Patent ID: 8778052

Claim:
A method of producing a combined gaseous hydrocarbon component stream and liquid hydrocarbon component streams from at least two multi-phase hydrocarbon streams, comprising at least the steps of: (1) employing a first train comprising a first pipeline for the first multi-phase hydrocarbon stream from one or more first hydrocarbon wells, a first inlet separator to separate the first multi-phase hydrocarbon stream to provide a first gaseous hydrocarbon component stream and a first liquid hydrocarbon component stream and a first low pressure separator to separate the first liquid hydrocarbon component stream to provide a first condensate component feed stream and a first overhead gaseous hydrocarbon stream; (2) employing a second train comprising a second pipeline for the second multi-phase hydrocarbon stream from one or more second hydrocarbon wells, a second inlet separator to separate the second multi-phase hydrocarbon stream to provide a second gaseous hydrocarbon component stream and a second liquid hydrocarbon component stream and a second low pressure separator to separate the second liquid hydrocarbon component stream to provide a second condensate component feed stream and a second overhead gaseous hydrocarbon stream; and (3) combining the second gaseous hydrocarbon stream downstream of the second train with the first gaseous hydrocarbon stream downstream of the first train to provide a combined gaseous hydrocarbon component stream; wherein first train is structurally different from the second train such that the first and second trains have different operating conditions; wherein the structural difference between the first and second trains resides in the presence of at least one of the following distinguishing characteristics present in one of the first and the second trains: a depletion compressor to compress the first or second gaseous hydrocarbon stream; one or both of insulation and heating units in the first or second pipelines; and a hydrate inhibition handling unit.