Patent ID: 8469101

Claim:
A method of managing hydrates in a subsea production system, the subsea production system having a host production facility, a production cluster comprising one or more producers, a water injection cluster comprising one or more water injectors, a water injection line, and a single production line for directing fluids from the one or more producers to the host production facility, the method comprising: storing a pig in the subsea production system by injecting the pig into the water injection line, and advancing the pig into a subsea storage location in the subsea production system using injection water; storing the pig in the subsea storage location for a period of time; shutting in production from the one or more producers; injecting a hydrate inhibitor into the subsea production system in order to move the pig to the subsea production cluster, thereby at least partially displacing production fluids from the production cluster; launching the pig from the subsea storage location; and injecting a displacement fluid into the subsea production system in order to displace the hydrate inhibitor and any remaining production fluids into the single production line, and to further move the pig through the production line.