US20220120166A1 - Vessel-based water injection systems - Google Patents
Vessel-based water injection systems Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20220120166A1 US20220120166A1 US17/485,122 US202117485122A US2022120166A1 US 20220120166 A1 US20220120166 A1 US 20220120166A1 US 202117485122 A US202117485122 A US 202117485122A US 2022120166 A1 US2022120166 A1 US 2022120166A1
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- United States
- Prior art keywords
- subsea
- pump
- water
- conduit
- seawater
- Prior art date
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- XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N water Substances O XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 title claims abstract description 178
- 238000002347 injection Methods 0.000 title claims description 53
- 239000007924 injection Substances 0.000 title claims description 53
- 239000013535 sea water Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 71
- 238000005086 pumping Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 26
- 239000012530 fluid Substances 0.000 claims description 49
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 claims description 25
- 238000004891 communication Methods 0.000 claims description 21
- 238000002360 preparation method Methods 0.000 claims description 11
- 239000007789 gas Substances 0.000 abstract description 13
- VNWKTOKETHGBQD-UHFFFAOYSA-N methane Chemical compound C VNWKTOKETHGBQD-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 abstract description 10
- 238000012423 maintenance Methods 0.000 abstract description 5
- 239000003345 natural gas Substances 0.000 abstract description 5
- 238000005553 drilling Methods 0.000 abstract description 4
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 description 14
- 239000000243 solution Substances 0.000 description 4
- 230000005611 electricity Effects 0.000 description 3
- 238000005188 flotation Methods 0.000 description 2
- 241000894006 Bacteria Species 0.000 description 1
- 241000195493 Cryptophyta Species 0.000 description 1
- 230000015572 biosynthetic process Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000001816 cooling Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000005260 corrosion Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000007797 corrosion Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000012535 impurity Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000009434 installation Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000003550 marker Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000012544 monitoring process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000003287 optical effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000010248 power generation Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000004576 sand Substances 0.000 description 1
Images
Classifications
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
- B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING
- B63B27/00—Arrangement of ship-based loading or unloading equipment for cargo or passengers
- B63B27/24—Arrangement of ship-based loading or unloading equipment for cargo or passengers of pipe-lines
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
- B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING
- B63B27/00—Arrangement of ship-based loading or unloading equipment for cargo or passengers
- B63B27/24—Arrangement of ship-based loading or unloading equipment for cargo or passengers of pipe-lines
- B63B27/25—Arrangement of ship-based loading or unloading equipment for cargo or passengers of pipe-lines for fluidised bulk material
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
- B63J—AUXILIARIES ON VESSELS
- B63J4/00—Arrangements of installations for treating ballast water, waste water, sewage, sludge, or refuse, or for preventing environmental pollution not otherwise provided for
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- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
- E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- E21B43/00—Methods or apparatus for obtaining oil, gas, water, soluble or meltable materials or a slurry of minerals from wells
- E21B43/01—Methods or apparatus for obtaining oil, gas, water, soluble or meltable materials or a slurry of minerals from wells specially adapted for obtaining from underwater installations
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- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
- E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- E21B43/00—Methods or apparatus for obtaining oil, gas, water, soluble or meltable materials or a slurry of minerals from wells
- E21B43/16—Enhanced recovery methods for obtaining hydrocarbons
- E21B43/18—Repressuring or vacuum methods
Definitions
- Deep sea or off-shore drilling is performed in many places around the globe to extract oil and gas from subsea reservoirs.
- platforms used to extract oil from the subsea reservoirs perform a number of functions in order to maintain the subsea reservoir in such a condition that oil and gas can be more easily extracted therefrom.
- One such function of the platforms is to maintain pressure within the subsea reservoir by pumping processed seawater using a large water pump on the platforms to a subsea injection manifold positioned on the seabed.
- a conduit such as a water injection riser, extends from the platforms to the seabed and across the seabed to the manifold to enable the water pump to pump the processed seawater into the subsea reservoir.
- Water pumps used on platforms typically output sufficient water to enable up to 100,000 barrels per day of water injection into the subsea reservoir.
- One such problem is the size of the hydraulic pumps on the platforms that are meant for large production volumes (e.g., 100K barrels of oil production per day).
- Another problem is that the cost of installing, moving, and/or maintaining the water pumping infrastructure including the water pump and water injection riser is very expensive and time consuming.
- oil rigs are routinely moved and oil fields are also dynamic over time.
- production operations vary for a variety of natural reasons (e.g., weather, seismic, pressure fluctuations, formation shifts, etc.) and manmade reasons (e.g., over-supply, under-supply, price fluctuations, political tensions, war, etc.), so subsea oil fields are routinely developed, slowed, or abandoned.
- natural reasons e.g., weather, seismic, pressure fluctuations, formation shifts, etc.
- manmade reasons e.g., over-supply, under-supply, price fluctuations, political tensions, war, etc.
- oil production of a subsea reservoir from a platform may slow or stop altogether.
- equipment such as the water pumps, risers, and other equipment, may not be used for extended periods of time (e.g., weeks, months, years).
- stoppage can be harmful to the equipment and water pumping infrastructure, including the water pump, water injection riser, subsea manifold, filters, fittings, and so forth.
- a marine vessel including a water pump configured to pump treated seawater may be fluidly connected to a subsea injection manifold fluidly connected to the undersea reservoir.
- a vessel-based water pump and seawater treatment equipment if production disruption occurs at a subsea reservoir, the vessel may be repositioned to another subsea reservoir so as to continue to operate and avoid problems that occur when water pumps and seawater treatment equipment is not used for extended periods of time.
- An adapter structure may be deployed in fluid communication between a first conduit connected to the pump positioned on the marine vessel and a second fluid conduit connected to the manifold.
- the adapter structure may be a water injection tree, and a second subsea injection manifold or second manifold may be connected thereto such that the second first conduit may be connected to the second manifold.
- the first conduits may be in the form of (i) drill pipe risers with a flexible jumper, (ii) coiled tubing risers with flexible jumpers, (iii) pipe riser that is flexible (i.e., flexible pipe riser), (iv) or otherwise.
- the marine vessel may be a single hulled marine vessel, and may be configured with a stationary positioning propulsion system to enable the marine vessel to remain positioned at the adapter.
- the marine vessel In being at the adapter, the marine vessel may be positioned above the adapter within a relatively near vertical alignment (e.g., within 50 feet or 100 feet).
- the water pump and seawater treatment equipment may be positioned on a seabed near the subsea manifold.
- a marine vessel with power generation and control equipment may be used to deliver power and control signals to the subsea water pump and seawater treatment equipment while positioned thereat.
- the water pump and seawater treatment equipment may be positioned on a seabed near the subsea manifold, and power and control equipment positioned on shore may be used to control the pump and equipment via subsea power and control line cable(s).
- the riser may be eliminated as the vessel is providing power and control signals to control subsea equipment.
- This configuration may (1) reduce installation time, (2) enable a smaller vessel to be used, (3) reduce time to recover cables and depart in advance of unanticipated weather storms, and/or (4) provide larger operating windows as only electrical downlines may be connected to subsea equipment on the seafloor.
- the water pump and water treatment equipment may be positioned on a structure (e.g., skid, floatable structure, or otherwise) that allows for the water pump and water treatment equipment to be easily positioned on the seabed and moved.
- a structure e.g., skid, floatable structure, or otherwise
- a crane from a marine vessel may be used to lower and raise the equipment positioned on a skid depending on the configurations of the water pump and water treatment equipment. It should be understood that one or more skids may be utilized depending on the configurations of the water pump and water treatment equipment.
- floatation equipment may be positioned on the structure on which the water pump and water treatment equipment is positioned so that an operator may inflate the floatation equipment in order to raise the water pump and water treatment equipment from the seabed, move the equipment from a first manifold, and lower the equipment in a new location to be at a second subsea manifold on the seabed, for example.
- a propulsion system may be integrated with the structure to enable the structure to rise or float above the seabed and move via remote control, semi-autonomously, or autonomously to a new location on the seabed.
- One process for maintaining or increasing pressure in a subsea reservoir containing oil and/or gas may include positioning a marine vessel including a pump configured to pump water to a subsea manifold in fluid communication with the subsea reservoir at the subsea manifold.
- Seawater may be treated by seawater treatment equipment to produce treated seawater in preparation for pumping the treated seawater into the subsea reservoir.
- the pump may pump the treated seawater through one or more conduits in fluid communication with the subsea manifold to cause fluid pressure in the subsea reservoir to be maintained or increased.
- One embodiment of a system for maintaining or increasing pressure in a subsea reservoir containing oil and/or gas may include a marine vessel with a pump disposed on the marine vessel that is configured to pump water to a subsea manifold in fluid communication with the subsea reservoir.
- Seawater treatment equipment may be configured to produce treated seawater in preparation for pumping the treated seawater into the subsea reservoir.
- One or more conduits may be in fluid communication with the pump and subsea manifold to enable the treated seawater to be pumped therethrough by the pump to cause fluid pressure in the subsea reservoir to be maintained or increased.
- One process for maintaining or increasing pressure in a subsea reservoir containing oil and/or gas may include positioning a pump on a seabed, where the pump is configured to pump water to a subsea manifold in fluid communication with the subsea reservoir.
- Seawater treatment equipment may also be positioned on the seabed and be configured to produce treated seawater in preparation for the pump to pump the treated seawater into the subsea manifold to the subsea reservoir on the seabed.
- the pump and seawater treatment equipment may be fluidly connected together.
- the pump may be fluidly connected to the subsea manifold through one or more conduits.
- a marine vessel including an electric power generator and controller may be positioned at the pump and seawater treatment equipment (e.g., on the water surface thereabove).
- the electric power generator and controller may be electrically connected to the pump.
- Seawater may be treated by the seawater treatment equipment to produce treated seawater in preparation for the pump to pump the treated seawater into the subsea reservoir.
- the pump may pump the treated seawater through the one or more conduits in fluid communication with the subsea manifold to cause fluid pressure in the subsea reservoir to be maintained or increased.
- FIGS. 1A-1C are illustrations of a subsea reservoir site with a marine vessel configured with a water pump and water treatment equipment for pumping treated water from the marine vessel to a subsea manifold for pumping into a subsea reservoir with oil and/or natural gas to maintain or increase pressure for producing the oil and/or natural gas by a platform;
- FIG. 2 is an illustration of two subsea reservoir sites in which a marine vessel configured with a water pump and water treatment equipment for pumping treated water from the marine vessel is moved from a first subsea reservoir site to a second subsea reservoir site; and
- FIG. 3 is an illustration of a subsea reservoir site in which a subsea water pump and water treatment equipment may be deployed on the seabed and fluidly connected to a subsea manifold that is in fluid connection with a subsea reservoir, and a marine vessel with an electric generator and controller for powering and controlling the subsea pump and water treatment equipment.
- FIG. 1A an illustration of an illustrative scene 100 a of a region in which off-shore production is taking place at a platform 102 at a subsea reservoir (not shown) including oil and/or gas beneath a seabed 104 .
- a subsea manifold 106 is shown to be positioned on the seabed 104 and is in fluid connection with the subsea reservoir.
- the platform 102 may include a water pump (not shown) and water treatment equipment (not shown) positioned thereon (not shown).
- the water pump would be in fluid communication with the subsea manifold 106 via a water injection riser (not shown), as understood in the art, that extends vertically to the seabed 104 and across the seabed 104 to connect to the subsea manifold 106 .
- a water injection riser (not shown), as understood in the art, that extends vertically to the seabed 104 and across the seabed 104 to connect to the subsea manifold 106 .
- the water pump and water treatment equipment may be eliminated and replaced by a marine-vessel based water pump or subsea water pump.
- the water pump typically positioned on the platform 102 is configured to pump treated water from the platform 102 to the subsea manifold 106 for injection into the subsea reservoir.
- the water pump on platform 102 is configured for large volume pumping, such as 100K barrels per day or more.
- a marine vessel 110 that includes a water pump 112 and water treatment equipment 114 positioned on the marine vessel 110 may be utilized.
- the water pump 112 may be configured to pump lower volumes, such as 30K barrels/day, than the water pump on the platform 102 .
- the water pump 112 and water treatment equipment 114 may be fluidly connected to one another on the marine vessel 110 .
- the water treatment equipment 114 may be configured with filters to remove shells, sand, algae, and other impurities that is pumped into the water treatment equipment 114 .
- the water treatment equipment 114 may deoxygenate the seawater to avoid corrosion and bacteria growth. Other water treatment processes may be utilized, as well.
- a water injection tree 116 may be positioned on the seabed 104 and be fluidly connected to the subsea manifold 106 by a conduit 118 .
- a subsea injection manifold 120 may be connected to or in fluid connection with the water injection tree 116 .
- the water pump may be in fluid connection with the water injection tree 116 via the subsea injection manifold 120 by a drill pipe riser 122 and flexible jumper 124 . It should be understood that additional fittings and conduits not specifically shown may be utilized.
- FIG. 1B an illustration of an illustrative scene 100 b of a region in which off-shore production including oil and/or gas beneath the seabed 104 is taking place via the platform 102 at the subsea reservoir (not shown).
- the marine vessel 110 with the water pump 112 and water treatment equipment 114 may be fluidly connected to the water injection tree 116 via at least one cooling tubing riser 126 and flexible jumper(s) 128 .
- the coiled tubing riser(s) 126 and flexible jumper(s) 128 may fluidly connect to the subsea injection manifold 120 .
- FIG. 1C an illustration of an illustrative scene 100 c of a region in which off-shore production is taking place via the platform 102 at the subsea reservoir (not shown) including oil and/or gas beneath the seabed 104 .
- the marine vessel 110 with the water pump 112 and water treatment equipment 114 may be fluidly connected to the water injection tree 116 via at least one flexible pipe riser 130 , such as a Magma pipe riser, that has at least a flexible portion.
- the marine vessel 110 may be configured with a propulsion controller and propulsion system that performs dynamic positioning to maintain the marine vessel 110 in a substantially stationary position (e.g., within 3 feet). Stationary positioning the marine vessel 110 may be performed by using a global positioning system (GPS) and/or local positioning system (e.g., relative to a fixed structure or land marker), for example, that uses wireless RF communications or optical communications, for example. Still yet, the propulsion controller may be configured to utilize various sensor data, including gyro rotational, accelerometers, and so forth, and provide automatic feedback to cause thrusters to be maintained in a substantially fixed position.
- GPS global positioning system
- the propulsion controller may be configured to utilize various sensor data, including gyro rotational, accelerometers, and so forth, and provide automatic feedback to cause thrusters to be maintained in a substantially fixed position.
- FIG. 2 an illustration of scenes 200 of multiple subsea reservoir sites # 1 and # 2 is shown.
- two different platforms 202 a and 202 b (collectively 202 ) are shown to be pumping oil and/or natural gas at each of the different subsea reservoir sites from the subsea reservoirs.
- Seabeds 204 a and 204 b may have subsea manifolds 206 a and 206 b positioned thereon that are in fluid connection with the subsea reservoirs.
- water injection risers had historically been used by pumps and sea water treatment equipment on off-shore platforms 202 to fluidly connect the water pumps with the subsea manifolds 206 a and 206 b.
- the cost of using large water pumps on the platforms 202 a and 202 b may be avoided.
- a marine vessel 210 that includes a water pump 212 and water treatment equipment 214 may in a first instance connect to a first water injection tree 216 a that is in fluid connection with the subsea manifold 206 a via a first conduit 218 a.
- the water pump 212 may be in fluid connection with a subsea injection manifold 220 a in fluid connection with the water injection tree 216 a via a conduit, in this case drill pipe riser 222 a and flexible jumper 224 a.
- alternative conduits may be utilized.
- the marine vessel 210 may be disconnected from the subsea injection manifold 220 a and/or drill pipe riser 222 a and flexible jumper 224 a, and moved from the subsea reservoir site # 1 to the subsea reservoir site # 2 .
- the water pump 212 may thereby be fluidly connected to the subsea manifold 206 b via water injection tree 216 b, conduit 218 b, and subsea injection manifold 220 b via a drill pipe riser 222 a and/or flexible jumper 224 b.
- the use of the marine vessel based water pump 212 and water treatment equipment 214 allows for lower cost operations since platform-based water pumps that are more expensive for operation and maintenance are no longer needed.
- One embodiment of a method for maintaining or increasing pressure in a subsea reservoir containing oil and/or gas may include positioning a marine vessel including a pump configured to pump water to a subsea manifold in fluid communication with the subsea reservoir at the subsea manifold.
- Seawater may be treated by seawater treatment equipment to produce treated seawater in preparation for pumping the treated seawater into the subsea reservoir.
- the pump may pump the treated seawater through one or more conduits in fluid communication with the subsea manifold to cause fluid pressure in the subsea reservoir to be maintained or increased.
- Positioning the marine vessel may include dynamically positioning the marine vessel in a substantially fixed location (e.g., maintained within 3 feet).
- the process may further include fluidly connecting a water conduit injection tree to the subsea manifold in fluid connection with the subsea reservoir, and fluidly connecting a conduit between the water injection pump and the water conduit injection tree.
- the process may include disconnecting the water conduit injection tree from the subsea manifold, and fluidly connecting the conduit between the pump and a second subsea manifold in fluid connection with a second subsea reservoir. That is, the marine vessel moves to a different subsea reservoir so the water pump and conduit is transferred from a first to a second subsea manifold and equipment connecting thereto.
- fluidly connecting a conduit may include fluidly connecting a drill pipe riser and flexible jumper.
- fluidly connecting a conduit may include fluidly connecting at least one pair of a coiled tubing riser and flexible jumper.
- fluidly connecting a conduit may include fluidly connecting a flexible pipe riser.
- FIG. 3 an illustration of an illustrative scene 300 of a region in which off-shore production is being performed by a platform 302 at a subsea reservoir (not shown) including oil and/or gas beneath a seabed 304 .
- a subsea manifold 306 is shown to be positioned on the seabed 304 and is in fluid connection with the subsea reservoir.
- the platform 302 may include a water pump (not shown) and water treatment equipment (not shown) positioned thereon.
- the water pump may be in fluid communication with the subsea manifold 306 via a water injection riser 308 that extends vertically to the seabed 304 and across the seabed 304 to connect to the subsea manifold 306 .
- the water pump positioned on the platform 302 is configured to pump water treated water from the platform 302 to the subsea manifold 306 for injection into the subsea reservoir.
- a subsea water pump 312 and optionally water treatment equipment 313 may be positioned on the seabed 304 for use in pumping treated water.
- the subsea water pump 312 may be configured to pump lower volumes, such as 30K barrels/day, than the water pump on the platform 302 .
- lower volume pump By utilizing a lower volume pump, smaller sized subsea reservoirs and/or lower desired pump volumes may be serviced by the marine vessel 310 .
- multiple water pumps may be positioned on the seabed 304 in series or in parallel with respect to the subsea manifold 306 .
- the water pump 312 and water treatment equipment 313 may be directly or indirectly fluidly connected to one another.
- an electricity power generator and controller 314 may be positioned on the marine vessel 310 .
- the generator and controller 314 may be configured using any means to generate electricity, including burning natural gas, solar power, or any other “green” or “non-green” electricity production system, as understood in the art, and generate control signals for controlling operation of the subsea water pump 312 .
- a power line or cable 315 may be electrically connected to the generator 314 and extended from the marine vessel 310 down to the subsea water pump 312 to power and control the subsea water pump 312 . That is, electrical power may be applied to the subsea water pump 312 and control signals may control operation of the water pump.
- the control signals may cause the pump to turn ON and OFF.
- the controller may also be used to control different aspects of the pump, such as controlling different pistons at different timing offsets.
- sensor signals from the pump and/or seawater treatment equipment may be communicated back to the controller for monitoring and controlling the pump and treatment equipment.
- a water injection tree 316 may be positioned on the seabed 304 and be fluidly connected to the subsea manifold 306 by a conduit 318 .
- a subsea injection manifold 320 may be connected to or in fluid connection with the water injection tree 316 .
- the subsea water pump 312 may be in fluid connection with the water injection tree 316 via the subsea injection manifold 320 by a drill pipe riser 322 . It should be understood that additional fittings and conduits not specifically shown may be utilized.
- the subsea water pump 312 may be disposed on a skid 324 that enables the subsea water pump 312 to be placed on the seabed 304 along with providing a platform for a crane 326 on the marine vessel 310 to raise and lower the subsea water pump 312 .
- seawater treatment equipment may be positioned on the same or different skid 324 as the subsea water pump 312 .
- a ballast and/or inflatable flotation device 326 along with an air pump 328 may be mounted to the skid 324 , for example, to enable the skid 324 and subsea water pump 312 to be more easily lifted and/or moved from one location to another either below or above the surface of the water.
- a propulsion system e.g., motor, propeller(s), direction actuator(s), etc.
- a propulsion system may be integrated with the structure to enable the structure to rise or float above the seabed, optionally below the surface of the water, and move via remote control, semi-autonomously, or autonomously to a new location on the seabed.
- One embodiment of a method for maintaining or increasing pressure in a subsea reservoir containing oil and/or gas may include positioning a pump configured to pump water to a subsea manifold in fluid communication with the subsea reservoir on a seabed.
- Seawater treatment equipment configured to produce treated seawater in preparation for the pump to pump the treated seawater into the subsea manifold to the subsea reservoir on the seabed may be positioned.
- the pump and seawater treatment equipment may be fluidly connected together.
- the pump may be fluidly connected to the subsea manifold through one or more conduits.
- a marine vessel including an electric power generator may be positioned at the pump and seawater treatment equipment. The electric power generator may be electrically connected to the pump.
- the seawater treatment equipment may treat the seawater to produce treated seawater in preparation for the pump to pump the treated seawater into the subsea reservoir.
- the pump may pump the treated seawater through the one or more conduits in fluid communication with the subsea manifold to cause fluid pressure in the subsea reservoir to be maintained or increased.
- positioning the marine vessel includes dynamically positioning the marine vessel in a substantially fixed location.
- the process may further include fluidly connecting a water injection tree to the subsea manifold in fluid connection with the subsea reservoir, and fluidly connecting a conduit between the water injection pump and the water injection tree.
- the process may further include disconnecting the water conduit injection tree from the subsea manifold, and fluidly connecting the conduit between the pump and a second subsea manifold in fluid connection with a second subsea reservoir.
- the process may further include mounting the pump onto a skid for deployment to the seabed.
- the skid may include dynamic flotation to assist raising, lowering, and/or moving the pump and/or water treatment equipment.
- the marine vessel is shown to be a manned marine vessel.
- an unmanned marine vessel e.g., drone marine vessel
- Unmanned marine vessels may include the same or similar controllers and propulsion systems to maintain the unmanned marine vessel in substantially stationary locations.
- power and control signals from land may be provided and remote control of the subsea water pump and water treatment equipment may be provided.
- Other manned and unmanned configurations are possible along with alternative configurations of vessel-based, drone vessel-based, and subsea water pump and/or water treatment equipment.
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Abstract
A marine vessel may be configured with a water pump and seawater treatment equipment for use in providing a marine vessel water pumping platform for pumping water into a subsea reservoir to help maintain or increase pressure to assist with producing oil and/or natural gas. The marine vessel water pumping platform allows for the pump and seawater treatment equipment to be continuously used for pumping operations as the marine vessel may be moved between subsea reservoir sites, which helps reduce maintenance costs. The water pump may be lower in minimal flow capacity than water pumps on platforms, thereby allowing for more diversity in supporting different oil and/or gas pumping in offshore drilling operations.
Description
- This application claims priority to co-pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application having Ser. No. 63/085,859 filed Sep. 30, 2020; the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
- Deep sea or off-shore drilling is performed in many places around the globe to extract oil and gas from subsea reservoirs. In offshore production, platforms used to extract oil from the subsea reservoirs perform a number of functions in order to maintain the subsea reservoir in such a condition that oil and gas can be more easily extracted therefrom. One such function of the platforms is to maintain pressure within the subsea reservoir by pumping processed seawater using a large water pump on the platforms to a subsea injection manifold positioned on the seabed. A conduit, such as a water injection riser, extends from the platforms to the seabed and across the seabed to the manifold to enable the water pump to pump the processed seawater into the subsea reservoir. Water pumps used on platforms typically output sufficient water to enable up to 100,000 barrels per day of water injection into the subsea reservoir.
- A few problems exist with current configurations and operations of the platforms with maintaining pressure in the subsea reservoir. One such problem is the size of the hydraulic pumps on the platforms that are meant for large production volumes (e.g., 100K barrels of oil production per day). Another problem is that the cost of installing, moving, and/or maintaining the water pumping infrastructure including the water pump and water injection riser is very expensive and time consuming. As is understood in the art of offshore drilling, oil rigs are routinely moved and oil fields are also dynamic over time. For example, production operations vary for a variety of natural reasons (e.g., weather, seismic, pressure fluctuations, formation shifts, etc.) and manmade reasons (e.g., over-supply, under-supply, price fluctuations, political tensions, war, etc.), so subsea oil fields are routinely developed, slowed, or abandoned.
- Moreover, because of the nature of subsea oil production, oil production of a subsea reservoir from a platform may slow or stop altogether. In those events, equipment, such as the water pumps, risers, and other equipment, may not be used for extended periods of time (e.g., weeks, months, years). Such stoppage can be harmful to the equipment and water pumping infrastructure, including the water pump, water injection riser, subsea manifold, filters, fittings, and so forth.
- As a result of routine non-operation of oil production by the platforms at subsea reservoirs due to natural and manmade reasons, maintenance is often needed to ensure that all of the equipment and pumping infrastructure, including the water pumps, risers, seabed manifold, etc., properly work. The maintenance of off-shore drilling equipment for subsea reservoirs is often expensive and time consuming. For at least these reasons, there is a need for an alternative solution to existing systems and processes for maintaining subsea reservoirs that is less expensive to install and maintain, and that is more reliable for producers that face oil and gas production variabilities to support pumping water into subsea reservoirs to maintain pressure therein.
- To provide for more reliable and cost effective pumping of treated water into a subsea or undersea reservoir so as to maintain or increase pressure therein, a marine vessel including a water pump configured to pump treated seawater may be fluidly connected to a subsea injection manifold fluidly connected to the undersea reservoir. By using a vessel-based water pump and seawater treatment equipment, if production disruption occurs at a subsea reservoir, the vessel may be repositioned to another subsea reservoir so as to continue to operate and avoid problems that occur when water pumps and seawater treatment equipment is not used for extended periods of time.
- An adapter structure may be deployed in fluid communication between a first conduit connected to the pump positioned on the marine vessel and a second fluid conduit connected to the manifold. The adapter structure may be a water injection tree, and a second subsea injection manifold or second manifold may be connected thereto such that the second first conduit may be connected to the second manifold. The first conduits may be in the form of (i) drill pipe risers with a flexible jumper, (ii) coiled tubing risers with flexible jumpers, (iii) pipe riser that is flexible (i.e., flexible pipe riser), (iv) or otherwise. In operation, the marine vessel may be a single hulled marine vessel, and may be configured with a stationary positioning propulsion system to enable the marine vessel to remain positioned at the adapter. In being at the adapter, the marine vessel may be positioned above the adapter within a relatively near vertical alignment (e.g., within 50 feet or 100 feet).
- In an alternative embodiment, rather than having the water pump and seawater treatment equipment positioned on a marine vessel, the water pump and seawater treatment equipment may be positioned on a seabed near the subsea manifold. To power and/or control operation of the equipment, a marine vessel with power generation and control equipment may be used to deliver power and control signals to the subsea water pump and seawater treatment equipment while positioned thereat. Still yet, the water pump and seawater treatment equipment may be positioned on a seabed near the subsea manifold, and power and control equipment positioned on shore may be used to control the pump and equipment via subsea power and control line cable(s). In this configuration, the riser may be eliminated as the vessel is providing power and control signals to control subsea equipment. This configuration may (1) reduce installation time, (2) enable a smaller vessel to be used, (3) reduce time to recover cables and depart in advance of unanticipated weather storms, and/or (4) provide larger operating windows as only electrical downlines may be connected to subsea equipment on the seafloor.
- To provide for mobility, the water pump and water treatment equipment may be positioned on a structure (e.g., skid, floatable structure, or otherwise) that allows for the water pump and water treatment equipment to be easily positioned on the seabed and moved. For example, a crane from a marine vessel may be used to lower and raise the equipment positioned on a skid depending on the configurations of the water pump and water treatment equipment. It should be understood that one or more skids may be utilized depending on the configurations of the water pump and water treatment equipment. In an embodiment, floatation equipment may be positioned on the structure on which the water pump and water treatment equipment is positioned so that an operator may inflate the floatation equipment in order to raise the water pump and water treatment equipment from the seabed, move the equipment from a first manifold, and lower the equipment in a new location to be at a second subsea manifold on the seabed, for example. In an embodiment, a propulsion system may be integrated with the structure to enable the structure to rise or float above the seabed and move via remote control, semi-autonomously, or autonomously to a new location on the seabed.
- One process for maintaining or increasing pressure in a subsea reservoir containing oil and/or gas may include positioning a marine vessel including a pump configured to pump water to a subsea manifold in fluid communication with the subsea reservoir at the subsea manifold. Seawater may be treated by seawater treatment equipment to produce treated seawater in preparation for pumping the treated seawater into the subsea reservoir. The pump may pump the treated seawater through one or more conduits in fluid communication with the subsea manifold to cause fluid pressure in the subsea reservoir to be maintained or increased.
- One embodiment of a system for maintaining or increasing pressure in a subsea reservoir containing oil and/or gas may include a marine vessel with a pump disposed on the marine vessel that is configured to pump water to a subsea manifold in fluid communication with the subsea reservoir. Seawater treatment equipment may be configured to produce treated seawater in preparation for pumping the treated seawater into the subsea reservoir. One or more conduits may be in fluid communication with the pump and subsea manifold to enable the treated seawater to be pumped therethrough by the pump to cause fluid pressure in the subsea reservoir to be maintained or increased.
- One process for maintaining or increasing pressure in a subsea reservoir containing oil and/or gas may include positioning a pump on a seabed, where the pump is configured to pump water to a subsea manifold in fluid communication with the subsea reservoir. Seawater treatment equipment may also be positioned on the seabed and be configured to produce treated seawater in preparation for the pump to pump the treated seawater into the subsea manifold to the subsea reservoir on the seabed. The pump and seawater treatment equipment may be fluidly connected together. The pump may be fluidly connected to the subsea manifold through one or more conduits. A marine vessel including an electric power generator and controller may be positioned at the pump and seawater treatment equipment (e.g., on the water surface thereabove). The electric power generator and controller may be electrically connected to the pump. Seawater may be treated by the seawater treatment equipment to produce treated seawater in preparation for the pump to pump the treated seawater into the subsea reservoir. The pump may pump the treated seawater through the one or more conduits in fluid communication with the subsea manifold to cause fluid pressure in the subsea reservoir to be maintained or increased.
- Illustrative embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, which are incorporated by reference herein and wherein:
-
FIGS. 1A-1C are illustrations of a subsea reservoir site with a marine vessel configured with a water pump and water treatment equipment for pumping treated water from the marine vessel to a subsea manifold for pumping into a subsea reservoir with oil and/or natural gas to maintain or increase pressure for producing the oil and/or natural gas by a platform; -
FIG. 2 is an illustration of two subsea reservoir sites in which a marine vessel configured with a water pump and water treatment equipment for pumping treated water from the marine vessel is moved from a first subsea reservoir site to a second subsea reservoir site; and -
FIG. 3 is an illustration of a subsea reservoir site in which a subsea water pump and water treatment equipment may be deployed on the seabed and fluidly connected to a subsea manifold that is in fluid connection with a subsea reservoir, and a marine vessel with an electric generator and controller for powering and controlling the subsea pump and water treatment equipment. - With regard to
FIG. 1A , an illustration of anillustrative scene 100 a of a region in which off-shore production is taking place at aplatform 102 at a subsea reservoir (not shown) including oil and/or gas beneath aseabed 104. Asubsea manifold 106 is shown to be positioned on theseabed 104 and is in fluid connection with the subsea reservoir. Theplatform 102 may include a water pump (not shown) and water treatment equipment (not shown) positioned thereon (not shown). Typically, the water pump would be in fluid communication with thesubsea manifold 106 via a water injection riser (not shown), as understood in the art, that extends vertically to theseabed 104 and across theseabed 104 to connect to thesubsea manifold 106. However, in accordance with the principles described herein, the water pump and water treatment equipment may be eliminated and replaced by a marine-vessel based water pump or subsea water pump. As understood, the water pump typically positioned on theplatform 102 is configured to pump treated water from theplatform 102 to thesubsea manifold 106 for injection into the subsea reservoir. As understood in the art, the water pump onplatform 102 is configured for large volume pumping, such as 100K barrels per day or more. - As an alternative and/or in addition to utilizing a water pump positioned on the
platform 102, amarine vessel 110 that includes awater pump 112 andwater treatment equipment 114 positioned on themarine vessel 110 may be utilized. Thewater pump 112 may be configured to pump lower volumes, such as 30K barrels/day, than the water pump on theplatform 102. By utilizing a lower volume pump, smaller sized subsea reservoirs and/or lower desired pump volumes may be serviced by themarine vessel 110. Thewater pump 112 andwater treatment equipment 114 may be fluidly connected to one another on themarine vessel 110. Thewater treatment equipment 114 may be configured with filters to remove shells, sand, algae, and other impurities that is pumped into thewater treatment equipment 114. In addition, thewater treatment equipment 114 may deoxygenate the seawater to avoid corrosion and bacteria growth. Other water treatment processes may be utilized, as well. - As further shown, a
water injection tree 116 may be positioned on theseabed 104 and be fluidly connected to thesubsea manifold 106 by aconduit 118. In an embodiment, asubsea injection manifold 120 may be connected to or in fluid connection with thewater injection tree 116. In an embodiment, the water pump may be in fluid connection with thewater injection tree 116 via thesubsea injection manifold 120 by adrill pipe riser 122 andflexible jumper 124. It should be understood that additional fittings and conduits not specifically shown may be utilized. - With regard to
FIG. 1B , an illustration of anillustrative scene 100 b of a region in which off-shore production including oil and/or gas beneath theseabed 104 is taking place via theplatform 102 at the subsea reservoir (not shown). In this embodiment, themarine vessel 110 with thewater pump 112 andwater treatment equipment 114 may be fluidly connected to thewater injection tree 116 via at least onecooling tubing riser 126 and flexible jumper(s) 128. As shown, the coiled tubing riser(s) 126 and flexible jumper(s) 128 may fluidly connect to thesubsea injection manifold 120. - With regard to
FIG. 1C , an illustration of anillustrative scene 100 c of a region in which off-shore production is taking place via theplatform 102 at the subsea reservoir (not shown) including oil and/or gas beneath theseabed 104. In this embodiment, themarine vessel 110 with thewater pump 112 andwater treatment equipment 114 may be fluidly connected to thewater injection tree 116 via at least oneflexible pipe riser 130, such as a Magma pipe riser, that has at least a flexible portion. - In operation, the
marine vessel 110 may be configured with a propulsion controller and propulsion system that performs dynamic positioning to maintain themarine vessel 110 in a substantially stationary position (e.g., within 3 feet). Stationary positioning themarine vessel 110 may be performed by using a global positioning system (GPS) and/or local positioning system (e.g., relative to a fixed structure or land marker), for example, that uses wireless RF communications or optical communications, for example. Still yet, the propulsion controller may be configured to utilize various sensor data, including gyro rotational, accelerometers, and so forth, and provide automatic feedback to cause thrusters to be maintained in a substantially fixed position. Although onemarine vessel 110 is shown, it should be understood that multiple marine vessels with a water pump and water treatment equipment that are fluidly connected to thewater connection tree 116 may be utilized during pumping operation. - With regard to
FIG. 2 , an illustration ofscenes 200 of multiple subseareservoir sites # 1 and #2 is shown. In thescenes 200, twodifferent platforms Seabeds subsea manifolds subsea manifolds platforms - As shown, a
marine vessel 210 that includes awater pump 212 andwater treatment equipment 214 may in a first instance connect to a firstwater injection tree 216 a that is in fluid connection with thesubsea manifold 206 a via afirst conduit 218 a. In an embodiment, thewater pump 212 may be in fluid connection with asubsea injection manifold 220 a in fluid connection with thewater injection tree 216 a via a conduit, in this casedrill pipe riser 222 a andflexible jumper 224 a. As previously provided, alternative conduits may be utilized. Because thewater pump 212 andwater treatment equipment 214 are marine vessel-based, in the event that thefirst platform 202 a is shut down for maintenance or the subsea reservoir having a problem or simply being discontinued from being pumped, themarine vessel 210 may be disconnected from thesubsea injection manifold 220 a and/ordrill pipe riser 222 a andflexible jumper 224 a, and moved from the subseareservoir site # 1 to the subseareservoir site # 2. Thewater pump 212 may thereby be fluidly connected to thesubsea manifold 206 b viawater injection tree 216 b,conduit 218 b, andsubsea injection manifold 220 b via adrill pipe riser 222 a and/orflexible jumper 224 b. The use of the marine vessel basedwater pump 212 andwater treatment equipment 214 allows for lower cost operations since platform-based water pumps that are more expensive for operation and maintenance are no longer needed. - One embodiment of a method for maintaining or increasing pressure in a subsea reservoir containing oil and/or gas may include positioning a marine vessel including a pump configured to pump water to a subsea manifold in fluid communication with the subsea reservoir at the subsea manifold. Seawater may be treated by seawater treatment equipment to produce treated seawater in preparation for pumping the treated seawater into the subsea reservoir. The pump may pump the treated seawater through one or more conduits in fluid communication with the subsea manifold to cause fluid pressure in the subsea reservoir to be maintained or increased.
- Positioning the marine vessel may include dynamically positioning the marine vessel in a substantially fixed location (e.g., maintained within 3 feet). The process may further include fluidly connecting a water conduit injection tree to the subsea manifold in fluid connection with the subsea reservoir, and fluidly connecting a conduit between the water injection pump and the water conduit injection tree. In an embodiment, the process may include disconnecting the water conduit injection tree from the subsea manifold, and fluidly connecting the conduit between the pump and a second subsea manifold in fluid connection with a second subsea reservoir. That is, the marine vessel moves to a different subsea reservoir so the water pump and conduit is transferred from a first to a second subsea manifold and equipment connecting thereto.
- In an embodiment, fluidly connecting a conduit may include fluidly connecting a drill pipe riser and flexible jumper. Alternatively, fluidly connecting a conduit may include fluidly connecting at least one pair of a coiled tubing riser and flexible jumper. Still yet, fluidly connecting a conduit may include fluidly connecting a flexible pipe riser.
- With regard to
FIG. 3 , an illustration of anillustrative scene 300 of a region in which off-shore production is being performed by aplatform 302 at a subsea reservoir (not shown) including oil and/or gas beneath aseabed 304. Asubsea manifold 306 is shown to be positioned on theseabed 304 and is in fluid connection with the subsea reservoir. Theplatform 302 may include a water pump (not shown) and water treatment equipment (not shown) positioned thereon. The water pump may be in fluid communication with thesubsea manifold 306 via awater injection riser 308 that extends vertically to theseabed 304 and across theseabed 304 to connect to thesubsea manifold 306. As understood, the water pump positioned on theplatform 302 is configured to pump water treated water from theplatform 302 to thesubsea manifold 306 for injection into the subsea reservoir. - In this embodiment, rather than a
marine vessel 310 including a water pump and water treatment equipment as presented inFIGS. 1A-1C , asubsea water pump 312 and optionallywater treatment equipment 313 may be positioned on theseabed 304 for use in pumping treated water. Thesubsea water pump 312 may be configured to pump lower volumes, such as 30K barrels/day, than the water pump on theplatform 302. By utilizing a lower volume pump, smaller sized subsea reservoirs and/or lower desired pump volumes may be serviced by themarine vessel 310. It should be understood that multiple water pumps may be positioned on theseabed 304 in series or in parallel with respect to thesubsea manifold 306. Thewater pump 312 andwater treatment equipment 313 may be directly or indirectly fluidly connected to one another. - To power the
subsea water pump 312, an electricity power generator andcontroller 314 may be positioned on themarine vessel 310. The generator andcontroller 314 may be configured using any means to generate electricity, including burning natural gas, solar power, or any other “green” or “non-green” electricity production system, as understood in the art, and generate control signals for controlling operation of thesubsea water pump 312. A power line orcable 315 may be electrically connected to thegenerator 314 and extended from themarine vessel 310 down to thesubsea water pump 312 to power and control thesubsea water pump 312. That is, electrical power may be applied to thesubsea water pump 312 and control signals may control operation of the water pump. The control signals may cause the pump to turn ON and OFF. In an embodiment, the controller may also be used to control different aspects of the pump, such as controlling different pistons at different timing offsets. Moreover, sensor signals from the pump and/or seawater treatment equipment may be communicated back to the controller for monitoring and controlling the pump and treatment equipment. - As further shown, a
water injection tree 316 may be positioned on theseabed 304 and be fluidly connected to thesubsea manifold 306 by aconduit 318. In an embodiment, a subsea injection manifold 320 may be connected to or in fluid connection with thewater injection tree 316. In an embodiment, thesubsea water pump 312 may be in fluid connection with thewater injection tree 316 via the subsea injection manifold 320 by adrill pipe riser 322. It should be understood that additional fittings and conduits not specifically shown may be utilized. - In an embodiment, the
subsea water pump 312 may be disposed on askid 324 that enables thesubsea water pump 312 to be placed on theseabed 304 along with providing a platform for acrane 326 on themarine vessel 310 to raise and lower thesubsea water pump 312. In an embodiment, seawater treatment equipment may be positioned on the same ordifferent skid 324 as thesubsea water pump 312. In an embodiment, a ballast and/orinflatable flotation device 326 along with anair pump 328 may be mounted to theskid 324, for example, to enable theskid 324 andsubsea water pump 312 to be more easily lifted and/or moved from one location to another either below or above the surface of the water. In an embodiment, a propulsion system (e.g., motor, propeller(s), direction actuator(s), etc.) may be integrated with the structure to enable the structure to rise or float above the seabed, optionally below the surface of the water, and move via remote control, semi-autonomously, or autonomously to a new location on the seabed. - One embodiment of a method for maintaining or increasing pressure in a subsea reservoir containing oil and/or gas may include positioning a pump configured to pump water to a subsea manifold in fluid communication with the subsea reservoir on a seabed. Seawater treatment equipment configured to produce treated seawater in preparation for the pump to pump the treated seawater into the subsea manifold to the subsea reservoir on the seabed may be positioned. The pump and seawater treatment equipment may be fluidly connected together. The pump may be fluidly connected to the subsea manifold through one or more conduits. A marine vessel including an electric power generator may be positioned at the pump and seawater treatment equipment. The electric power generator may be electrically connected to the pump. The seawater treatment equipment may treat the seawater to produce treated seawater in preparation for the pump to pump the treated seawater into the subsea reservoir. The pump may pump the treated seawater through the one or more conduits in fluid communication with the subsea manifold to cause fluid pressure in the subsea reservoir to be maintained or increased.
- In an embodiment, positioning the marine vessel includes dynamically positioning the marine vessel in a substantially fixed location. The process may further include fluidly connecting a water injection tree to the subsea manifold in fluid connection with the subsea reservoir, and fluidly connecting a conduit between the water injection pump and the water injection tree.
- The process may further include disconnecting the water conduit injection tree from the subsea manifold, and fluidly connecting the conduit between the pump and a second subsea manifold in fluid connection with a second subsea reservoir. The process may further include mounting the pump onto a skid for deployment to the seabed. The skid may include dynamic flotation to assist raising, lowering, and/or moving the pump and/or water treatment equipment.
- While a marine vessel based water pump and water treatment equipment solution and seabed based water pump and water treatment equipment solution have been presented, it should be understood that alternative solutions are possible. For example, the marine vessel is shown to be a manned marine vessel. However, it should be understood that an unmanned marine vessel (e.g., drone marine vessel) may be utilized by using a remote control of the unmanned marine vessel, generator, local controller, water pump, and water treatment equipment. Unmanned marine vessels may include the same or similar controllers and propulsion systems to maintain the unmanned marine vessel in substantially stationary locations. Still yet, rather than using a marine vessel, power and control signals from land may be provided and remote control of the subsea water pump and water treatment equipment may be provided. Other manned and unmanned configurations are possible along with alternative configurations of vessel-based, drone vessel-based, and subsea water pump and/or water treatment equipment.
- The previous description is of at least one embodiment for implementing the invention, and the scope of the invention should not necessarily be limited by this description. The scope of the present invention is instead defined by the following claims.
Claims (20)
1. A method for maintaining or increasing pressure in a subsea reservoir containing oil and/or gas, said method comprising:
positioning a marine vessel including a pump configured to pump water to a subsea manifold in fluid communication with the subsea reservoir at the subsea manifold;
treating seawater by seawater treatment equipment to produce treated seawater in preparation for pumping the treated seawater into the subsea reservoir; and
pumping, by the pump, the treated seawater through one or more conduits in fluid communication with the subsea manifold to cause fluid pressure in the subsea reservoir to be maintained or increased.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein positioning the marine vessel includes dynamically positioning the marine vessel in a substantially fixed location.
3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
fluidly connecting a water conduit injection tree to the subsea manifold in fluid connection with the subsea reservoir; and
fluidly connecting a conduit between the water injection pump and the water conduit injection tree.
4. The method according to claim 3 , further comprising:
disconnecting the water conduit injection tree from the subsea manifold; and
fluidly connecting the conduit between the pump and a second subsea manifold in fluid connection with a second subsea reservoir.
5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein fluidly connecting a conduit includes fluidly connecting a drill pipe riser and flexible jumper.
6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein fluidly connecting a conduit includes fluidly connecting at least one pair of a coiled tubing riser and flexible jumper.
7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein fluidly connecting a conduit includes fluidly connecting a flexible pipe riser.
8. A system for maintaining or increasing pressure in a subsea reservoir containing oil and/or gas, said system comprising:
a marine vessel;
a pump disposed on the marine vessel and configured to pump water to a subsea manifold in fluid communication with the subsea reservoir;
seawater treatment equipment configured to produce treated seawater in preparation for pumping the treated seawater into the subsea reservoir; and
one or more conduits in fluid communication with the pump and subsea manifold to enable the treated seawater to be pumped therethrough by the pump to cause fluid pressure in the subsea reservoir to be maintained or increased.
9. The system according to claim 8 , wherein positioning the marine vessel includes a propulsion control system configured to dynamically position the marine vessel in a substantially fixed location when the pump is pumping the treated seawater.
10. The system according to claim 8 , further comprising:
a water conduit injection tree configured to the subsea manifold in fluid connection with the subsea reservoir; and
a conduit fluidly connected between the water injection pump and the water conduit injection tree.
11. The system according to claim 10 , wherein:
the conduit is fluidly disconnected from the pump and the water conduit injection tree from the subsea manifold; and
the conduit being fluidly connected between the pump and a second subsea manifold in fluid connection with a second subsea reservoir.
12. The system according to claim 8 , wherein the conduit includes a drill pipe riser and flexible jumper.
13. The system according to claim 8 , wherein the conduit includes a drill pipe riser and flexible jumper.
14. The system according to claim 8 , wherein the conduit includes at least one pair of a coiled tubing riser and flexible jumper.
15. The system according to claim 8 , wherein the conduit includes a flexible pipe riser.
16. A method for maintaining or increasing pressure in a subsea reservoir containing oil and/or gas, said method comprising:
positioning a pump on a seabed, the pump configured to pump water to a subsea manifold in fluid communication with the subsea reservoir;
positioning seawater treatment equipment on the seabed, the seawater treatment equipment configured to produce treated seawater in preparation for the pump to pump the treated seawater into the subsea manifold to the subsea reservoir;
fluidly connecting the pump and seawater treatment equipment together;
fluidly connecting the pump to the subsea manifold through one or more conduits;
positioning a marine vessel including an electric power generator at the pump and seawater treatment equipment;
electrically connecting the electric power generator to the pump;
treating seawater by the seawater treatment equipment to produce treated seawater in preparation for the pump to pump the treated seawater into the subsea reservoir; and
pumping, by the pump, the treated seawater through the one or more conduits in fluid communication with the subsea manifold to cause fluid pressure in the subsea reservoir to be maintained or increased.
17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein positioning the marine vessel includes dynamically positioning the marine vessel in a substantially fixed location.
18. The method according to claim 16 , further comprising:
fluidly connecting a water injection tree to the subsea manifold in fluid connection with the subsea reservoir; and
fluidly connecting a conduit between the water injection pump and the water injection tree.
19. The method according to claim 18 , further comprising:
disconnecting the water conduit injection tree from the subsea manifold; and
fluidly connecting the conduit between the pump and a second subsea manifold in fluid connection with a second subsea reservoir.
20. The method according to claim 16 , further comprising mounting the pump onto a skid for deployment to the seabed.
Priority Applications (1)
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US17/485,122 US20220120166A1 (en) | 2020-09-30 | 2021-09-24 | Vessel-based water injection systems |
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US202063085859P | 2020-09-30 | 2020-09-30 | |
US17/485,122 US20220120166A1 (en) | 2020-09-30 | 2021-09-24 | Vessel-based water injection systems |
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US20220120166A1 true US20220120166A1 (en) | 2022-04-21 |
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