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WO1999032730A1 - Systeme flottant et procede pour le stockage de fluides produits recuperes a partir de puits de petrole et de puits de gaz - Google Patents

Systeme flottant et procede pour le stockage de fluides produits recuperes a partir de puits de petrole et de puits de gaz Download PDF

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Publication number
WO1999032730A1
WO1999032730A1 PCT/US1997/024007 US9724007W WO9932730A1 WO 1999032730 A1 WO1999032730 A1 WO 1999032730A1 US 9724007 W US9724007 W US 9724007W WO 9932730 A1 WO9932730 A1 WO 9932730A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
barge
produced fluids
storage
water
buoy
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Ceased
Application number
PCT/US1997/024007
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Conrad J. Blanchard
Frank L. Anastasio
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
American Oilfield Divers Inc
Original Assignee
American Oilfield Divers Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority to US08/762,720 priority Critical patent/US5885028A/en
Application filed by American Oilfield Divers Inc filed Critical American Oilfield Divers Inc
Priority to PCT/US1997/024007 priority patent/WO1999032730A1/fr
Priority to AU57227/98A priority patent/AU5722798A/en
Publication of WO1999032730A1 publication Critical patent/WO1999032730A1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Ceased legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
    • E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
    • E21B43/00—Methods or apparatus for obtaining oil, gas, water, soluble or meltable materials or a slurry of minerals from wells
    • E21B43/01—Methods or apparatus for obtaining oil, gas, water, soluble or meltable materials or a slurry of minerals from wells specially adapted for obtaining from underwater installations
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
    • B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING 
    • B63B35/00—Vessels or similar floating structures specially adapted for specific purposes and not otherwise provided for
    • B63B35/44—Floating buildings, stores, drilling platforms, or workshops, e.g. carrying water-oil separating devices
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E02—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING; FOUNDATIONS; SOIL SHIFTING
    • E02D—FOUNDATIONS; EXCAVATIONS; EMBANKMENTS; UNDERGROUND OR UNDERWATER STRUCTURES
    • E02D27/00—Foundations as substructures
    • E02D27/32—Foundations for special purposes
    • E02D27/38—Foundations for large tanks, e.g. oil tanks

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to floating storage facilities for collecting and temporarily storing produced fluids from oil and gas wells. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system including a floating storage barge that can be selectively positioned in a body of water at a preselected location.
  • tankers and other typical waterborne or floatable storage and transporting vessels at preselected offshore locations, the tankers either being held in a fixed position by means of anchors or the like, or else tethered to a calm buoy that is fixed at a preselected position.
  • tankers and other such conventional steel storage and/or transfer vessels for offshore, or at least on- water, storage of produced fluids is expensive, in the case of vessels, because of the inherent expense of the vessels.
  • these conventional steel vessels and storage systems are subject to rust and corrosion, which necessitates constant maintenance, particularly when the vessels or floating storage systems are disposed in saltwater environments.
  • a significant problem in using steel tankers as offshore storage facilities lies in the fact that the tankers are subject to mechanical fatigue limiting their effective life to about 10 to 15 years.
  • Still another object of the present invention is to provide a storage system incorporating a floating, concrete storage barge having at least one storage compartment.
  • Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a storage system including a floating, concrete barge and an apparatus for treating produced fluids recovered from earth formations below the body of water in which the storage system is positioned.
  • Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a method of storing hydrocarbon liquids obtained from earth formations, e.g., oil and gas wells, disposed below a body of water.
  • the system for storing produced fluids recovered from oil and gas wells comprises a concrete, floating storage barge containing at least one storage compartment, positioning means for positioning the barge at a preselected location in a body of water, and a supply line for delivering produced fluids from a gathering facility to the barge.
  • the storage system comprises a calm or fixed buoy having a portion floating above the surface of a body of water, the buoy being fixed at a preselected location in the body of water.
  • a concrete storage barge is tethered to the buoy in such a way that the barge can move around the buoy in response to forces exerted by wind or water.
  • a supply line is connected to the buoy and supplies production fluids from a gathering facility spaced from the buoy.
  • a transfer line connectable to the supply line at the buoy transfers produced fluid from the supply line to the barge.
  • the barge is moored in a fixed location by means of anchors or other such mooring apparatus.
  • a floating, concrete storage barge is positioned at a preselected location in a body of water.
  • the barge and a source of, or gathering facility for, produced fluids are interconnected, e.g., by a supply line. Produced fluids are transported from the gathering facility to the barge through the supply line.
  • Fig. 1 is an elevational view of one embodiment of the system of the present invention, the floating, storage barge being shown partly in section for clarity.
  • Fig. 2 is a plan view of the system shown in Fig. 1.
  • Fig. 3 is a partial elevational view of another embodiment of the system of the present invention.
  • Fig. 4 is a plan view of the system shown in Fig. 3.
  • the present invention will be described with particular reference to a floating storage facility or system primarily for use in storing produced fluids from offshore, subsea formations, e.g., formations in the Gulf of Mexico, North Sea, etc.
  • the storage system can be used in any body of water, such as inland bays, lakes, or the like.
  • produced fluid means a fluid, primarily a liquid, comprising water and/or hydrocarbons liquids and, in some cases, gases such as CO 2 , H 2 S light hydrocarbons, etc.
  • produced fluids contain water, the amount of which will vary depending upon the particular well.
  • produced fluids that are substantially free of water, i.e., crude oil comprised almost entirely of hydrocarbons, e.g., hydrocarbon liquids with and without hydrocarbon and other gases.
  • a “produced fluid” is inclusive of crude oil, as well as hydrocarbon condensates from natural gas wells, stripper liquids, and virtually any other type of naturally occurring hydrocarbon streams, which are typically recovered from producing oil and gas wells.
  • a “produced fluid” may be a liquid that is substantially all hydrocarbon in nature, a mixture of such a hydrocarbon liquid and
  • SUBST ⁇ JTE SHEET (RULE 25) water, or a mixture of such a hydrocarbon liquid, water, and various types of gases.
  • FIG. 1 there is shown an offshore production platform, shown generally as 10, employing what is commonly referred to as a single caisson 11 and described, for example, in U.S. Patent Nos. 4,640,647; 4,710,061; and 4,818,146.
  • the single caisson 11 comprises a tubular member that extends from above the surface 12 of the water body 14 to some point below the mud line or bed 16 of the water body 14.
  • the caisson 11 is stabilized by means of guying cables 18, each cable 18 having one end affixed to a collar 20 that encircles caisson 11, the other end being secured to an anchor piling 22 driven into the seabed 16.
  • the platform 10 can further include a boat landing 24 and a series of decks 26a, b, and c positioned on the caisson 11 above the sea level 12. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that decks 26a, b, and c of platform 10 can include living quarters for personnel, a heliport, and various drilling, production, and workover equipment typically used in the drilling of, completing of, and producing from oil and gas wells.
  • produced fluid from subte ⁇ anean formations passes through production tubing (not shown) disposed internally of caisson 11 up to a suitable wellhead assembly located on one of deck 26a, b, or c.
  • the produced fluid can be treated on platform 10 or flow directly to a supply line 28 that runs from, for example, deck 26a, downwardly alongside caisson 11 and across seabed 16 for some distance, and then arcs upwardly to be attached to a submerged suspension buoy 30.
  • the supply line 28 then follows a catenary path from suspension buoy 30 to a calm buoy 32 that is positioned at some preselected location spaced from production platform 10, buoy 32 being held in position by a plurality (generally six) of catenary legs or cables 34.
  • catenary legs 34 are anchored in a suitable fashion to seabed 16. It will thus be seen that partially submerged suspension buoy 30 serves the purpose of accommodating movement and flexure in supply line 28 between production platform 10 and buoy 32.
  • Tethered to buoy 32 by a tether line 36 is a concrete barge shown generally as 38.
  • the tethering of barge 38 to buoy 32 by tether line 36 is such as to allow barge 38 to move in a fashion commonly refe ⁇ ed to as "weather vaning" about buoy 32.
  • barge 38 is attached to buoy 32 by a swivel assembly (not shown) and thus can move around buoy 32 in response to forces acting on barge 32 due to wind and water, e.g., waves, cu ⁇ ent, etc.
  • barge 38 is of concrete construction, albeit that it may include internal steel reinforcement or other structural steel members.
  • the outer shell 40 including the bottom, deck, and side surfaces of barge 38, is substantially all concrete to enhance resistance to weathering and to prevent, to the extent possible, exposure of such steel reinforcement or structural members.
  • Barge 38 is provided with a series of compartments 42 generally separated from one another by suitable partitions 44, compartments 42 being laid out in a honeycomb fashion in barge 38. While barge 38 and storage compartments 42 can be, within reason, virtually any size, typically barge 38 will be approximately from 25 to 600 feet long, from 90 to 140 feet wide, and from 40 to 60 feet deep.
  • the barge can have a storage capacity of from 20,000 to 3000,000 barrels of liquid.
  • barge 38 can consist of suitable piping, valving, and pumps to facilitate the filling and emptying of compartments 42 and to accomplish adequate ballasting and trim of barge 38.
  • platform 46 mounted on the deck 44 of barge 38 is an elevated platform 46, platform 46 being elevated above deck 44 and supported by a suitable framework 48 attached to deck 46 of barge 38.
  • Platform 46 serves as a support for hydrocarbon processing apparatus, shown generally as 50, such as gas gathering equipment, water removal equipment, filters, etc., such apparatus being well known to those skilled in the art.
  • Supply line 28 is interconnected to transfer line 52 at buoy 32 and to barge 38. Accordingly, produced fluid can be transferred from supply line 28 to transfer line 52 and thence to barge 38. As shown, transfer line 52 is connected to hydrocarbon processing apparatus 50.
  • SUBST ⁇ JTE SHEET (RULE 25) processed in apparatus 50 to remove water, if any is present, the dewatered product, e.g., hydrocarbon liquid, is transfe ⁇ ed via line 54 to storage compartments 42 in a systematic fashion to ensure proper ballasting and trim of barge 35. It will thus be seen that produced fluid from production wells can be temporarily stored in barge 38 until such time as barge 38 is full, at which point the product in barge 38 can be off-loaded to a tanker or other suitable hydrocarbon-liquid-carrying marine vessel.
  • the dewatered product e.g., hydrocarbon liquid
  • a tanker or another suitable marine transport vessel used to carry liquid hydrocarbons is tied up to the stern of barge 38 via a line 58.
  • suitable pumps (not shown)
  • liquid hydrocarbon is pumped from compartments 42 of barge 38 via a line 55 into tanker 56.
  • compartments 42 are emptied in such a fashion so as to maintain proper ballasting and trim of barge 38.
  • Tanker 56 is then released from barge 38 and, being a powered vessel, can back away from barge 38 and carry the product removed therefrom to suitable onshore facilities, e.g., a refinery.
  • barge 38a rather than being tethered to the fixed buoy 32 so that it can "weather vane” about the buoy, is substantially fixed in position.
  • barge 38a is provided with an anchoring system comprised of anchor lines 60 connected to anchors 62 that effectively hold barge 38 in a fixed position.
  • anchoring or anchoring systems that can maintain a floating vessel, such as the barge of the present invention, in a fixed position while accommodating for wave action, tidal changes, etc., are well known to those skilled in the art.
  • off-loading of produced fluids from the barge to a transporter vessels would generally be accomplished by a dynamically positioned transport vessel T so as to maintain the transport vessel in a fixed position relative to the fixed barge position.
  • Figs. 3 and 4 show a preferred embodiment of the barge used in the system of the present invention.
  • Barge 38a as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, is generally of double- wall construction being provided with an outer wall 64 around the perimeter of the barge and an inner wall 66 also around the perimeter of the barge, but displaced inwardly from wall 64. Walls 64 and 66 thus essentially define a double-hulled vessel. The space between
  • SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 25) walls 64 and 66 is preferably divided into a series of ballast or trim compartments 68 that can alternately be filled with seawater or emptied, as the case may be, to maintain proper ballasting of the barge 38a. Additionally, depending on which of the ballast compartments 68 are involved, filling or emptying can be used to trim barge 38a to the extent desired.
  • This double-hulled construction of barge 38a is an important feature of the system of the present invention since it effectively provides an inexpensive, double-hulled, floating container, greatly rnin-jnizing the chance of an oil spill should there be a collision between a seagoing vessel and barge 38 a.
  • This double- wall or double-hull construction of barge 38a brings into focus the unobvious advantages of using a concrete barge of the type under consideration in an offshore storage facility.
  • concrete offers a fatigue life of 30 years. Additionally, it is also more fire-retardant than steel.
  • it provides an economical solution to the problem of double-hull construction in oil storage and transportation vehicles, which greatly minimizes the chance of oil pollution due to an at-sea collision.
  • the perimeter compartments formed between the inner and outer side walls of the barge perform the dual function of permitting ballasting and trim while also serving as a safety system to prevent escape of oil or other produced hydrocarbons from the barge should a collision or other type of impact occur.
  • barge 38 can be a shallow draft container, e.g., drawing less than about ten feet of water.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Geology (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
  • Geochemistry & Mineralogy (AREA)
  • Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
  • Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
  • General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Architecture (AREA)
  • Civil Engineering (AREA)
  • Structural Engineering (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Ocean & Marine Engineering (AREA)
  • Filling Or Discharging Of Gas Storage Vessels (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne une installation de stockage destinée au stockage temporaire de fluides produits, par exemple de pétrole brut, obtenus à partir de puits de pétrole et de puits de gaz. Cette installation comprend une barge en béton (38) flottante présentant au moins un compartiment de stockage (42), qui est placée en un emplacement présélectionné sur une surface d'eau, qui est formée, de préférence, par une construction à double paroi, qui comporte une pluralité de compartiments de stockage et qui ne présente aucun élément en acier structural ou de renforcement à nu soumis aux attaques par les intempéries et/ou par les éléments marins.
PCT/US1997/024007 1996-12-10 1997-12-22 Systeme flottant et procede pour le stockage de fluides produits recuperes a partir de puits de petrole et de puits de gaz Ceased WO1999032730A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US08/762,720 US5885028A (en) 1996-12-10 1996-12-10 Floating systems and method for storing produced fluids recovered from oil and gas wells
PCT/US1997/024007 WO1999032730A1 (fr) 1997-12-22 1997-12-22 Systeme flottant et procede pour le stockage de fluides produits recuperes a partir de puits de petrole et de puits de gaz
AU57227/98A AU5722798A (en) 1997-12-22 1997-12-22 Floating system and method for storing produced fluids recovered from oil and gas wells

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/US1997/024007 WO1999032730A1 (fr) 1997-12-22 1997-12-22 Systeme flottant et procede pour le stockage de fluides produits recuperes a partir de puits de petrole et de puits de gaz

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO1999032730A1 true WO1999032730A1 (fr) 1999-07-01

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Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/US1997/024007 Ceased WO1999032730A1 (fr) 1996-12-10 1997-12-22 Systeme flottant et procede pour le stockage de fluides produits recuperes a partir de puits de petrole et de puits de gaz

Country Status (2)

Country Link
AU (1) AU5722798A (fr)
WO (1) WO1999032730A1 (fr)

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3572278A (en) * 1968-11-27 1971-03-23 Exxon Production Research Co Floating production platform
US4674918A (en) * 1985-09-06 1987-06-23 Kalpins Alexandrs K Anchoring floating structural body in deep water
US4702648A (en) * 1984-04-27 1987-10-27 Jan Stageboe Tension leg platform
US5117914A (en) * 1990-12-13 1992-06-02 Blandford Joseph W Method and apparatus for production of subsea hydrocarbon formations

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3572278A (en) * 1968-11-27 1971-03-23 Exxon Production Research Co Floating production platform
US4702648A (en) * 1984-04-27 1987-10-27 Jan Stageboe Tension leg platform
US4674918A (en) * 1985-09-06 1987-06-23 Kalpins Alexandrs K Anchoring floating structural body in deep water
US5117914A (en) * 1990-12-13 1992-06-02 Blandford Joseph W Method and apparatus for production of subsea hydrocarbon formations

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
AU5722798A (en) 1999-07-12

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