IP Library Granted Patent US 9,309,750
Granted Patent B2
US 9,309,750 · App. 14/316,534 · Granted Apr 12, 2016

Subsea on-site chemical injection management system

Inventor: Donald Scott Coonrod (Katy, TX)
Assignee: Cameron International Corporation
E21B43/01E21B33/068E21B33/076E21B37/06
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,309,750
App. No.
14/316,534
Granted
Apr 12, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system includes a subsea on-site chemical injection management system configured to inject a chemical mixture into a well, wherein the subsea on-site chemical injection management system includes a subsea on-site head tank configured to store a plurality of discrete chemicals, a subsea on-site mixing unit configured to mix one or more of the plurality of discrete chemicals to create one or more chemical mixtures, and a subsea on-site distribution unit configured to distribute the one or more chemical mixtures to the well.

Claims (34)

1. A system, comprising:

a subsea on-site chemical injection management system configured to inject a chemical mixture into a well, wherein the subsea on-site chemical injection management system comprises:

a subsea on-site head tank configured to store a plurality of discrete chemicals, wherein the subsea on-site head tank comprises an elevated reservoir and a plurality of discrete chemical outlets at a base of the subsea on-site head tank;

a subsea on-site mixing unit configured to mix one or more of the plurality of discrete chemicals to create one or more chemical mixtures; and

a subsea on-site distribution unit configured to distribute the one or more chemical mixtures to the well.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the subsea on-site chemical injection management system comprises a local pump coupled to a wellhead of the well, wherein the local pump is configured to elevate a pressure of the one or more chemical mixtures prior to injection into the well.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the elevated reservoir comprises a plurality of internal storage tanks, wherein each of the plurality of internal storage tanks is configured to store a respective one of the plurality of discrete chemicals.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the subsea on-site head tank is configured to mount on a sea floor.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the subsea on-site chemical injection management system comprises a plurality of fluid conduits extending from the base of the head tank to the subsea on-site mixing unit, wherein each of the plurality of fluid conduits is configured to flow a respective one of the plurality of discrete chemicals.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the subsea on-site chemical injection management system comprises at least one fluid conduit extending from the subsea on-site mixing unit to the subsea on-site distribution unit, wherein each of the at least one fluid conduit is configured to flow a respective one of the one or more chemical mixtures.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the subsea on-site mixing unit comprises a controller configured to regulate one or more components of the subsea on-site mixing unit, wherein the controller comprises a memory configured to store at least one formula of the one or more chemical mixtures.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to communicate with a top side processing unit at a surface above the subsea on-site chemical injection management system.

9. The system of claim 1 , comprising an autonomous underwater vehicle configured to transfer additional amounts of the plurality of discrete chemicals from a top side processing unit to the subsea on-site head tank.

10. A method, comprising:

flowing a plurality of discrete chemicals from an elevated reservoir of a subsea on-site head tank through a plurality of discrete chemical outlets formed in a base of the subsea on-site head tank to a subsea on-site mixing unit;

mixing one or more of the plurality of discrete chemicals within the subsea on-site mixing unit to create one or more chemical mixtures;

flowing the one or more chemical mixtures from the subsea on-site mixing unit to a subsea on-site distribution unit; and

distributing the one or more chemical mixtures to a subsea well.

11. The method of claim 10 , comprising storing each the plurality of discrete chemicals in individual internal storage tanks disposed in the elevated reservoir of the subsea on-site head tank.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein flowing the plurality of discrete chemicals from the subsea on-site head tank to the subsea on-site mixing unit comprises using hydrostatic pressure of the plurality of discrete chemicals in the individual internal storage tanks to flow the plurality of discrete chemicals from the subsea on-site head tank to the subsea on-site mixing unit.

13. The method of claim 11 , comprising refilling the individual internal storage tanks of the subsea on-site head tank with the plurality of discrete chemicals using an autonomous underwater vehicle.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein mixing one or more of the plurality of discrete chemicals within the subsea on-site mixing unit to create one or more chemical mixtures comprising mixing one or more of the plurality of discrete chemicals according to a formula stored in a memory of the subsea on-site mixing unit.

15. The method of claim 10 , comprising elevating a pressure of the one or more chemical mixtures with a local pump of the subsea well prior to injection into the subsea well.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein distributing the one or more chemical mixtures to the subsea well comprises regulating distribution of the one or more chemical mixtures with a controller of the subsea on-site distribution unit, wherein the controller is configured to communicate with a top side processing unit at a surface above the subsea on-site distribution unit.

17. A system, comprising:

a subsea on-site chemical injection management system configured to inject a chemical mixture into a well, wherein the subsea on-site chemical injection management system comprises:

a subsea on-site head tank comprising an elevated reservoir configured to store a plurality of discrete chemicals, a column supporting the elevated reservoir, and a plurality of discrete chemical outlets at a base of the column, wherein each of the plurality of discrete chemical outlets is configured to output a flow of a respective one of the plurality of discrete chemicals;

a subsea on-site mixing unit configured to mix one or more of the plurality of discrete chemicals to create one or more chemical mixtures; and

a local pump coupled to a wellhead of the well, wherein the local pump is configured to elevate a pressure of the one or more chemical mixtures prior to injection into the well.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the subsea on-site chemical injection management system comprises at least one subsea mount configured to mount the subsea on-site head tank, the subsea on-site mixing unit, or a combination thereof, to a sea floor.

19. The system of claim 17 , wherein the subsea on-site chemical injection management system comprises a subsea on-site distribution unit upstream of the local pump, wherein the subsea on-site distribution unit is configured to meter and distribute the one or more chemical mixtures to the local pump.

20. The system of claim 17 , wherein the subsea on-site head tank comprises:

a plurality of internal storage tanks disposed within the elevated reservoir, wherein each of the plurality of internal storage tanks is configured to store a respective one of the plurality of discrete chemicals; and

a plurality of inlets, wherein each of the plurality of inlets is in fluid communication with a respective one of the plurality of internal storage tanks, and each of the plurality of inlets is configured to receive a flow of a respective one of the plurality of discrete chemicals from an autonomous underwater vehicle.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 14, 2023
From: CAMERON INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
To: ONESUBSEA IP UK LIMITED
Reel/Frame 065220/0750 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 7, 2016
From: COONROD, DONALD S.
To: COOPER CAMERON CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 037913/0683 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Mar 7, 2016
From: COOPER CAMERON CORPORATION
To: CAMERON INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 038025/0694 →
Continuity (1)
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