Wells – Processes – Separating material entering well
Patent
1990-09-28
1992-06-02
Dang, Hoang C.
Wells
Processes
Separating material entering well
166 664, 166 751, 166357, 166369, 290 43, 417350, 417391, 417392, E21B 4336
Patent
active
051179083
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a method for obtaining energy from wells yielding gas containing petroleum and more especially from submarine wells, and to equipment for performing the method.
Petroleum wells differ substantially as regards their product and the conditions of production. More importantly, there are differences as regards proportions of petroleum and natural gas and the pressure of the product from the well. The parameters relating to the product however vary during the course of operation of the well. These facts have to be taken into account carefully, more especially in the case of submarine wells, since it is hard to obtain access to the drilled well itself.
In the case of oil wells with a gage pressure it has so far been conventional to separate the product consisting of oil and gas, into its components on a platform arranged above the level of the sea. That is to say it is separated on such an offshore platform in a gas separation operation involving non-energetic pressure reduction.
Since it is not generally possible to assume that the underground pressure will be maintained during the entire time of production from the well sufficiently to convey the product to an offshore platform or to a station on shore it was necessary to devise a new method of production from submarine sources, in accordance with which the excess pressure at the well is reduced in a valve and the transport of the oil to the land takes place by driven machinery. The product may be transported just as it comes from the well, that is to say without separation into its components ("multiphase flow") or after separation into oil and gas ("single phase flow"), pumps being used for mixed products and for petroleum while for natural gas compressors are used.
The fact that in this system a large amount of electrical energy is required for the driven machinery involves high costs. It is also to be taken into account that the electrical power has to be supplied through heavy cables in view of the large amount of such power needed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One object of the present invention is to substantially simplify and cheapen the provision of energy as required for the operation of the driven machinery.
Taking as a starting point the fact that the product coming from the well is in many cases under gage pressure which has to be reduced at the latest by the time of separation of the well product into its components, the invention attains its object by providing for a reduction in pressure of the well product in a device which is able to utilize the liberated energy .
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will now be further explained with reference to working examples thereof as shown in the drawing.
FIG. 1 shows conventional petroleum production with "multiphase flow".
FIG. 2 shows conventional production with "single phase flow".
FIG. 3 shows equipment for performing the method of the invention with a prime mover and two driven machines.
FIG. 4 is a view of equipment similar to that shown in FIG. 3 with an additional electric motor for driving the driven machines.
FIG. 5 shows equipment similar to that of FIG. 3 which in addition includes a generator serving to produce electrical power for remote units.
FIG. 6 is a view of a modified form of the equipment shown in FIG. 3.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The equipment shown in FIG. 1 may be from one aspect considered to be the simplest form of production from a well 1. The mixture produced by the well and consisting predominantly of petroleum and natural gas has to pass through a pressure reducing valve 2 before it reaches the pump 3. The separation into the petroleum and the natural gas as two components then takes place either in a platform above the level of the sea or on land. The pressure reducing valve 2 ensures that the load on the piping by the product is kept within permissible limits.
In the case of the conventional equipment shown in FIG. 2 there is a separation into oil and gas in the neighborhood of the w
REFERENCES:
patent: 3523192 (1970-08-01), Lang
patent: 4134024 (1979-01-01), Wiseman
patent: 4248305 (1981-02-01), Scarbrough
patent: 4273189 (1981-06-01), Carpenter
patent: 4369373 (1983-01-01), Wiseman
patent: 4848471 (1989-07-01), Bencze
Dang Hoang C.
Kontler Peter K.
KSB Aktiengsellschaft
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