Filing Information

Inventor(s)	Istvan Bencze · Jan Bosio · Guttorm Endrestol · Terje Sira · Dag Thomassen ·
Assignee(s)	BENCZE ISTVAN · BOSIO JAN · ENDRESTOL GUTTORM O · SIRA TERJE · THOMASSEN DAG ·  View assignee updates
Correspondent	OSHA LIANG L.L.P. ·
Application Number	US10540660
Filing date	12/23/2003
PCT 371 date	12/02/2005
Publication date	09/07/2006
Predicted expiration date	12/23/2023
U.S. Classifications	62/613  · 62/601  ·
International Classifications	F25J100  ·
Kind Code	A1
PCT Application Number	WO20PCTNO0300441 - 12/23/2003
Foreign Priority	NO20026189 - 12/23/2002 ·

Patent Family

Abstract

In a method of condensing an unprocessed well stream from an offshore gas or gas condensate field the well stream taken from one or more wellheads is cooled and directly expended, isentropically, or near isentropically, to a state in which the pressure is close to that of a storage tank. Part of the well stream is condensed and condensed fractions thereof is drawn off the expander and fed to the storage tank along with condensation products from the exit of the expander. Hence, without any preprocessing, a condensed well stream product is produced which comprises a mixture of liquids and solids which are collected in the storage tank for transport therefrom to land. A system for carrying out the method is also disclosed. The invention makes the condensation of an unprocessed well stream possible without any preprocessing thereof, such as extraction of solid particles, e.g. sands, removal of water, cleaning or drying. Thus, by means of the invention smaller gas or gas condensate fields can be developed in a more cost efficient way.

Independent Claims | See all claims (10)

1. 1. A method of condensing an unprocessed well stream from an offshore gas or gas condensate field, wherein the well stream is fed from on 3 or more wellheads through a cooling loop in the sea to be coiled by the surrounding water to a temperature just above the hydrate temperature of the well stream, and then feeding the cooled well stream to an expander for the expansion thereof, the method being characterized in that the unprocessed well stream is expanded isentropically, or near isentroopically, to a state in which the pressure is closed to that of a storage tank, such that part of the wells tream is condensed, and condensed fractions of the prior to the expansion, unprocessed wells tream are drawn off the expander and fed to the storage tank along with condensation products from the exit of the expander, thereby prdoucing, without any preprocessing, a condensed well stream product made of a mixture of liquids and solids (LUWS) which is collected in the storage tank for transport therefrom to land.
2. 8. A system for condensing an unprocessed well stream from an offshore gas or gas condensate field, the system comprising: an expander in which the expansion of the unprocessed wells tream is effected isentropically, or near isentropically, to a state in which the pressure is close to that of a storage tank, the expander being provided with a plurality of draining outlets, a heat exchanger for the receipt of condensation products from the exit of the expander, a mixing vessel for the receipt of condensed fractions of the wells tream taken from the expander through its draining outlets and for the receipt of condensation products which have passed through the heat exchanger, a storage tank for storing a mixture of liquids and solids (LUWS) received from the mixing tank, for transport therefrom to land.