Offshore heavy oil production.

(54) Title: PRODUCTION OF HEAVY OIL OUTSIDE COAST.

(54) Title: OFFSHORE HEAVY OIL PRODUCTION.

(57) Summary

A system is provided for the production of heavy crude oil from an offshore field, and for the treatment of crude oil to facilitate its transportation; A floating body (12) that produces the heavy crude oil carries a hydrocarbon cracking station (32) that cracks the heavy crude into light gaseous and liquid hydrocarbons; and that it uses heat resulting from cracking to produce pressurized steam; pressurized steam is used to drive a steam-powered engine (72) (with pistons or a turbine) that powers an electric generator (74) whose electricity powers the system.

(57) Abstract

A system is provided for the production of heavy crude oil from an undersea reservoir, and for the treatment of the crude oil to facilítate Its transport. A floating body (12) which produces the heavy crude orL carries a hydrocarbon cracking station (32) that cracks the heavy crude into light liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons; and that uses heat resulting from the cracking to produce pressured steam. The pressured steam Is used to drive a steam-powered engine (72) (with pistons or a turbine) that drives an elect oca I generator (74) whose electricity powers the system.

PATENT TITLE No. 353097

Headlines): SINGLE BUOY MOORINGS, INC.

D micilio:

PO Box 152, 5 Route de Friborg, CH-1723, Marly, SWITZERLAND

D nomination:

HEAVY DUTY OIL COAST PRODUCTION.

Classification; CIP:

CPC:

IMPI

ΓΜ'ίϊΜ · 'ii

<img file="MX353097B_D0001.tif" />

E21B43 / 36; C10G9 / 28; E21B33 / 03; E21B43 / 01; F01K13 / 00

E21B43 / 36; ClbG9 / 28; -E21B33 / 03; E21B43 / 01; F01K13 / 00

<td>Inventor (s):</td><td>DONALD MACLEAN; JOHANNES CHRlSTIAAN LANFERMEIJER; MICHAEL SILVERMAN; MICHAEL HILLEjRMAN · /, P £ LHAM JIMMY</td>

SOlJCttUD

Number:

MX / a / 2014/008753

Validity: Twenty years

Expiration Date: October 31, Í2032

Issue Date: December 19, 2017

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^ epjMMcftin International:

“^vWde20l2 ^:,r ..... jF,

The reference patent is granted based on the 3ΑίβυΙο &amp; ί1 ° .ΰ ° ΐΓέ &amp;: ιάτ ^ ιί, £ ° fraesM ^ and 5Ht Isrteytae the Industrial Property.

In accordance with article 23 of the Law pertaining to lnduptnal Property, the.jywMrite patent has a validity of twenty non-expendable years, counted from the date of filing of the international application and will be subject to the payment of the granddaughter fee to keep in force. rights.

Whoever subscribes to this title is the IfocdC · »is based on the dis |&gt; uest« kpatib * eíticul &lt;s 6Μτ8φ; ΐ0Πβ »ΙΙΙ and ^ tts2 of the Industrial Property Law (Official Gazette of the Federation (D.ÓP.) 27 / 08/1991, reformed on 02®8 /₍1994, 25 / KVJ99 &amp; 12/26/1997, 05/17/1999, 01/26/2004, 06/16/2005, 01/25/2006, 06/05/2009, 06/01/2010, 18/86 / 3910, 28/06 / 2050,27 / C ^ »/ 2012 ^ OW &lt;í» / 2013% fracoón V subsection a), 4^or and 12th fractions I and III of the Regulations of the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (DO F 14/12/1989, formed on 01 ^) 7 (2602 ,, 45/07/2004, 07/28/2004 and 7/09 / 2007); items 1^or, 3°, 4^or, 5^or fraction V subsection a), .M.fracci9rtB ». l&gt; wJII and 30 deMíSfottfÓOrgánico of the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (DOF 12/27/1999, amended on 10/10/2002, 29 / Ο7 / 2ΟΟι ^ Λ / ^ 8/2004 yklfáMeíiWSp: 43.3 °. And 5 »4qqqm-ajíief AcíWrdo that delegates powers to the Deputy Directors General, Coordinator , Directors DitnjtotMfesrf ptuiap · áe, rias &lt;ORt®if »), Reg (onales, Divisional Deputy Directors, Departmental Coordinators and other subordinates of the Instituto Mexidaho de la · Pi ^ efted industrial., ©; OF '15/12/1999, reformed on 02/04/2000, 07/29/2004, 08/04/2004 and 09/13/2007). '. ''

This letter is signed with advanced electronic signature (FIEL), based on articles 7 BIS 2 of the Industrial Property Law, 3rd of its Regulations, and 1 section III, 2 section V, 26 BIS and 26 TER of the Agreement establishing the guidelines for the use of the Electronic Payment and Services Portal (PASE) of the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property, in the procedures indicated.

THE DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR OF PATENTS

NAHANNY CANAL REYES

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Original string:

NAHANNY MARISOL CANAL REYES | 00001000000403252793 | Administration Service

Tax | 1695 || MX / 2018/1690 | MX / a / 2014/008753 | PCT patent title | 1027 | RGZ | Page (s) 1 | OR91egPWQ1ZsH4MaD / P6yVB / s4E =

Digital Seal: qejZlibUL98IRhTlwe / RUedD + c2dP9q71Rjt6yx¡Q6mjrvH394LUxl0nynnC16T5qF5XVBsFRNBdBRkhQEpk9YHTAi NiORJgdWSslZY / 9O3lt5478xOsGiHPId5ZsRxNlf3L53DiC0TyczSEJ // 5HY + D9 + qVE8IS0CUGQPJw0eHANHaVStl3 Xpr1 nf + 5ZajrHeh / KEZ / ICqoaiSqwhEQg + / kVfAokjSgASyj2VHvsJYE786zf6bsX + jyjlMmks / n9bxC6 / BÍ0lqk9A 3xcO / pUzkFdTH5BIQnKqOsMxHclawhK8WSKdHj7gwR1l1cXDULYddkf3orynVISVTUJ / 1zlg == / Venal No. 550, i one · . r&gt; &lt;in oepan, Xochimilco, 16020.

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MX / 2018/1690

3S3O91

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Some subsea hydrocarbon reservoirs contain a high proportion of heavy crude oil (hydrocarbons), so that their output from the reservoir (over a period of a plurality of days) comprises more than 50% of hydrocarbons at a density above that of water. and with a high viscosity. Such heavy crude oil generally contains at least 60 carbon atoms per molecule and / or has an order of magnitude viscosity of more than 0.5 poise. Other liquid hydrocarbons (light oil or light liquid hydrocarbons) generally have approximately 5 to 10 carbon atoms per molecule (crude oil). Hydrocarbons with less than 4 or 5 carbon atoms per molecule are generally gas. Heavy petroleum hydrocarbons are difficult to treat and difficult to pump into and out of storage tanks. Heavy crude can be cracked in refineries to produce light oil (generally oil that has a lower specific gravity than water and with a low viscosity) which are generally the most desirable hydrocarbons, but considerable effort is required to handle and transport heavy crude to the refinery. A system that

IM could

INDUSTRIAL offshore heavy crude oil production facility for cracking crude oil to facilitate its transportation and transfer through pipelines to an additional refining and treatment facility would be very valuable.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the present invention, a floating hydrocarbon production facility is provided that is anchored to the seabed to lie near an offshore heavy oil reservoir, which treats heavy oil for ease of transportation, transfer via pipelines , and additional treatment. The facility includes a separation station that separates the effluent from the well into light liquid oil, heavy crude oil, gaseous hydrocarbons, water, and solid materials (eg sand). Heavy oil (oil with a specific gravity greater than water and generally with an API of less than 20) passes to a cracking station in the floating facility that cracks or breaks heavy crude oil into light crude oil. Such cracking can be accomplished in a number of ways. One approach is to use thermal cracking, such as steam cracking in which steam at approximately 800 ° C (650 crude oil. Another approach, IM? I

1000 C) _ΓΝχ «· &amp; · Γ. ' «Apiree p € LA FRí&gt; YIFJ&gt; AP ftWUSTrtJÁÍ.

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it is spraying preheated crude oil into a hot fluidized catalyst to break up the oils into various light oils (referred to as an FCC process, or a process that uses fluidized carbon cracking). Cracking methods require large amounts of hot pressurized steam and produce more hot steam. The processes also require considerable amounts of electricity. Much of the pressurized steam produced in the cracking process is used to drive a steam engine (piston or turbine), which in turn drives an electric generator. Seawater is used in the operation of the steam engine (to provide water that turns into steam, and to cool the steam after it passes through the steam engine), and in the cracking process.

There are many other methods of cracking heavy oil.

The novel features of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims.

The invention will be better understood from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of an offshore hydrocarbon production facility of the present invention, with an oil tanker shown in a reduced size.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 illustrates a production facility 10 of the invention, which includes a floating structure 12 that carries treatment equipment that produces and treats heavy crude oil, or heavy hydrocarbons, from an oil field or subsea well 14.

Heavy crude oil can be considered as having an API (American Petroleum Institute) rating of less than 2 0 so that the oil floats on water.

Said oil generally has a high viscosity, such as in the order of magnitude of at least 0.5 poise, and / or has hydrocarbons with at least 60 carbon atoms per molecule. Fluid from the seabed reservoir passes through an electrically energized pump 20 that lies within the pipeline that extends down to the well or that lies in the casing pipe down the well. The pump pumps the fluid through a riser 22 to the ship or other floating structure 12 on the sea surface. Part of the oil is light oil that passes through.

P £ THE PROPERTY from a cracking station 32, to a Christmas tree 33 on the seabed, and helps lift heavy crude oil from the well. The heavy oil and gas from the reservoir passes through line 34 to a separation station 36. The separation station 36 separates the gas, which optionally flows through line 4 0 to gas turbine power generating equipment. 75. Equipment 75 is motor-generator equipment that uses steam (which can be produced by gas) to drive a generator 74 that generates electricity. The produced water flows through a pipe 42 to a settling tank 44. Other non-hydrocarbon material, such as sand and stones, is released into the sea after treatment.

In Figure 1, heavy crude oil entering separation station 36 is supplied through exits 51, 53 of conduits 50, 52 to station 32, which is a cracking station that converts crude oil heavy in light crude oil. The cracking station uses hot sand (eg 800 ° C) to break up the heavy crude and uses a small amount of hydrocarbon gas and diluent to initially generate heat and steam. The process reuses the sand and creates additional heat that creates additional steam. Applicant uses additional steam

IMPI as described below Mexican DE LA FROPIEOAD INDUSTRIAL

<img file="MX353097B_D0007.tif" />

Applicant provides a heavy oil storage tank, or buffer 60, that receives heavy crude oil from separation station 36 and that can supply heavy crude oil to cracking station 32. Optimal operation of cracking station 32 requires a constant flow of heavy crude oil to the station. When the flow through conduit 34 decreases, this deficit is created by the flow of oil from buffer tank 60 to the cracking station. The buffer tank preferably has a capacity to store more oil than the average flow of oil within the cracking station in one minute (over 1,000 gallons and preferably over 5,000 gallons). The heavy crude that has been cracked at the light oil cracking station is delivered through line 61 to a light oil storage tank 62, and from the light oil storage tank, the oil flows through a transfer system 64 to an oil tanker 66, or to an export pipeline on the seabed (not shown). Oil tanker 66 carries the oil to a distant refining facility where appropriate amounts of oil of selected densities are combined. The fact that the oil in storage tank 62 is can easily be light oil,

<img file="MX353097B_D0008.tif" />

OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY

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loaded onto tanker 66, such as by passing through an oil pipeline, and subsequently further unloaded and processed. Said additional processing can be used to obtain the desired mixture of light oils and additives, etc.

Cracking station 32 uses hot sand and / or steam to heat the incoming heavy crude oil at 52 to crack it, with the process creating additional heat which is pushed by additional steam. The applicant uses steam to produce electricity. The steam produced by the cracking station is delivered through conduit 70 to a steam powered engine 72, which may be a steam engine having pistons or which may include a steam turbine. The ship may have boilers (78) that use hydrocarbons to create steam during the start of the process. The steam powered generator is connected to an electric generator 74 that generates electricity. Alternatively, a closed loop heat transfer system can be used to deliver the steam to the heating apparatus and can deliver the heated steam to the motor 72.

Steam is produced by the cracking station only after a period of operation (for example,

IMPI a quarter of an hour). During this time ^ -n-iTtéÍMExi ^ ii ^ áÉáaí ^ ii OF. THE PROPERTY i *

INDUSTRIAL uses hydrocarbon gas flowing through the conduit to drive a motor-generator set such as 75, where generator 74 generates electricity. The gas can be ignited and used to power the same motor 72 or an auxiliary one.

In the present embodiment, a steam generator is used, but as an alternative, the steam from the ship's steam boilers 78 can be used to start the process.

Applicant passes excess steam in motor 72 through conduit 82 to buffer tank 60 to heat heavy crude there so that it flows more easily.

Excess heat can also be used to heat light oil in light oil tank 62. It is well known that the steam that comes out of a steam engine is usually cooled to lower its pressure so that there is a pressure differential. great between incoming and outgoing steam. Applicant uses a seawater lift pump system 80 to deliver seawater to a freshwater generator 84 that uses heat to produce clean water (as much salt is removed). Clean water is passed to the steam engine to cool the outgoing steam and to produce clean water for the steam engine. The electricity from generator 74 is used to power pumps that pump fluids

These include pump 20 that pumps

IMP1 a vara »« use Msai &amp; fea DI INDUSTRIAL ROPITITY

<img file="MX353097B_D0010.tif" />

»· Heavy crude through a riser, a discharge pump that pumps light oil to tanker 66 carrying oil

<td>far from</td><td>the</td><td>structure</td><td>of</td><td colspan="2">float 12, and</td><td>a</td><td>bomb</td><td>of</td>

<td colspan="2">lifting</td><td>of water</td><td>sea</td><td>80 that</td><td>provides</td><td>Water</td><td colspan="2">to the engine</td>

<td>steam.</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td>

<td>By</td><td>the</td><td>Therefore, the</td><td colspan="2">invention</td><td>provides</td><td>a</td><td>method</td><td>and</td>

system to handle oil that is produced from an offshore field or a seabed pipeline that produces mainly heavy crude oil (at least 50%). Crude oil is produced from the field by a floating structure, or vessel, that includes a cracking station that cracks the crude oil after it has been initially processed to remove water, sand, gas, and light oil. The cracking station preferably uses high temperature steam (eg 800 ° C) to crack heavy oil to produce light oil or lighter oil (less viscous oil) that can be more easily pumped or otherwise it is made to flow through the pipes for processing and transport. The steam created by cracking heavy oil into light oil is used to power a steam engine that powers an electric generator, with seawater used iMivapor^Ii^ST'JJ ^', * ^^ '¿gt industrial as a coolant for the electric generator engine powers the cracking station and other facilities, and electricity can be exported to consumers onshore or to another offshore system via of a cable.

Although particular embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described herein, it is recognized that modifications and variations can easily occur to those skilled in the art, and accordingly, the claims are intended to be interpreted to cover such modifications and equivalents.

W ~ '. &lt;- ~ -

NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION, _t ολ e¹ ú F2 V.. '. „'/

INOJSO:, · ..- J3 ·

Having described the present invention, it is considered as a novelty and, therefore, the content of the following is claimed as property: