Patent ID: 8607877

Claim:
A subsea module for installation on the sea bed, the subsea module being for pumping to the surface hydrocarbons that have a high associated gas fraction that have been produced by a separate subsea production well, said subsea module comprising: a hydrocarbon inlet pipe ( 2 ) designed to deliver to the top of the module a flow of oil from said production well having a high associated gas fraction; separator equipment ( 3 ) connected to the inlet pipe ( 2 ) and being for separating the oil into gas and liquid phases which then respectively flow in two separate streams; a first pump ( 4 ) designed to pump the liquid phase that has been separated by the separator equipment ( 3 ); a second pump ( 8 ) designed to pump the gas phase separated by the separator equipment ( 3 ); an outlet pipe ( 9 ) connected to the outlets of the first and second pumps and being for transporting mixed oil and gas away from the subsea module (PM) wherein the liquid phase and the gas phase flow separately to the outlet pipe.