Abstract: An apparatus for boosting the pressure of flowing fluids includes jet pumps (10a, 10b), each having a low pressure (LP) inlet for LP fluid, a high pressure (HP) inlet for HP liquid and a medium pressure (MP) outlet for MP fluid. A fluid separator device (16) receives the MP fluid from the outlets of the jet pumps, and includes a gas outlet line (20) for a separated gas phase and a liquid outlet (22a, 22b) for separated liquid phase. A liquid return line (24b, 38) returns at least some of the separated liquid phase to the HP inlets of the jet pumps, and a mechanical pump (32) is connected into the liquid return line for boosting the pressure of the liquid delivered to the HP inlets of the jet pumps. A flow control system (6) is provided for controlling the flow of fluids through the respective jet pumps (10a, 10b).

Abstract: An apparatus for boosting the pressure of flowing fluids includes a plurality of jet pumps (10a, 10b), each having a LP inlet for LP fluid, a HP inlet for HP liquid and a MP outlet for MP fluid. A fluid separator device (16) is connected to receive the MP fluid from the outlets of the jet pumps, a gas outlet line (20) for a separated gas phase and a liquid outlet (22a, 22b) for separated liquid phase. A liquid return line (24b, 38) is connected to the liquid outlet of the fluid separator device and the HP inlets of the jet pumps (10a, 10b) for returning at least some of the separated liquid phase from the fluid separator device to the HP inlets of the jet pumps, and a mechanical pump (32) is connected into the liquid return line for boosting the pressure of the liquid delivered to the HP inlets of the jet pumps. A flow control system (6) is provided for controlling the flow of fluids through the respective jet pumps (10a, 10b).

Abstract: A jet pump includes a housing having a first inlet for a first fluid, a second inlet for a second fluid and an outlet for a combined fluid comprising said first and second fluids. A nozzle assembly is removably received within the housing and configured to receive the first fluid from the first inlet, and a mixing tube/diffuser assembly removably received within the housing downstream of the nozzle assembly and configured to receive and combine the first and second fluids. The nozzle assembly and the mixing tube/diffuser assembly are removable from the housing through the first inlet.

Abstract: A slug mitigation system for subsea pipelines includes a riser located between a low level and an upper (above sea-) level of a pipeline, where an inline separator, e.g. an “I-SEP”, is located upstream of a first stage separator. A throttling valve or fixed restriction is located downstream or upstream in series with the inline separator. Further aspects may also include a surface jet pump upstream of the in-line separator and/or a cyclonic separator downstream of the in-line separator.

Abstract: A slug mitigation system for subsea pipelines that includes a riser located between a low subsea level and an upper topside level of a pipeline. There is also a separator located at the top of the riser; and a surface jet pump located at a gas outlet of the separator. In another embodiment of a slug mitigation system, the surface jet pump is located downstream of an in-line separator on a gas outlet using high pressure gas from a downstream process or compressor.

Abstract: A fluid separator includes a gravity separation chamber (4) including an inlet duct (2) for a mixture of gas and liquid, and a cyclonic inlet diverter (D) located within the gravity separation chamber. The cyclonic inlet diverter (D) includes a cyclonic inlet chamber (18) connected to receive a mixture of gas and liquid from the inlet duct (2), a cyclonic separation chamber (20), a gas outlet (22) at an upper end of the cyclonic separation chamber and a liquid outlet (24) at a lower end of the cyclonic separation chamber. The cyclonic inlet chamber (18) has an involute configuration.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling the flow of a fluid includes a LP fluid inlet (18) and a LP fluid outlet (9) connected to a flare/vent system. A LP flow line (20) connects the LP fluid inlet (18) to the LP inlet 6a of a jet pump (6). A supply of HP fluid is connected to jet pump inlet (6b), and a MP line (8) is connected to jet pump outlet (6c). A control unit (28) is configured to control operation of first and second LP flow control valves (4, 3) according to signals received from a flow meter (12), so that LP gas is diverted from the flare system to the LP inlet (6a) of the jet pump for pressurisation.

Abstract: A jet pump (26) includes an elongate tubular housing (30) that has a longitudinal axis (A), an upstream first end (32) and a downstream second end (34). A nozzle assembly (50) and a mixing tube/diffuser assembly (52) are removably received within the housing (30). The housing (30) includes a first inlet vent (40) for a HP first fluid, a second inlet vent (42) for a LP second fluid and an outlet vent (48) at the downstream second end (34) of the housing for the combined first and second fluids. The first and second inlet vents (40, 42) extend non-axially through a circumferential wall (31) of the tubular housing. The nozzle assembly (50) and the mixing tube/diffuser assembly (52) can removed from the housing (30) through the upstream first end (32).

Abstract: A jet pump comprises a HP inlet vent, a nozzle connected to the HP inlet vent via a HP fluid conduit and configured to discharge a first fluid flowing through the HP inlet into a nozzle discharge zone, a LP inlet vent, a LP fluid conduit connected to the LP inlet vent and configured to discharge a second fluid flowing through the LP inlet vent into the nozzle discharge zone. A mixing tube is provided downstream of the nozzle discharge zone for mixing the first and second fluids and an outlet vent is located downstream of the mixing tube for discharging a mixture of the first and second fluids from the jet pump. The jet pump includes a spinner mechanism upstream of the nozzle discharge zone for causing spinning rotation of at least one of the first and second fluids about a longitudinal axis of the nozzle.

Abstract: A system and method for boosting the pressure of multi-phase fluids to enable handling of slug flow from oil and gas wells. The system is arranged to include a cyclonic separator having outlets of a first gas-rich line and a first liquid-rich line, a gravitational separator having outlets of a second gas-rich line and a second liquid-rich line, downstream of the cyclonic separator. There is also a gas compressor for boosting pressure in the second gas-rich line and a liquid pump for boosting pressure in the second liquid-rich line. The boosted gas and liquid is received by a commingler downstream which outputs a combined fluid flow. Control valves are provided at various stages of the system that are activated in response to slug flow detected by flow regime detectors upstream of the cyclonic separator.

Abstract: An apparatus for separating a fluid mixture includes a uniaxial cyclonic separator (2) having a separation chamber (18) for separating the fluid mixture by cyclonic action into a first fluid and a second fluid. An inlet (16) is located at a first end of the separation chamber (18) for receiving a fluid mixture, while a first outlet (22) for the first fluid and a second outlet (26) for the second fluid are located at a second end of the separation chamber. A gas injection means (12) is provided for injecting a gas into the fluid mixture to aid separation within the separation chamber (18). The gas injection may also be through an annular chamber surrounding the separator chamber (18). The gas in this case is introduced through a porous medium 130 via a gas supply line 136.

Abstract: The apparatus consists of modular stages arranged in series, each stage including a main chamber and a nozzle opening. In practice, a fluid passing through the opening is subject to a pressure drop as it enters a main chamber of a subsequent stage in the series. This multi-stage pressure drop avoids a sharp drop in temperature, as would occur if the total pressure drop was achieved in one stage, that may cause hydrates to form in an oil/gas pipeline.

Abstract: A commingling device for combining fluid flows includes an outer fluid line for a first fluid having an inlet end and an outlet end, and an inner fluid line for a second fluid having an inlet end and an outlet end. The inner fluid line has an outlet nozzle at said outlet end, the nozzle being mounted substantially axially within the outer fluid line and configured to direct said second fluid towards the outlet end of the outer fluid line. As a result, the first and second fluids flowing through the inner and outer fluid lines are combined and flow together towards the outlet end of the outer fluid line.

Abstract: A system for measuring flow rate in a pipeline by use of a surface jet pump that receives input from both a high pressure pipeline and a low pressure pipeline. Rather than installing flow meters at any or all of the inputs/output from the SJP which is an expensive undertaking, flow rate is predicted by utilising existing pressure sensors located on the high pressure pipeline, low pressure pipeline and discharge pipeline respectively. A control processor predicts flow rate based on correlations between flow rate and pressure for a given SJP geometry and, for example, utilises momentum, conservation of mass and continuity equations, balanced against the pressure forces and velocity in the SJP.

Abstract: A slug mitigation system for subsea pipelines includes a riser located between a low level and an upper (above sea-) level of a pipeline, where an inline separator, e.g. an “I-SEP”, is located upstream of a first stage separator. A throttling valve or fixed restriction is located downstream or upstream in series with the inline separator. Further aspects may also include a surface jet pump upstream of the in-line separator and/or a cyclonic separator downstream of the in-line separator.

Abstract: A system for improving oil-water separator performance wherein an electrostatic coalescer (15) is located upstream of a cyclonic oil-water separator (16). Preferably, the electrostatic coalescer is able to be bypassed and/or is located in parallel with a mechanical coalescer (17). In the case of parallel arrangement, selection of the flow path route between the electrostatic coalescer (15) and mechanical coalescer (17) is determined by use of an upstream phase detector (18).

Abstract: An improved gas lift system for use in oil production from a well bore (11) utilising a gas lift injection (10) system of the known type and further including a surface jet pump (16) downstream of the well head (13) for reducing the flowing well head pressure and capable of discharging produced fluid (14) at a pressure required by a downstream production system.

Abstract: A pump assembly includes a housing (50) and a plurality of jet pumps (52) arranged within the housing. The housing (50) includes a HP inlet (54), a LP inlet (58) and an outlet (56) and is divided internally into a HP zone (62), a LP zone (64) and an outlet zone (66). Each jet pump (52) includes a nozzle assembly (80), a mixing tube (82) and a diffuser (84), and has a HP inlet (74) located in the HP zone, a LP inlet (78) located in the LP zone, and an outlet (76) located in the outlet zone.

Abstract: A separation system for separating a fluid mixture includes a uniaxial cyclonic separator (2) having a first inlet (16) for receiving a fluid mixture, a separation chamber (18) for separating the fluid mixture by cyclonic action into a dense first fluid and a less dense second fluid, a first outlet (22) for the first fluid and a second outlet (26) for the second fluid. The system further includes a reverse flow cyclonic separator (32) having a second inlet (30) for receiving the first fluid from the first outlet (22), a separation chamber for separating the first fluid by cyclonic action into a dense third fluid and a less dense fourth fluid, a third outlet (34) for the third fluid and a fourth outlet (36) for the fourth fluid. A method for the bulk separation of water from an oil/water mixture is also provided.

Abstract: A separation system for separating a fluid mixture includes a uniaxial cyclonic separator (2) having a first inlet (16) for receiving a fluid mixture, a separation chamber (18) for separating the fluid mixture by cyclonic action into a dense first fluid and a less dense second fluid, a first outlet (22) for the first fluid and a second outlet (26) for the second fluid. The system further includes a reverse flow cyclonic separator (32) having a second inlet (30) for receiving the first fluid from the first outlet (22), a separation chamber for separating the first fluid by cyclonic action into a dense third fluid and a less dense fourth fluid, a third outlet (34) for the third fluid and a fourth outlet (36) for the fourth fluid. A method for the bulk separation of water from an oil/water mixture is also provided.