Patent ID: 7857059

Claim:
A system for mitigating slugging in the conveyance of hydrocarbons in a flowline from the sea floor to the surface of the sea, comprising: a subsea flowline extending substantially longitudinally along a surface of the sea floor, the subsea flowline carrying multiphase hydrocarbons therein; a riser extending from the surface of the sea in fluid communication with the flowline; and a slug-mitigating assembly positioned between the subsea flowline and the riser so that the slug-mitigating assembly receives the hydrocarbons, front the flowline and conveys the hydrocarbons to the riser, the slug-mitigating assembly having a plurality of consecutively joined tubular segments that are each arcuate along a predetermined arcuate angle, each segment having a substantially uniform cross-section, wherein each tubular segment positioned between the tubular segments connected to the flowline and the riser, respectively, is oriented at a predetermined angle of rotation relative to adjacent tubular segments, the angle of rotation being such that the flowpath of the hydrocarbons is in a spiral through the slug-mitigation assembly.