Surface Booster Pump System for Subsea Flow Recovery
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Subsea hydrocarbon production is hindered by water influx, leading to decreased pressure and profitability, with existing pumping techniques facing challenges such as high hydrostatic pressure, blockages due to paraffin deposits and gas hydrates, and difficulty in supplying necessary current and amperage at great depths.
Innovation Solution
A surface-operable subsea pipeline booster pump system utilizing a progressive cavity pump powered by hydraulics, electricity, or pneumatics, with an emergency quick disconnect system and anchoring mechanisms to secure the pump assembly, effectively increasing fluid flow from subsea environments to the surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If hydraulic drive systems are employed to power subsea pumps, then the pump can operate at depth, but the motor must overcome high hydrostatic pressure when returning motor fluids to the surface, creating unwanted load and time-intensive operations
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the pump from the subsea environment and positions it at the surface, eliminating the need for the motor to overcome hydrostatic pressure. The pump is connected to subsea pipelines through a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) that can be deployed and retrieved, allowing the motor to operate in atmospheric conditions while still pumping subsea fluids.
Solution Approach 2:
The ROV serves as an intermediary between the surface and subsea environment, carrying the pump to the subsea location, connecting it to the pipeline, and then retrieving it. This mediator allows the pump system to operate at depth without the motor being subjected to high pressure conditions.
2Ease of operation
If electric drive systems are employed to power subsea pumps, then the pump can be controlled precisely, but it becomes difficult to supply the necessary current and amperage at great depths
Solution Approach 1:
The pump is extracted from the subsea environment and positioned at the surface, eliminating the need for complex deep-sea power transmission systems. The pump operates in atmospheric conditions where standard electrical power supply is straightforward, while still achieving subsea fluid extraction through the ROV deployment mechanism.
3Productivity
If heating is applied to prevent paraffin deposits, then fluid flow is maintained, but the cost becomes very expensive and not feasible for subsea pipelines
Solution Approach 1:
The pump is extracted from the subsea environment and positioned at the surface, eliminating the need for continuous heating of subsea pipelines. The pump creates sufficient flow velocity to prevent paraffin deposition through mechanical action rather than thermal energy, making the system economically viable for subsea applications.
4Productivity
If pigging tools are used to scrape paraffin deposits, then flow is restored, but the tools require removal from the pipeline for increasing or restoring hydrocarbon flow
Solution Approach 1:
The pump is extracted from the subsea environment and positioned at the surface, eliminating the need for pigging tools and their subsequent removal. The pump provides continuous flow restoration without requiring physical intervention tools that would need to be retrieved, thereby eliminating the time loss associated with tool removal operations.
5Reliability
If large quantities of chemicals are pumped through the pipeline to prevent gas hydrates, then hydrate formation is inhibited, but the process becomes expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The pump is extracted from the subsea environment and positioned at the surface, eliminating the need for chemical injection systems. The pump creates sufficient flow velocity and pressure to prevent gas hydrate formation through mechanical energy rather than chemical additives, reducing both cost and energy consumption.
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
The system enhances fluid flow rates, effectively manages hydrate and paraffin blockages, and operates efficiently in deep and ultra-deep water environments, recovering more fluid than required to power the system, while allowing for maintenance and servicing above the water surface.
Implementation Method 1
A surface-operable subsea pipeline booster pump system utilizing a progressive cavity pump
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention comprises a pumping system operable at the surface (e.g., on a surface platform) to increase or restore hydrocarbon flow from a deep water or ultra deep water subsea environment to a surface production facility. The system comprises a primary conduit coupled to a Y-block splitting into two secondary conduits, one being open and free of obstruction, the other containing a progressive cavity pump coupled to a motor which acts as the prime mover for the pump system. The system may also comprise one or more valves between the primary conduit and the Y-block, one or more valves and between the secondary conduits and the Y-block. An emergency quick disconnect may also be used as part of the system between the Y-block and the secondary conduits.