Patent ID: 7976613

Claim:
A process for removing water from a natural gas in an underwater environment which process comprises dehydrating a natural gas feed stream in an apparatus arranged to exchange heat with the underwater environment, wherein the step of dehydrating the natural gas feed stream includes the step of forming hydrates in a hydrate forming zone of a hydrate vessel, the process further comprising the step of dissolving at least a portion of the hydrates in a hydrate dissolution zone of the hydrate vessel to form dry gas and a water-containing liquid, and removing from the hydrate vessel a dry gas outlet stream and a water-containing liquid stream, wherein the step of dissolving at least a portion of the hydrates comprises the step of adding to the hydrates a warm liquid having a temperature above the hydrate dissolution temperature for a given operating pressure of the hydrate vessel, and wherein the step of adding a warm liquid to the hydrate vessel comprises the step of spraying or atomizing the warm liquid into the hydrate dissolution zone of the hydrate vessel, the process further comprising the step of separating the water and the warm liquid from the water-containing liquid removed from the hydrate vessel, the process further comprising the step of re-heating the warm liquid for recycle to the step of dissolving the hydrates in the hydrate dissolution zone of the hydrate vessel, wherein the warm liquid is reheated through heat exchange with the natural gas feed stream from the wellhead as a pre-cooling stage for the natural gas feed stream.