36 results about "Flow assurance" patented technology

A free-standing riser system connects a subsea source to a surface structure. The system includes a concentric free-standing riser comprising inner and outer risers defining an annulus there between. A lower end of the riser is fiuidly coupled to the subsea source through a lower riser assembly (LRA) and one or more subsea flexible conduits. An upper end of the riser is connected to a buoyancy assembly and the surface structure through an upper riser assembly (URA) and one or more upper flexible conduits, the riser also mechanically connected to a buoyancy assembly that applies upward tension to the riser. The riser may be insulated for flow assurance, either by a flow assurance fluid in the annulus, insulation of the outside of the outer riser, or both. The system may include a hydrate inhibition system and / or a subsea dispersant system. The surface structure may be dynamically positioned.

Method of managing hydrates in a subsea production system that includes a host production facility, one or more producers, one or more water injectors, a water injection line, and a single production line for directing production fluids from the producers to the host production facility. The method comprises placing a pig in the subsea production system, shutting in production from the producers, and injecting a displacement fluid into the subsea production system in order to displace production fluids in the production line. The method also includes applying electrically resistive heat along a selected portion of the single production line to maintain production fluids within the production line at a temperature above a hydrate formation temperature after production has been shut in.

This invention relates generally to articles, devices, and methods for gas hydrate mitigation in deep-sea drilling applications. In certain embodiments, hydrate-phobic surfaces are provided that ensure passive enhancement of flow assurance and prevention of catastrophic failures in deep-sea oil and gas operations.

A system and method for predictive flow assurance assessment by measuring at least one actual parameter related to a multiphase fluid mixture flowing in a main flow line, taking a sample from the multiphase fluid mixture flowing in the main flow line, modifying at least one control parameter of the sample until a transition appears, wherein said transition would cause a flow issue when occurring in the main flow line, detecting the transition of the sample and determining a corresponding transition value associated with the at least one control parameter, calculating a difference between the at least one actual parameter and the at least one transition value, said difference being representative of a margin relatively to a similar transition appearance in the main flow line causing a flow issue in the main flow line, and implementing a flow issue preventing step when the difference exceeds a given threshold.

A flow angle probe is provided comprising: (a) a probe vane configured to contact a moving fluid within a fluid conduit; (b) an optional probe mounting mechanically coupled to the probe vane; (c) a rotary shaft coupled either to the optional probe mounting or the probe vane; (d) a rotary encoder coupled to the rotary shaft; (e) a sensor hermetically isolated from the probe vane and configured to sense a change in position of the rotary encoder; and (f) a probe housing encompassing at least a portion of the rotary shaft, the rotary encoder and the sensor. The novel flow angle probes disclosed herein may be used in a wide variety of turbomachines and fluid processing systems, and applications, including turbomachine design and operational control, as well as in flow assurance.

An Electron Paramagnetic resonance (EPR) system and method allows the measurement paramagnetic characteristics of materials in real-time, such as heavy oil, hydrocarbons, asphaltenes, heptane, vanadium, resins, drilling fluid, mud, wax deposits or the like. The EPR systems and methods discussed herein are low cost, small and light weight, making them usable in flow-assurance or logging applications. The EPR sensor is capable of measuring paramagnetic properties of materials from a distance of several inches. In some embodiments, a window will be used to separate the EPR sensor from the materials in a pipeline or wellbore. Since the sensor does need to be in direct contact with the materials, it can operate at a lower temperature or pressure. In other embodiments, the EPR sensor may be placed in the materials.

The invention discloses a system and method for diagnosing the engine air inflow measuring accuracy of an HFM. The problem that currently, matched equipment or a corresponding method for diagnosing the air measuring accuracy of the HFM on a large commercial engine is not available is solved. The system and method can diagnose whether the air inflow measured by the HFM is accurate or not, and thus correct air flow assurance is provided for subsequent intra-cylinder fuel injection and for subsequent diesel engine post-treatment urea injection. According to the technical scheme, the system comprises an air flow meter and an air inlet pressure temperature sensor which are used for measuring the air mass flows entering the engine correspondingly and then sending the air mass flow to a controller, the air mass flows which are detected when an EGR valve is totally closed and entering the engine serve as a first measured value and a second measured value to be stored in the controller, and the controller receives the first measured value and the second measured value and obtains the deviation between the first measured value and the second measured value so as to judge whether the air mass flows, measured by the air flow meter HFM, entering the engine drift or not.