injection, de-waxing, gas compression, power supply and controlling,
The main market drivers for subsea processing are increased productivity, increased recovery, improved flow assurance, longer tie-back distances and reduced topside processing requirements. In particular, subsea processing may simplify flow assurance in the pipeline and in the riser, improve production efficiency and improve the integrity of the pipeline and the risen in this respect, the wellstream can Only pass up the riser to reach a surface processing unit if the wellstream has a high enough pressure, temperature and flow rate at the bottom of the riser. For example, if the temperature is too low and if there is enough water in the wellstream, wax or hydrate compounds may form and deposit inside the pipeline and so restrict dr eventually block the flow; Also, subsea processing removes potentially damaging content of the wellstream, such as water and sour compounds (for example H2S) that promote Corrosion and sand that Causes erosion.
Figures 1 and 2 are greatly-simplified schematic diagrams if pfiof art solutions that involve subsea processing of a wellstream. Like numerals are used for like features. The direction of production flow in each case is from left to right as shown, front a wellhead 10 along a pipeline 12 laid across the seabed 14 to a riser 1Θ. The pipeline 12 has one or more termination structures 18 that may, for example, bé å Pipeline End Termination (PLET) or a manifold that gathers well fluid coming from several lines and may also include one or more pig launchers/reeeivers. A subsea processing unit 20 receives arid processes the wellstream before it flows up the riser 16. Jumper pipes or spools 22 are used to connect the various elements as shown. A power umbilical 24 shown in Figure 1 extends from a surface unit (not shown) to provide power to the subsea processing unit 20
The solutions in Figures 1 and 2 differ in the relative positions of the pipeline 12 and the processing unit 20. In Figure % the processing unit 20 is downstream of the pipeline 12, interposed between the pipeline 12 and the riser 16. The riser 16 isshown here in the form of a riser column or tower. Conversely, Figure 2 shows the processing unit 20 upstream of the pipeline 12, interposed between thewellhead 10 and the; pipeline 12. Figure 2 also shows that the riser 16 may take the form of a catenary riser.
In practice, subsea processing systems comprise multiple subsea processing units such is multiphase pumps, gas compression units and separators. Specific examples of subsea units are: a separation module as disclosed in WO 03/078793; a multiphase separation unites disclosed in WO 03/087535; a compressor as disclosed in WO 2012/163996; an electronics module as disclosed in WO 2008/037267; and a separation vessel as disclosed in WO 2010/151392. Subsea processing systems may be configured to suit the characteristics of individual fields such as reservoir dépth, pressure, temperature, gas-oil ratios, water cut and the distance to host facilities.
Subsea processing units may be very bulky: for example, subsea separators may weigh around 1000 tonnes each. To some extent, this reflects oversizing for maximum reliability during the lifetime of the field, hence increasing the cost, size and weight of each unit.
Other challenges of subsea processing include congestion of the seabed near the wellheads, poor accessibility for maintenance and repair, and the need for additional urfibilicals to power the various subsea processing units. A particular challenge of subsea processing systems is their complex installation and tie-in methodology. Typically, the pipeline 12 is installed between the wellhead 10 bia manifold and the target location of the subsea processing unit 20. Then, the subsea processing unit JO (ineluding its foundations) is installed by lifting it and lowering it to its target Ideation, whereupon the pipeline 12 and the subsea processing unit 20 are tied by jumpers or spools 22. Umbilicais 24 are installed between the subsea processing unit 20 and a surface unit. The process requires various different installation vessels to be on site, some of which must be equipped with large crahés, ånd so involves huge cost and a lengthy timescale. Of course, the cost and timescale may be increased unexpectedly by the need to wait for acceptable weather conditions before performing each installation step.
Previously-qualified subsea processing units have been proposed or designed and installed, and are in use to varying degrees around the world. However, subsea processing remains a pung technology in which it is vital to demonstrate reliability and serviceability of the system and its component units.
In many applicatiDns of the invention, the processed well fluid will be crude oil. Wherever the wellstream is dominated by oil, there is a threat of wax deposition on the inside of multiphase flow lines as the temperature of the wellstream falls below the wax formation temperature. It is known to deal with this issue by preing wax formation upon cooling the wellstream in a Wax Control Unit or WGU, as used in a type of subsea processing called 'cold flow’. Cold flow refers to transportation of cold product which, for oil, typically means at a temperature below 50°C. Cold flow avoids the need for additional insulation or heating of the pipeline, which reduces the cost and allows a longer tie-back pipeline across the seabed between the wellhead and the riser.
In the WCU, the wellstream is cooled by heat exchange with cooling; water around the flowline. This cools the wellstream enough tG force wax to deposit Oh the inner wall of the flowline at predetermined locations, the wax deposits are removed by periodic, limited heating at those locations when feedback sensors indicate that the wax thickness is approaching an acceptance limit for a flowline section. Heating; causes the wax layer to melt off and fail Into the wellstream, where it is entrained to form a slurry that can be transported under cold flow conditions along a tie-back and to the surface u;nj|;
Cold flow is known for onshore oil production but; its applicability to subsea production is limited by constraints on installation and accessibility. However, some prior art disclosures of subsea applications are acknowledged below. In general they will require;subsea processing equipment that comprises discrete units separate from the pipeline, such as in WO 2012/099344, and so will require multiple installation steps. US 3590919 describes the principle of a cold flow subsea field, in which processing satellite units aie arranged in the Held near the wellheads More recently, WO 2009/051495 describes subsea cold flow in a pipe-in-pipe arrangement with pulsed heating. WO 2006/068929 discloses a cold flow production system in which an initial cosier unit forces the formation of wax in a slurry catcher. Then the remaining fipw is transported into the pipeline system, An example of a slurry catcher is disclosed in WO 2010/009110. AH units are separate from the pipeline and connected by jumpers. The slurry catcher must be cleaned out periodically using a pigging system.
In US 5154741, crude oil flow is treated to separate oil and gas and to transport gas without risk of hydrate formation by removing condensates. The luidd are not transported under cold; flow conditions: there is no mention of cooling. WO 00/25062 describes a cold flew System in which additional gas hydrates are injected into the oil flow before cooling, in order to increase the rate of initial waxformatidd and tp remove all wax at once. This leaves no residual Water: A cold flow system disclosed in WO 2007/018642 is connected to an onshore installation but the method of installation is not specified. Conversely in WO 2012/149620, depressurising modules are added along the pipeline to avoid formation of wax and hydrates. Also, WO 2004/033850 describes a colled pipe that is inserted into the pipeline for flow assurance purposes but with no subsea processing.
It is known to group subsea units onto bhe frame or into one structure so as to require as few installation operations as possible. For example, a combined towing head fora flowline bundle is described in OTC 6430 (GTC Conference, 1990), where the head includes valves, connectors and manifolds to connect to a wellhead or to wellhead jumpers,: In effect, the head is a combination of a conventional PLET, manifold and towhead. A similar arrangement is disclosed in EP 0336492. However, the towing head assembly ip essentially passive and has no integral treatment or processing capability. The towing head is not used for processing but for pulling the bundle: some buoyancy or ballast; may be added for this purpose. Also, rnpst prior art relating to bundles is concerned with heating or hot bundles and not with cooling the wéilstréani in this respect, a manifold may be distinguished from a processing unit: the latter can modify the nature, temperature and/or composition of well fluid whereas the former cannot. In contrast, å manifold acts only on flow rate without pumping, and essentially includes piping and waives although it may also include sensors and control system for valves. EP 0336492 discloses a towhead at an end of a pipeline bundle to be connected to a production system that can be transported simultaneously with the bundle. The subsea drilling template and/or oil/gas transport systems may be integrated with the towhead. There is no reference to processing in the towhead, other than oil/gas transport systems. WO 2006/118468 discloses a pipe separator comprising an extended tubuiar separator body GB 1604233 discloses a subsea processing unit that can rest on the seabed. US 3754380 discloses an oil and gas separator for producing a subsea oil er gas well. None Of those documents teach a pipeline bundle extending between towheads. GB 2272927 discloses a subsea manifold configured as a towhead at one end of a pipeline feuhdle, There is no reference to processing in the towheads or tp a second towhead. EP 1353038 describes a separation module that separates, amongst other things, water from the production fluid. The separation module, however, is not part of a towhead and there is lo mention Of a towable unit having any such towheads. In addition, the pipelines are Connected after installation or the equipment, which comprises a hub for pipeline connection, WO 02/092961 describes a method and apparatus for assisting the flow of production fluid from a hydrocarbon well to a remote location in conditions in which gelling or solidification is a problem. WO 02/092961 does not describe any towheads nor a processing facility arranged to separate water from the well fluids. There is mention of water processing but this is in relation to water added to the production fluid downstream of the well and immediately prior to:: pumping the wellstream fluid up a riser. The addition of water is for control of the production fluid viscosity for subsequent pumping through the riser to a ground station. A presentation made by Ian Watson et at entitled "Bundle Pipeline Systems & Shell FRAM Development" dated 21 March 2012 describes a towable unit for subsea well fluid production. The towable unit Includes a bundle of pipelines extending between opposing towheads. However, neither towhead is said to include a water processing facility of any description. A pubiication from the 20th international Conference on Offshore Mechanics and Arctic Engineering - OMAE 2001 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, dated 3 June 2001, to Jim Brydon et ai entitled "Enhancing Subsea Production Using Pipeline Bundle Systems" also describes a towable unit for subsea well fluid production. The towable unit includes a bundle of pipelines extending between opposing towheads. However, neither towhead is said to include a water processing facility of any description.
Against this background, the invention resides in a towable unit for subsea processing of well fluids, wherein the unit comprises a pipeline bundle extending between, and capable of acting in tension between, a first towhead at an upstream end of the bundle and a second towhead at a downstream end of the bundle, and wherein at least one of the towheads has an on-board processing facility for processing the well fluids, which facility effects at least separation of water phases that are present in the well fluids. A power connection advantageously extends along the bundle to transfer power between the towheads. For example, therefore, a power station housed in the second, downstream towhead may supply power tb the first, upstream towhead. In that case, an umbilical distribution system for distributing poWer and/or chemicals to external templates or satellite wellheads is suitably housed in the second, downstream towhead. Similarly, a data connection may extend along the bundle to convey control data between the towheads.
The water separation facility is preferably housed in the first, upstream towhead to deal with hydrates before the well fluids enter the pipeline bundle. The first, upstream towhead may also comprise facilities selected from a set comprising: connections to wellhead(s) or to a production manifold; water separation; removed water treatment and/or re-injection; cold flow conditioning for transportation, cold-water circulation systems:;: ÉÉiing facilities; and; local heating systems for wax removal.
In embodiments to be described, the pipeline bundle Is capable of being cooled and heated to control wax in the well fluids. For these purposes, at least one and advantageously both of the towheads may have a pump for pumping cooling water along the pipeline bundle.
Similarly, at least one and advantageously both of the towheads may have a heating system for applying heat to the pipeline bundle. For example, the heating systems may comprise power supplies for energising; heating elements In the pipeline bundle.
The pipeline bundle may be a wax control element comprising a bundle of flowlines within an elongate tensile structure, SUGh as ah outer pipe surrounding the flowlines, that defines inlet and outlet ends. In that case the flowlines are preferably disposed in parallel but connected in series Within the tensile Structure such that the Wei! fluids reverse in flow direction between one flowline and the next within the element.
At least one of the towheads may include wellheads or may include an array of drilling slots.
The inventive concept also embraces a subsea oil or gas production system comprising at least one towable unit of the invention.
Similarly, the inventive concept may be expressed as a method of installing or developing a subsea oil or gas production system by installing a prefabricated processing unit at an installation location, the unit comprising a pipeline bundle disposed between a first towhead at an upstream end of the bundle and a second towhead at a downstream end of the bundle, the method comprising: towing the processing unit td the installation location with the pipeline bundle in tension; sinking the unit a: the: installation location; and connecting the towheads to Other elements of the production system so that the processing unit may be operated to process well fluid (preferably by, at least, separating water phases that are present In the well fluid), and to pass the well fluid along the pipeline bundle, wherein processing of the well fluid comprises hydrate control performed in the;first, upstream towhead.
In this method, wak control may be effected by passing well fluid along the pipeline bundle between thetowheads While cooling and periodically heating pipes of the bundle. Power and chemicals may be distributed to templates and wellheads of the system from the second, downstream towhead.
The invention provides a system solution to integrate required functions for subsea processing into towhead structures for bundles. Towhead structures and an intermediate bundle section form å unit that functions as a subsea processing centre for surrounding subsea production satellites and templates and that can be used for long-distance tie-back of subsea field developments. By doing so, the invention provides a new concept for subsea processing that provides reliable and flexible solutions for field developments.
Among the benefits of incorporating the processing units into bundles and their towheads is that the system can be prefabricated, assembled and tested onshore before towing to the field for installation. As noted previously, the reliability of subsea processing equipment is crucial ih ensuring the success of any subsea processing project. Onshore prefabrication and testing greatly improves the reliability of the system, as compared with connecting up units at a subsea location and performing tests there. An additional improvement in reliability arises from a drastic reduction in the n umber of subsea-connected interfaces.
The weight of subsea processing units increases with each added function, yet the invention allows an installation method without the use of large crane vessels. For example, the system can be towed to the field using the ‘controlled depth tow’ method, which ensures low-stress installation without the use of large crane Vessels being dependent on low installation sea states. This makes installation less weather sensitive, and reduces the cost of installation Vessels sipificafitly. in general, therefore, the invention provides a compact and flexible layout With reduced cost from a fast and simple installation.
The Introduction of a towed processing system for cold flow of hydrocarbonssasi describee m this specification promises to fulfil the industry vision of 'subsea factories’. By including components that can receive well fluids from different in-field flowlines, separate the wellstream to remove contaminants, cool the wellstream and at the same time continuously assure the flow at low temperatures and sufficient pressure, the system may significantly affect the design of pipeline and riser Systems. The design of downstream pipeline and riser systems can be simplified as their temperature requirements are consequently relaxed.
By introducing a pre-tested processing: centre that can process and ecol down the wellstream, it is possibly aiso to simpiify the pipeline and riser systems against the host platform. Such pipeline and riser systems can then be manufactured Without the use of insulation and active or passive heating. This enables longer tie-back distances at a relatively low cost and with reduced power consumption, which will make eertaih field developments more favourable. A pie-piocessing centra! unit of the invention can work in many differentconfigurations For example, it can serve as a manifold for individual weiis located in a specific area or it can be tied directly in to a larger subsea template.
The invention provides a new method for design, fabrication, installation arid operation of oii-or gas-dominated field developments, as the compact layout of the subsea processing centre can be configured to syjt both oii-or gas-dominated wellstreams.
Where the processed fluid is crude oil, wax removal may be performed but in a first step, a separation unit allows separation of at least water from other components of the crude oil.
This water can be re-injected into the well. This reduces the maximal quantity of wax susceptible to be generated when cooling the crude oil. The next step, which is optional, may include gas separation, sand removal and injection of chemicals into the weiistream.
Then, the crude oil (with any residual water) is cooled down by thermal exchange with the Surrounding waters The oil circulates in a pipe-in-pipe arrangement whose annulus is filled by pumped cold water. The resulting cooling generates wax deposits in identified locations. The pipe-in-pipe is Convoluted into a long bundle in which the flow may return several times within the cooling unit to feme wax deposits near the upstream, process end of the system. The system may be connected to a riser at the downstream end, Wax deposits are removed by periodic, limited heating at determined locations. Pigging facilities, which may be removable, may be used to test and maintain the pipeline.
The invention contemplates a wax control unit that is integrated into a bundle system. A pipe-in-pipe heat exchanger may ensure that the weiistream is cooled down Sufficiently to enable a forced wax deposit at the flowline inner wall. In preferred embodiments, three pipe sections of individual lengths of about 1.0 to 2.0 km are routed within a bundle carrier pipe. Each pipe section is surrounded by individual sleeve pipes in a pipe-in-pipe arrangement;
In order that the invention may be more readily understood, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a prior art soiutiiii involving subsea pes^itrfg of a weiiStrearn, in which a processing unit is disposed: downstream of a pipeline·
Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of another prior art solution involving subsea processing of a wellstream, in which a processing unit is disposed upstream of a pipeline;
Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a subsea processing solution of the invention employing S towabié unit comprising a pipeline bundle with a towhead at each end;
Figure 4 is a top plan view of a towable unit Of the invention in a practical form;
Figure 5 is a sehematie plan view of an upstream towhead used in a towabié unit Of the invention;
Figure 6 is a schematic plan view of a downstream towhead used in a towable unit of the invention;
Figures 7a and 7b show; respectively:, towing and installation steps performed with the towable unit of the Invention,
Figure 8 is a top plan view of a subsea production installation incorporating the towable unit of the invention;::
Figure 9 is a perspective view of a variant of the upstream: towhead Shown in the towable unit of Figure 4;
Figure 10 is a top plan view of a towable unit of the invention including the variant of the upstream towhead shown in Figure 9;
Figure 11 is a schematic plan view of a prior art solution f|r wax control; and
Figure 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a pipeline bundle for wax control in accordance with the invention.
Reference has already been made to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings to describe subsea processing solutions known in the prior art. Figure 3 illustrates the invention in a similarly simplified, schematic style; again, like numerals are used for like features. Thus, the directidh of production flow is again from left to right as shown, from a wellhead 10 to a riser 16. The riser 16 is shown here ;n the form of a riser column or tower like that of Figure 1, but it may of course take another form such as a catenary. in Figure 3., the pipeline 12 laid across the seabed 14 between the wellhead 10 and the riser 16 Is replaced by a pipeline bundle 26. Also, the termination structures 18 of Figures 1 and 2 are replaced by an upstream towhead 28 at an upstream end of the pipeline bundle 26 and a downstream towhead 30 at s downstream end of the pipeline bundle 26. Thus, foe upstream towhead 28 is interposed between the wellhead 10 and the pipeline bundle 26 whereas the downstream towhead 30 is interposed between the pipeline bundle 26 and the riser 16: in accordance with the invention, either and preferably both of the towheads 28, 30 comprises facilities for processing the Weilstrearn before it flows up the riser 16, and so also replaces foe processing unit 20 of Figures 1 arid 2. Thus, either arid preferably both of the towheads 28, m serves as an integrated termination structure and processing unit. The invention therefore aims to mitigate several of the drawbacks of subsea processing by grouping subsea processing units with foe pipeline bundle 26. Also, distributing foe processing units among foe towheads 28, 30 spreads the weight of the process system and locates the units appropriately at the inlet or outlet end of the pipeline bundle 26,
The pipeline bundle 26 and the towheads 28, 30 together constitute a single towable unit 32 that, highly advantageously, may be fabricated and tested onshore before being towed as one unit to an installation site. Once fabricated onshore, the whole unit 32 may be pulled into the waterpas is already done in the oil and gas industry with the pipe bundles that form hybrid riser towers.
In the context of towing, the upstream towhead 28 may be described as a leading towhead and the downstream towhead 30 may be described as a trailing towhead. Towing and installation wilt be descibed in more detail below with reference to Figures 7a and 7b of the drawings.
The: pipeline bundle 26 acts in tension between the towheads 28, 30 during towing, with tensile loads being borne by the pipes of the bundle 26 or, preferably, principally or exclusively by an outer pipe or other protective structure that surrounds the pipes of the bundle 26. This arrangement will be described in more detail below with reference to Figure 12 of the drawings. in the simplified arrangement shown in Figure 3, jumper pipes or spools 22 connect the upstream towhead 28 to the wellhead 10 and the downstream towhead 30 to the riser 16. However, the towheads 28, 30 may be connected to the wider subsea production System in: other ways, for example via manifolds, and so need not be connected as directly to the wellhead 10 and to the riser 16^
As Figure 6 will show later, a power umbilical as shown m Figure 1 may extend from a surface unit (not shown) to one of the towheads 28, 30 to provide power to its processing facilities. Advantageously, power may be transmitted from one: towhead 28, 3.0 to the other towhead 28, 30 through power cables in the pipeline bundle 26·; This allows one umbilical to be connected to just one of the towheads 28, 30 and yet to provide power to both of the towheads 28, 30.
Figure 4 shows the towable unit 32 in a practical form, with a tong pipeline bundle 26 connecting a larger upstream towhead 28 and a smaller downstream towhead 30 As will be explained, the upstream towhead 28 includes a manifold in this instance and so is optimised to gather fluid production from multiple wellheads. A variant of the upstream towhead 28 that encompasses the wellhead or provides drilling slots will be described later with reference to Figures 9 arid 10.
Moving next to Figures 5 and 6, these show the towheads 28, 30 in mere detail. Specifically, Pgure 5 shows the upstream towhead 28 whereas Figure 6 shows the downstream towhead 30.
The upstream towhead 28 shown in Figure 5 comprises an elongate tubular steel lattice frame 34 of generally rectangular cross-section. As a non-limiting example, the frame 34 may be considerably in excess of forty metres long and more than eight metres high and wide:
The frame 34 comprises four parallel longitudinal members 36 joined by cross-members 38, with gaps between the cross-members 38 providing access to bays for installation^ maintenance and replacement of processing and flow-handling equipment carried by the towhead 28. The processing and flow-handling equipment is largely carried within the cross section of the frame ::34:, although some elements of that equipment may protrude from the frameJA;
Figure 5 shows processing and flow-handling equipment carried by the upstream towhead 28, At its upstream end, the frame 34 of the towhead 28 defines a bay that houses a manifold 40 for in-field flowlines and for water injection. At its downstream end the frame 34 has a ™ tapering nose structure 42 to anchor one end of the pipeline bundle 26 against tensile loads. From there, the pipeline bundle 26 extends over a considerable distance (typically 1.5 to 2:0 km) to the downstream towhead 30, which will be described later with reference to Figure;6. The frame 34 also carries a system control module 44 that may be connected through the pipeline bundle 26, as shown, to control the downstream towhead 30. ft has been noted above that where the processed well fluid is crude; oil, there is a threat of wax deposition as the temperature of the welistream fells below the wax formation temperature. Wax deposition is controlled by wax control features in the pipeline bundle 26. This is the purpose of a cooling water pump 46, which drives cooling water along the pipeline bundle 26 as will be explained later with reference to; Figures 11 and; 12 of the drawings. However, there is also a threat of hydrate formation as the temperature of the welistream falls below the hydrate; formation temperature. Consequently, much of the;equipment between the manifold 40 and the pipeline bundle 26 is concerned with hydrate control.
The effect of hydrate formation can be significantly reduced, indeed almost eliminated, by separating water out of the welistream. Consequently the hydrate control equipment of the upstream towhead 28 comprises two separation stages 48; 50 downstream of the manifold 40, followed by a coalescer 52. Subsea separation of water is a known and qualified technology that typically leaves less than 2% of water in the welistream after a two-stage separation; The smai! amount of water remaining in the welistream can be handled by adding anti-agglomerates to the welistream at a hydrate control unit 54 after separation and coalescence.
Separated water is cleaned in a hydro-cyclone 56 and then re-injected into the reservoir via the manifold 40 by using a booster pump 58 and a water injection pump 60.
Routine optional steps of gas separation and sand removal may also be performed by equipment in the upstream towhead 28, although that equipment has been omitted from Figure 4 for clarity.
Pigging facilities (which may be feifidyaile) are provided to test and maintain the pipeline arid particularly the pipes of the pipeline bundle 26. A removable pig launcher 62 is shown in Figure 4. However, it should be noted that Systematic pigging such as is required by WO 2006/068929 is obviated by first 53|p^i®g the crude oil as described above, which drastically reduces the residual cjiahtity of:wax and hydrates.
Timing hbw to the downstream towhead 30 shown schematically in Figure 6, this also comprises an elongate tubular steel lattice frame 64 of generally rectangular cross-section comprising four paraiie! longitudinal members 66 joined by cross-members 68. The downstream towhead 30 is somewhat shorter than the upstream towhead 2| but is suitably of similar dfoss-sectibfiai size.
The frame 64 of the downstream towhead 30 carries a pipeline Connector 70 communicating with the pipeline bundle 26 for downstream transport of the wellstream. For example, there rniy be cofo-flOW transport Of the wellstream along a long tie-back pipeline on the seabed, or the wellstream may ie carried by a jumper or spool into an adjacent riser structure. A second cooling water pump 72 mirrors the cooling water pump 46 of the upstream towhead to drive cooling water along the pipeline bundle 26. This duplication of water pumps 46, 72 minimises pumping losses and provides redundancy to maintain cooling in the event of failure or downtime due to maintenance.
The frame 64 of the downstream towhead 30 also carries a power station 74 that takes electrical power from a riser umbilical 76. The power station 74 supplies power to: an umbilical distribution system 78; to other equipment Carried by the frame 60, such as the cooling water pump 72; and also via the pipeline bundle 26, as shown, to power the upstream towhead 28. The umbilical distribution system 78 includes connection points for plugging in umbilieals as well as fuses and transformers. Those features: are routine and need no elaboration here.
In summary; therefore, the upstream towhead 28 includes: connections to wellhead(s) or to a production manifold; water separation; removed water treatment and/or re-injection; cold flow conditioning for transportation; cold-water circulation systems and local heating systems for wax removal. However cold-water circulation systemssand local heating systems could also, or alternatively, be located in the downstream towhead 30. It is also possible for pigging facilities to be located on either towhead 28, 3G>
Turning next to Figures fa and 7b of the drawings, pipeline installation by towing is well known in the art: in this respect, a convenient towing technique for use with the invention is the Controlled Depth Towing Method (CDTM), which is described in technical papers such as OTC 6430 noted previously. This technique involves far fewei installation steps than in prior art subsea processing systems and it does not require installation vessels with particularly large cranes or gpat lift capacity. At the installation Cite, the towable unit 32 can be lowered into a predetermined gap in the subsea production system in a ‘plug and play’ manner, whereupon the unit 32 may be connected via jumpers or spools at each towing head 28, 30 to other elements of the production system, which may be placed on the seabed before or after the unit 32.
Reference is made to OTC 6430 for a more detailed description of the CDTM technique but a brief description follows in the context of the present invention. The CDTM principle involves the transportation of a prefabricated and fully-tested towable unit 32 suspended on towing lines 80 between two installation vessels 82, which may be tugs. A third vessel 84 may be employed for monitoring purposes as shown in Figure f a. An outer pipe surrounding the pipeline bundle 26 may be used to define a chamber to adjust buoyancy, or buoyancy may be adjusted by modules attached to the pipeline bundle 2|- Chains 86 attached to the pipeline bundle 26 provide additional weight so that; at rest, the pipeline bundle 26 floats clear of the seabed 88 but beneath the influence of wave action near the surface 90.
When the towable unit 32 reaches the installation location, it is lowered toward the seabed 88 by reducing its buoyancy, for example by flooding the outer pipe surrounding the pipeline bundle 26, while the towing lines 80 are paid out from the installation vessels 82. The towable unit 32 then settles on the seabed 88 as shown in Figure 7b, whereupon tie-ins to prelaid elements 92 of the subsea production system can be made, tor example using jumpers or spools (not shown) fitted with suitable known connectors.
Figure 8 shows in more detail how the towable unit 32 fits into a subsea production system 94. In this example; the SUbsea production system 94 comprises two templates 96 and three satellite wellheads 98, The templates 96 are supplied with power and chemicals from the downstream towhead 36 through primary umbilicals 100. Secondary umbilicals 102 supply power and chemicals from the templates 96 to the satellite wellheads 98. Such chemicals may be remediation fluids such as methanol or diesel oil that may be injected for maintenance purpose into the valves of a wellhead, after a shutdown, to remove wax where it may appear : The templates 96 are also supplied with water for injection from the manifold 40 øf the uptrearn towhead 28 through water lines 104.
Production fiowfines 106 carry well fluids from the templates 96 and the satellite Wellheads 98 back to the manifold 40 of the upstream towhead 28 for processing as described previously. The resulting wellstream then passes along the pipeline bundle 26 for wax control before passing through a spool 108 to a Pipeline End Module (PLÉMf 110 for onward transport in a cold flow state.
Figure 9 shows a variant 112 of the upstream towhead 28 shown in Figure 5. Figure 10 shows that upstream towhead variant 112 in the context of a towable unit that also comprises a pipeline bundle 26 and a downstream towhead 30 as previously described.
The upstream towhead variant 112 has an elongated frame 114 to encompss wellheads 116 or to provide a corresponding array of drilling slots. Again, the processing and flow-handling equipment is largely carried within the cross-section of the frame 114. However, some equipment may protrude from the frame 114, such as the wellhead equipment 118 seen protruding from the top of the frame 114 at its upstream end id the top right in Figure 9. The open-topped structure of the frame 114 is beneficial in this respect; some such equipment 118 may be landed into the frame 114 after the upstream towhead variant 112 has been installed on the seabed.
Moving on finally now to Figures 11 and 12 of the drawings, these show how the pipeline: bundle 26 may be arranged to control wax formation. Figure 12 shows the pipeline bundle 26 of the invention but to illustrate the general principle, Figure 11 shoWs a prior art;Wax control system 120 which will be described first.
The wax control system 120 of the prior art comprises iong pipes 122 laid on the seabed, in this example three pipes, each of which is about 1,0 to 2,0 km in length. The pipes 122 are disposed in parallel about 10 to 20 m apart on the seabed bit are connected in series by spools 124. Consequently, the wellstream flows in a first direction through a first pipe 122A, reverses direction in a first spool 124A, flows ih the opposite direction through a second pipe 122B, reverses direction in a second spoof 1240, and flows back in the first direction through a third pipe 122C before exiting the wax control System 120. Having therefore travelled between about 3.0 and 6.0 km in this example, the wellstream ©its the wax control system 120 in a much-cooled state.
The pipes 122 are each of pipe-in-pipe (PiP) construction to define annular jackets 126 around flowiihes 128. To eooi the wellstream in the flowlines 128, pumps 130 pump raw seawater into the jackets 126 from one end of the system 120, providing beneficia! counterfiow in the first and third pipes 122A, 122C if not in the second pipe 122B. This cools the wellstream enough to force wax to deposit on the inner walls of the flowlines 128.
The wax deposits are removed periodically byldcaiised heating when feedback sensors (not shown) indicate that the wax layer Has reached a limiting thickness. Heating is achieved by heating cables 132 that extend along the outside of the fiowlines 128 within the annular jackets 126; when powered by a power unit 134, the heating cables 132 cause the wax layer to melt off and become entrained in the wellstream,
The wax control system 120 of the prior art would be of no use for the purposes of the present invention^ where the pipeline bundle 26 is aptlo be used as a tensile member in a towable unit 32, 114. In contrast, the pipeline bundle 26 of the invention shown in cross section in Figure 12 comprises an outer pipe 136 thatsurrounds three PiP sections 138. The PiP sections 138 are joined in series and extend in parallel like the prior art shown in Figure 11; there could be more or fewer of them. The outer pipe 136 protects, supports and retains the PiP Sections 138 and also bears most or ail of the tensile loads experienced by the pipeline bundle 26 during fabrication, towing and installation of the towable unit 32,114,
It will, of course, be understood that the cross-sectional view of Figure 12 is; simplified and omits details of coatings and linings as well as heating arrangements.
Cooling and heating may be achieved in various ways, although an advantage of distributed: water cooling pumps in both towheads 28, 30 is that beneficial counterflow of cooling water may be achieved in ail of the PiP sections 138. There must be an expansion ioop at each end of the multiphase fiowline allowing for expansion in the region of 0.5 m.
Each PiP section 138 is connected to a heating system 140 based on AC power from the power station 74 of the downstream towhead 30: The heating system 140 can Be either a DEM (direct electrical heating) or a SECT (skin effect current tracing) system. The latter is currently preferred due to lower power miEjUifements but this is not essential. Both heating techniques, and indeed others, will be known to the reader silled in the art of subsea oil and gas engineering.
As no intermediate processing stations such as pump systems need to be inserted into the pipeline bundle 26, this allows the bundle geometry to remain the same along its length to ease both fabrication and mechanical design.

权利要求:
Claims (17)
[1] 1. A towable unit farssu&sea pioccssing of well fluids, wherein the unit comprises a pipeline bundle extending between, and capable of acting in tension between, a first tpwhead at an upstream end of the bundle and a second towhead at a downstream end of the bundle, and wherein at least one of the towheads has an on-board processing facility for processing the well fluids, which facility effects at least separation of water phases that are present: in the well fluids.
[2] 2. The unit of Claim 1 and comprising a power connection extending along the bundle |P transfer power between the towheads.
[3] 3. The unit Of Clairh 2, Wherein a power Station is housed in the second, downstream towhead. ::,4. The u η it of any preceding claim, wherein an umbilical distribution system før distributing power and/or chemicals to external templates or satellite wellheads is housed in the second, downstream towhead.
[4] 5. The unit Of any preceding claim and comprising a data connection: extending along; the bundle to convey control data between the towheads.
[5] 6. The unit of any preceding claim, wherein the Water separation facility is housed:in the first, upstream; towhead.
[6] 7. The unit of Claim 6, wherein the first, upstream towhead also comprises facilities selected from å set comprising: connections to welihead(s) or to a production manifold; water separation; removed water treatment and/or re-injection, cold flow conditioning for transportation; Cold-water circulation systems; pigging facilities; and local heating systems for wax removal. 8;; fhe;;unit of any preceding claim;; wherein the pipeline bundle is capable of being cooled and heated to control wax in the well fluids
[7] 9. The unit of Claim 8, wherein at least one and optionally both of the towheads has a; pump for pumping; codling water along; the pipeline bundle.
[8] 10. The unit of ClPim 8 or Claim 9, wherein at least one and optionally both of the towheads has a heating system for applying heat to the pipeline bundle,.
[9] 11. The unit of Claim 10, wherein the heating systems comprise power supplies for energising heating elements in the pipline bundle.
[10] 12. The Unit of any of Claims 8 to 11, wherein the pipeline bundle is a wax control element comprising a bundle of flowlines Within an elongate tensile structure that defines inlet and outlet ends.
[11] 13. The unit of Claim 12, wherein the Bowlines are disposed in parallel but connected in series within the tensile structure such that the well fluids reverse in flow direction between one flowline and the next within the element.
[12] 14. The unit of Claim 12 or Claim 13, wherein the tensile structure is an outer pipe surrounding the fiowlines. 1:5* The unit of any preceding Claim, wherein at feast one of the towheads includes wellheads.
[13] 16. The unit of any preceding claim, wherein at least one of the towheads includes amarray of drilling slots.
[14] 17. A subsea oil or gas production: system comprising at least one towable unit as defined in; any preceding claim.
[15] 18. A method of installing or developing a subsea oil or gas production system by installing a prefabricated processing unit at an installation location, the unit comprising a pipeline bundle disposed between a first towhead at an upstream end Of the bundle and a second towhead at a downstream end of the bundle, the method comprising: towing the processing unit to the installation location with the pipeline bundle In tension, sinking the unit at the instailatipn location; connecting the towheads to other elements of the production system so that the processing unit may fee operated to process well fluid and to pass toe well fluid along the pipeline bundle and wherein processing of the well fluid comprises hydrate control performed in the first, upstream towhead.
[16] 10. The method of Claim 18, wherein wax control is effected by passing well fluid along the pipeline bundle between toe towheads while cooling and periodically heating pipes of the bundle.
[17] 20. The method of Claim 18 dr Claim 19, wherein power and chemicals are distributed to templates and wellheads of the system flom the second, downstream towhead.

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同族专利:

公开号 | 公开日

GB201223324D0|2013-02-06|

RU2668611C2|2018-10-02|

CA2895371C|2020-07-07|

BR112015014735A2|2017-07-11|

US20150345274A1|2015-12-03|

AU2013360888B2|2016-12-08|

CA2895371A1|2014-06-26|

WO2014095942A1|2014-06-26|

EP2935768B1|2020-04-08|

GB2509165B|2018-01-24|

DK179107B1|2017-11-06|

BR112015014735B1|2021-05-18|

EP2935768A1|2015-10-28|

AU2013360888A1|2015-08-06|

NO20131532A1|2014-06-23|

RU2015127668A|2017-01-26|

US9644457B2|2017-05-09|

GB2509165A|2014-06-25|

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法律状态:
2021-07-23| PBP| Patent lapsed|Effective date: 20201217 |

优先权:

申请号 | 申请日 | 专利标题

GB201223324|2012-12-21|

GB1223324.3A|GB2509165B|2012-12-21|2012-12-21|Subsea processing of well fluids|

PCT/EP2013/077002|WO2014095942A1|2012-12-21|2013-12-17|Subsea processing of well fluids|

EP2013077002|2013-12-17|

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