초록 ▼

A method and apparatus for off-shore production of oil. Special shuttle tankers with high-pressure cargo tanks capable of containing the produced live crude oil at a pressure close to that of the ambient pressure inside a subterranean oil field, and without any processing of the live crude oil prior

A method and apparatus for off-shore production of oil. Special shuttle tankers with high-pressure cargo tanks capable of containing the produced live crude oil at a pressure close to that of the ambient pressure inside a subterranean oil field, and without any processing of the live crude oil prior to transportation are used. The produced live crude oil from the subterranean oil field is pumped directly into the high-pressure cargo tanks aboard the shuttle tanker. Lighter fractions of the live crude oil stored in the shuttle tanker may be used as a fuel to power the propulsion machinery and the auxiliary machinery aboard the shuttle tanker. The pressures in the tanks are ordinarily above 70 kPa gauge pressure, may be higher than 1.8 MPa gauge, and may range as high as 35 MPa gauge or even higher. The tanker vessel transports the produced live crude oil to an onshore processing plant for separation into gas, water, solids, and stabilized crude oil.

대표청구항 ▼

[ What is claimed is:] [1.] An oil production system for off-shore use comprising:an oil well, the oil well producing produced fluids;a riser connected to the oil well; anda floating vessel, the floating vessel including at least one high-pressure storage tank, the high-pressure storage tank being d

[ What is claimed is:] [1.] An oil production system for off-shore use comprising:an oil well, the oil well producing produced fluids;a riser connected to the oil well; anda floating vessel, the floating vessel including at least one high-pressure storage tank, the high-pressure storage tank being designed to store the produced fluids at a pressure between 200 kPa gauge pressure and 35 MPa gauge pressure, the vessel further including at least one flash drum, the at least one flash drum being selectively coupled to the riser, the at least one flash drum being coupled to the at least one storage tank by at least one line. [16.] A method for producing crude oil offshore, comprising:producing the crude oil from an oil well;transferring the crude oil into at least one flash drum on a vessel; andtransferring gas and liquid from the at least one flash drum to at least one storage tank through at least one line;storing the gas and liquid in the at least one storage tank at a pressure between 200 kPa gauge pressure and 35 MPa gauge pressure. The method of claim 16, further comprising:pumping the crude oil from the well into the at least one flash drum. The method of claim 16, further comprising:transporting the crude oil in the vessel. The method of claim 16, further comprising:drawing off gas from the at least one storage tank.