Patent ID: 9140106
Filing Date: 2015-09-22
Classification: E21B

Abstract:
1. An offshore platform skid mounted removable well unloading unit and compressor system for producing hydrocarbons from a well in fluid communication with a reservoir formation, the system comprising: an offshore platform unloading unit comprising skid mounted units configured to receive a produced fluid having hydrocarbons, said hydrocarbons enter the unloading unit at less than 50 psi, from the well via a production tree and separate the produced fluid into a liquid fluid and a gas fluid, and wherein the unloading unit comprises a three-phase separator configured to separate water from the produced fluid, the unloading unit includes a kinetic separator; a compressor in fluid communication with the unloading unit and configured to receive the gas fluid from the unloading unit and compress the gas fluid to a predetermined pressure of 1100-1200 psi from an inlet pressure of less than 50 psi so that the gas fluid can be re-injected into the well and not vented into the environment to help lift the produced fluid from the reservoir formation to the production tree, and the unloading unit, compressor, gas manifold, and pump are disposed on one or more skids, for offshore platform well unloading such that each skid can be transported from a platform and re-used for producing hydrocarbons from different reservoir formations on a different platform as the well unloading; the gas manifold is configured to receive the compressed gas fluid at a pressure of 1100-1200 psi from the compressor and distribute the gas fluid to at least one production tree and at least one corresponding well; the pump is configured to receive the liquid fluids from the unloading unit, increase the fluid pressure of the liquid fluid, and deliver the liquid fluid to a pipeline and the pump is configured to deliver the liquid fluid to the pipeline, the pipeline being located on a seafloor and the unloading unit, compressor, and gas manifold are configured to operate as a substantially closed gas lift system, such that the unloading unit receives the gas fluid previously injected into the well; and a shutdown assembly downstream of a manifold assembly and upstream of the unloading unit; and a shutdown assembly downstream of the pump assembly.