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:
Aug. 30, 2011
Filed:
Nov. 22, 2006
Carl Boles Argo, Woking, GB;
Roger Neil Harper, Kingston, GB;
David Charles King, Amersham, GB;
Michael Bernard Power, London, GB;
Peter Willcox, Beaconsfield, GB;
Carl Boles Argo, Woking, GB;
Roger Neil Harper, Kingston, GB;
David Charles King, Amersham, GB;
Michael Bernard Power, London, GB;
Peter Willcox, Beaconsfield, GB;
BP Exoloration Operating Company Limited, Middlesex, GB;
Abstract
Continuous process for regasifying a feed stream having (i) a slurry phase comprising gas hydrate particles suspended in a produced liquid hydrocarbon and optionally free produced water and (ii) optionally a gaseous phase comprising free produced gaseous hydrocarbon thereby generating a regasified multiphase fluid and for separating the regasified multiphase fluid into its component fluids. The method includes (a) heating the feed stream to above the dissociation temperature of the gas hydrate thereby regasifying the feed stream by converting the gas hydrate particles into gaseous hydrocarbon and water, (b) separating a gaseous hydrocarbon phase from the regasified multiphase fluid thereby forming a gaseous hydrocarbon product stream and a liquid stream comprising a mixture of liquid hydrocarbon and water, (c) separating the liquid stream comprising a mixture of the liquid hydrocarbon and water into a liquid hydrocarbon phase and an aqueous phase; and (d) removing the liquid hydrocarbon phase as a liquid hydrocarbon product stream. The regasification production facility additionally has a concentrator vessel and the feed stream is passed to the concentrator vessel prior to being heated in step (a) to above the dissociation temperature of the gas hydrate particles wherein a gaseous phase comprising free gaseous hydrocarbon separates from the feed stream in the concentrator vessel and is removed from the concentrator as a gaseous hydrocarbon stream.