Distributed Oil Gathering System Reducing Flow Line Congestion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current centralized oil and gas production systems face challenges such as inefficient production from oil wells with varying characteristics, flow line congestion due to long distances, wastage of heat and pressure, inefficient gas treatment, and high maintenance and security costs, as well as production losses and space issues.
Innovation Solution
A dynamic oil and natural gas grid production system with multiple mini gathering centers, each equipped with heat exchangers and three-way separators, powered by gas turbines or renewable energy, and connected by circular flow lines for efficient separation and transportation of oil, gas, and effluent water, allowing for flexible configuration and reduced infrastructure needs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a centralized gathering center is used to produce crude oil from multiple oil wells, then production capacity is increased, but flow line congestion occurs due to long distances and multiple pumps are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the centralized gathering center into multiple distributed mini-gathering centers, each located near individual oil wells. This segmentation reduces the distance crude oil must travel, eliminates flow line congestion, and reduces the need for multiple electrical submersible pumps while maintaining overall production capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a single centralized gathering point to a distributed network of mini-gathering centers across multiple locations. This spatial redistribution eliminates the need for long flow lines and multiple pumps, reducing system complexity while maintaining productivity.
2Productivity
If a centralized gathering center is used to treat gases and effluent water, then production is consolidated, but harmful factors such as hydrogen sulfide corrosion and environmental damage occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent distributes gas treatment and effluent water handling functions across multiple mini-gathering centers located near individual wells. This segmentation allows for localized treatment of harmful gases like hydrogen sulfide and effluent water, reducing corrosion and environmental damage while maintaining production consolidation through the networked system.
3Device complexity
If a centralized gathering center is used for maintenance, then system control is simplified, but maintenance becomes labor intensive and cost intensive with substantial production losses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the gathering center system into independent mini-gathering centers that can be maintained separately. This allows maintenance to be performed on individual units without shutting down the entire system, eliminating substantial production losses while maintaining simplified control through the distributed architecture.
4Device complexity
If a centralized gathering center is used, then infrastructure requirements are centralized, but security and land requirements raise significant issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the infrastructure into multiple distributed mini-gathering centers rather than one large centralized facility. This segmentation reduces the total land requirement and security needs by distributing infrastructure across multiple smaller locations, eliminating the significant security and land issues associated with large centralized facilities.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This system enhances oil production efficiency, reduces energy wastage, minimizes maintenance costs, and optimizes resource usage by enabling flexible configuration and decentralized operation, thereby improving overall production and safety while reducing environmental impact.
Implementation Method 1
Each of the plurality of localized gathering centers includes a heat exchanger for receiving and heating the crude oil
Implementation Method 2
a three-way separator for separating natural gas, oil, and water into different streams
Data Source
AI summary
The dynamic oil and natural gas grid production system includes a plurality of “mini” or localized gathering centers for receiving crude oil from a plurality of remote oil wells. Each of the plurality of localized gathering centers includes a heat exchanger for receiving and heating the crude oil, an oil-gas separator in communication with the heat exchanger for separating the crude oil into natural gas and secondary oil, and a three-way separator in communication with the oil-gas separator for receiving the secondary oil and separating the secondary oil into tertiary oil and effluent water. First, second and third flow lines are in communication with each of the plurality of gathering centers for receiving and transporting the natural gas, effluent water and tertiary oil to a centralized gathering center.