Patent ID: 7918283
Filing Date: 2011-04-05
Classification: B08B,E21B,F16L,F28D,F28F,F28G,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A system for maintaining production flow in a subsea pipeline having a proximate and a distal end, the pipeline being in fluid communication with a host on a distal end, the system comprising: a pig handler, having an inlet system in fluid communication with at least one subsea well adapted to receive a hydrocarbon production flow, and an outlet system in fluid communication with the proximate end of the pipeline; a subsea heat exchanger, the heat exchanger having an inlet in fluid communication with the pig handler inlet system and an outlet in fluid communication with the pig handler outlet system, adapted so that the temperature of the hydrocarbon production flow may be reduced sufficiently to cause solids to form; a pig launching system, adapted so that a pig may be selectively placed into the hydrocarbon production flow through the pig handler inlet system, launching the pig into the heat exchanger to remove deposited solids from the heat exchanger; and a pig receiving system, adapted so that a pig may be removed from the hydrocarbon production flow through the pig handler outlet system prior to production flow entry into the subsea pipeline; wherein the pig handler comprises: an outer, waterproof sealed housing; an inner body, having at least two passageways therethrough that can be indexed to provide a fluid path in sealed fluid communication with the pig handler inlet system and the heat exchanger inlet, a fluid path in sealed fluid communication with the heat exchanger outlet and the pig handler outlet system; a pig storage position connected to the housing; apparatus for loading a pig into a passageway from the pig storage position and for discharging a pig from a passageway into the pig storage position; and apparatus for indexing the inner body within the outer housing to launch a pig stored in a passageway by bringing it into fluid communication with the hydrocarbon production flow or indexing the inner body to bring a passageway into fluid communications with the pig storage position.