Patent ID: 7819950

Claim:
A subsea compression system, comprising: a reservoir ( 10 ); a separation vessel ( 16 ) for separating gas from a well stream fluid at ambient seawater temperature; a flow line ( 12 ) connecting the reservoir ( 10 ) to the separation vessel ( 16 ) and surrounded by seawater; the well stream fluid flowing through the flow line ( 12 ) from the reservoir ( 10 ) into the separation vessel ( 16 ), said flow line ( 12 ) having a length acting as a temperature control such that said well stream fluid is inhibited against hydrate formation and, based on said length, the well stream fluid is cooled to have a temperature in the region of ambient seawater temperature of the water surrounding the flow line when entering said separation vessel ( 16 ), said well stream fluid being separated in the separation vessel into a separated gas stream at the ambient seawater temperature, said separated gas stream being unable to form a hydrate; a compressor ( 18 ; 18 ′, 18 ″) connected to an outlet side of the separation vessel, the compressor receiving the separated gas stream from the outlet side of the separation vessel for subsequent compression of the separated gas stream into an export compressed gas stream; and a re-cycle line ( 24 ; 24 ′, 24 ″) having a first inlet end and a second outlet end, the first inlet end connected to an outlet side of the compressor to received the compressed export gas stream at the outlet side of the compressor and the second outlet end connected intermediate the outlet side of the separation vessel and an inlet side of the compressor.