Abstract: A system for separating fluids from a hydrocarbon well production fluid mixture at a subsea location has a centrifugal separator (16) for separating the mixture into gas and liquid. A hydrocyclone separator (32) then separates the liquid into oil and water and an oil-in-water sensor (38) detects the amount of oil in water leaving the separator. If the sensor (38) detects that the water contains more than the prescribed amount of oil, the water is recirculated through the hydrocarbon separator (32) for removal of further oil form water. The hydrocyclone separator (32) has a level interface sensor (66) and if this sensor detects that the oil/water interface is not within prescribed limits for optimum separation of the oil and water, the amount of oil removed from the separator is adjusted until the oil/water interface is within the prescribed limits.

Abstract: The incorporation of checksum and voice files for off line participants to work in an electronic work space. The electronic signatures, and/or completion of, off line documents enables the contents of off line documents to be stored and processed in the same manner as on line users. The invented process links the process steps of on line participants and offline participants, and additionally meets, in certain preferred embodiments of the method of the present invention, the requirements of one or more industry and/or legal standards for electronic signatures, to include the requirements of assured Integrity, Authenticity, Non-Repudiation and Acceptance.

Abstract: A secured lien monitoring system is provided that includes a tag affixed to property or documents, the tag communicating with a reader. The tag includes a memory for storing tag data, a transmitter and a receiver. The tag transmits and receives tag data to a reader in response to an interrogation request, or automatically. The tag data includes an identification number used to identify the tag associated with a particular asset and secured lien. The identification number in the tag may be an Electronic Product Code identification number assigned to a particular product or document. Information about the object to which the tag is attached may be described with a Product Markup Language. The lien monitoring system includes extending the Product Markup Language to manage Lien attributes used to monitor liens for specific collateral assigned and identified by an EPC and debtors.

Abstract: An electric drive system includes a first engine and a second engine. A first electric generator is adapted to be driven by the first engine and to generate a first output. A second electric generator is adapted to be driven by the second engine and to generate a second output. An energy storage device is adapted to receive the first output from the first electric generator and the second output from the second electric generator. An electric motor is operatively connected to the energy storage device. The electric motor is operable to generate mechanical power.

Abstract: A substantially underwater system comprises a plurality of retrievable substantially autonomous subsea modules (12, 13, 17, 18) and switchgear (15, 16, 21a . . . h). A host facility (6) and the modules are connected in series so as to form a circuit, the host facility providing power to all of the modules. Operation of the switchgear electrically isolates a module or a plurality of serially adjacent modules so that the module or modules can be removed without cutting off the power supply to any of the remaining modules of the system. Module based parts of the switchgear (21a . . . h) only or a combination of module based parts (21a . . . h) and host facility based parts (15, 16) of the switchgear are actuated depending on which module or modules are isolated and removed.

Abstract: Oil is recovered from a borehole using a pump having limited high temperature breakdown resistance. The pump is located in a borehole having a cooling zone, in which the temperature of the well fluid is reduced to, or below, the temperature at which the temperature breakdown resistance of the pump is commercially acceptable. In one embodiment, the pump is a positive displacement pump which is mechanically driven from the well head location, such as through a rotating rod. The cooling zone is provided by positioning and controlling the pump to maintain a sufficiently low pressure at the pump intake to cause a portion of the liquid well fluid to vaporize prior to entry of the liquid into the pump, creating bubbles which pass upwardly in the wellbore in a zone passing the pump. The evolution of the vapor cools the well fluid to the acceptable temperature.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for authenticating currency and other important documents. A preferred embodiment may contain both a substrate, such as paper, and an embedded RFID transponder. An embedded RFID transponder or electronic watermark may contain multiple hierarchical layers of electronic passwords that are used to electronically protect the host currency from counterfeiting, or unauthorized modification. In addition, such intelligent RFID tags may uniquely identify a particular document and data related to the document. The authenticating agency can utilize a public or private Electronic Product Code database as a means for the authenticating agency and third parties to authenticate documents and data in documents. The intelligent interactive Electronic Product Code can be used as an anti-counterfeit mechanism enabling third parties requested to provide services, benefits or monetary payments to authenticate documents and prevent counterfeits.

Abstract: To install a modular seabed processing system (1) on a seabed, a monopile foundation (3) is first lowered down and driven into the seabed. A docking unit (4) is lowered towards the installed foundation (3) so that a mating clamp system (6) mounted on the docking unit is aligned with a spigot (5) on the foundation. The clamp system then clamps the spigot to fix the docking unit onto the foundation. Flowlines (2) and an electrical power connector plug (18) are connected to the docking unit. A first retrievable substantially autonomous module (8) is lowered and connected to the docking unit (4) by a multi-bored connector (10, 11) and the plug (18) on the docking unit is engaged by a corresponding socket (17) on the module. Isolation valves (14, 16) in the docking unit and module are opened so that the module (8) is able to act on fluid received from the flowlines (2) via the multi-bored connector (10, 11).

Abstract: A single well development system has a base structure (8) through which the well is drilled and completed by means of a wellhead (6). A retrievable Christmas tree module (10) containing a Christmas tree (12) connected to wellhead connector (14) is mounted on the base structure (8) by the wellhead connector (14) so as to receive well fluid from the wellhead. The module (10) contains two fluid processing separators (16) for processing fluid received from the well via the wellhead (6) and the Christmas tree (12). In a modification, additional modules are mounted on the base structure and each additional module has a fluid processing separator (16), and the Christmas tree module routes production fluid to the separators via the base structure (8).

Abstract: A system for separating fluids from a hydrocarbon well production fluid mixture at a subsea location has a centrifugal separator (16) for separating the mixture into gas and liquid. A hydrocyclone separator (32) then separates the liquid into oil and water and an oil-in-water sensor (38) detects the amount of oil in water leaving the separator. If the sensor (38) detects that the water contains more than the prescribed amount of oil, the water is recirculated through the hydrocarbon separator (32) for removal of further oil form water. The hydrocyclone separator (32) has a level interface sensor (66) and if this sensor detects that the oil/water interface is not within prescribed limits for optimum separation of the oil and water, the amount of oil removed from the separator is adjusted until the oil/water interface is within the prescribed limits.

Abstract: A mixture of fluids is conveyed from a hydrocarbon reservoir and comprises gas and slugs of liquid. The mixture is passed through a slug catcher vessel (12) which temporarily retains the slugs of liquid. The gas is passed through a gas compressor (18) and the resulting pressurised gas is then conveyed to a remote location. When a liquid slug is detected in the slug catcher vessel (12), liquid is drawn from the vessel by an injector device (24) and entrained into the flow of gas downstream of the gas compressor (18) until the level of the interface between the gas and liquid in the vessel reaches a sufficiently low level. The system may alternatively be configured to accommodate a flow of liquid containing slugs of gas.

Abstract: Water is supplied from a host facility (2) to a pump (10) in a seabed facility (5) via a connecting pipeline (6). The pump (10) pumps the water to a higher pressure, and injects the pumped water into a hydrocarbon reservoir at a pressure higher than the pressure of the fluid in the reservoir so that it drives production fluid there to the host facility (2).

Abstract: A subsea hydrocarbon reserve is exploited by intially drilling a first well (4) from a floating drilling vessel (2). A tree (8) is then installed on the well (4) and a production riser (10) is established between the well and the vessel for transferring production fluid from the first well (4) to the vessel (2) from where an off-loading hose (12) conveys the production fluid to a tanker (18). Production fluid is then extracted from the first well (4) via the production riser (10) which is of sufficient flexibility and length to permit the drilling vessel (2) to move between appropriate locations to drill further wells (4′, 20).

Abstract: A method and apparatus for authenticating entities to use an intelligent interactive Electronic Product Code stored in an RFID tag attached to a document as a means for third parties to ascertain a document is not counterfeit and has not been revoked or changed. In addition, such intelligent RFID tags can uniquely identify a particular document and data related to the document. The authenticating agency can utilize a public or private Electronic Product Code database as a means for the authenticating agency and third parties to authenticate documents and data in documents. The intelligent interactive Electronic Product Code can be used as an anti counterfeit mechanism enabling third parties requested to provide services, benefits or monetary payments to authenticate documents and or the data associated with the document is not counterfeit.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a reference microbolometer structure on a substrate comprises the steps of applying a sacrificial layer to the substrate; applying a further layer to the sacrificial layer, the further layer incorporating a temperature sensitive material; and partially removing the sacrificial layer from the substrate such that a portion of the sacrificial layer is not removed at least in a region between temperature sensitive material and the substrate. The portion of the sacrificial layer that is not removed thereby forms a body of solid material, and a path of low thermal impedance, between the temperature sensitive material and the substrate.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for assisting the flow of production fluid from a hydrocarbon wellbore (4) to a remote host facility (16) including a separation facility (6) situated close to the wellbore (4). Jetting fluid is supplied initially from the host facility (16) to a downhole jet pump (14) via the separation facility (6) for assisting the flow of production fluid from the wellbore (4) to the separation facility (6) where the resulting mixture enters one of two parallel gravity separation chambers (32). Separated jetting fluid (60) is recirculated to the jet pump (14) via a pump (38) and production fluid is routed to the host facility via a production pipeline (18). A jetting fluid supply pipe (20) can be of relatively small diameter and the production pipeline (18) does not have to be enlarged to accommodate jetting fluid returned to the host facility (16).

Abstract: Method and apparatus for assisting the flow of production fluid from a hydrocarbon well to a remote location in conditions in which gelling or solidification is a problem. The method involves adding dilution fluid (60) such as water, to production fluid from a wellhead (4) in a first sub-system (8) close to the wellhead (4), conveying the mixture to a second sub-system (14) where the dilution fluid (60) is separated from the mixture in a separator chamber (38) as a consequence of their different specific gravities, recirculating the separated dilution fluid back to the first sub-system (8) and adding it to further production fluid from the wellhead (4). The requirements for pipeline heating, chemical injection and conveying large volumes of dilution fluid to a host facility can be avoided by the invention.

Abstract: A hydrocarbon extraction system (1) comprises a host facility (2), a wellhead tree (3) and a retrievable electrical power connection/control module (4). The module has a load (12) and is connected to the host facility and the tree via first and second wet mateable connectors (6, 8) respectively. The module also has qwitchgears (14, 15) controlled by the load for isolating the load from the host facility or the tree. The host facility is arranged to provide power to the module, and to the tree via the module when the switchgears (14, 15) are closed, and the load (12) of the module is arranged to control the via one (15) of the closed switchgears.

Abstract: A method of controlling flows from plural hydrocarbon extraction wellhead trees (50, 52, 54, 56) in an extraction system including plural wellhead trees (50) connected by a pipeline network (60, 62, 88, 104) to a host facility (64) via a manifold system (130, 132) situated remotely from the host facility (64). Each wellhead tree (50) has a production outlet connected by a production conduit (88) to the manifold system (130, 132) and a test flow outlet (76) connected by a test conduit (104) to the manifold system (130, 132). Wellhead tree outlet valves are operable to divert the flow from one wellhead tree only to the manifold system (130, 132) from where it is routed via a test pipeline (62) to testing equipment at the host facility. Alternatively, one or more modules (132) of the manifold system (130, 132) may be replaced by one or more different modules each containing a multi-phase flow meter so that testing can take place at the manifold system.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for authenticating entities to use an intelligent interactive Electronic Document Code stored in an RFID tag attached to a document as a means for third parties to ascertain a document is not counterfeit and has not been revoked or changed. In addition, such intelligent RFID tags can uniquely identify a particular document and data related to the document. The authenticating agency can utilize a public or private Electronic Document Code database as a means for the authenticating agency and third parties to authenticate documents and data in documents. The intelligent interactive Electronic Document Code can be used as an anti counterfeit mechanism enabling third parties requested to provide services, benefits or monetary payments to authenticate documents and or the data associated with the document is not counterfeit.