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:] [16.]16. A method for producing crude oil and natural gas offshore, comprising the steps of:withdrawing crude oil mixed with gas from an oil well;transferring the crude oil mixed with gas into a flash drum on a vessel;reinforcing a cylindrical metal storage tank with one or mo

[ What is claimed is:] [16.]16. A method for producing crude oil and natural gas offshore, comprising the steps of:withdrawing crude oil mixed with gas from an oil well;transferring the crude oil mixed with gas into a flash drum on a vessel;reinforcing a cylindrical metal storage tank with one or more layers of helically deployed metal wire on the outside of the tank;transferring crude oil and gas from the flash drum to the metal cylindrical storage tank through a line;storing the crude oil and gas in the cylindrical storage tank; andtransporting the crude oil and gas in the vessel.