The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 25, 2010
Filed:
Aug. 11, 2005
Richard F. Stoisits, Kingwood, TX (US);
David C. Lucas, The Woodlands, TX (US);
Jon K. Sonka, The Woodlands, TX (US);
Richard F. Stoisits, Kingwood, TX (US);
David C. Lucas, The Woodlands, TX (US);
Jon K. Sonka, The Woodlands, TX (US);
ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company, Houston, TX (US);
Abstract
A method for managing hydrates in a subsea production system is provided. The system has at least one producing subsea well, a jumper for delivering produced fluids from the subsea well to a manifold, a production line for delivering produced fluids to a production gathering facility, and an umbilical for delivering chemicals to the manifold. The subsea well has been shut in, leaving produced fluids in a substantially uninhibited state. The method generally comprises the steps of pumping a displacement fluid into the chemical injection tubing, pumping the displacement fluid through a chemical injection tubing provided in the umbilical, further pumping the displacement fluid through the manifold and into the production line, and pumping the displacement fluid through the production line so as to displace the produced fluids before hydrate formation may begin. Preferably, a chemical inhibitor is placed in the chemical injection tubing before the displacement fluid is pumped into the chemical injection tubing.