Patent ID: 8540023

Claim:
A method for using a plurality of production units to produce hydrocarbons from a sea floor, for efficiently storing the hydrocarbons, and for disposing of produced water that is produced with the hydrocarbons, comprising: storing produced hydrocarbons on at least one tank of each of said production units; storing produced water in at least one water tank ( 24 ) of each of said production units; sailing a mobile plant ( 30 ) to each of a plurality of said production units, transferring produced water from a water tank ( 24 ) of the production unit to said mobile plant, sailing away said mobile plant ( 30 ) from the production unit while said mobile plant treats said transferred produced water to separate acceptable clean water from contaminants until the clean water can be dumped into the sea and dumping the clean water from the mobile plant into the sea, and disposing of the contaminants; said step of disposing of contaminants comprises allowing contaminants to settle out of water while the water is in at least one tank on said mobile plant, and while the mobile plant is sailing between said production units, and dumping water into the sea from which said contaminants have been removed.