Subsea production system

A subsea well fluid processing system, comprising:

• first and second separators for separating heavier and lighter components of well fluid, each of the separators having a heavier component outlet and a lighter component outlet;
• a lighter component line connected to the lighter component outlet of each of the separators for delivering the lighter components to a surface processing facility;
• first and second heavier component lines connected to the heavier component outlets of the first and second separators, respectively;
• a pump having an intake connected to each of the heavier component outlets;
• a disposal line connected to an outlet of the pump and leading to a disposal location for pumping the heavier components to the disposal location;
• first and second bypass conduits connected between the outlet of the pump and to the first and second heavier component outlets of the separator, selectively;
• and
• a first and second bypass valves in the first and second bypass conduits, respectively, such that opening the first bypass valve and closing the second bypass valve causes at least some of the heavier components being pumped by the pump to flow back into the heavier component outlet of the first separator for backflushing while the heavier components from the second separator continue to flow through the second heavier component line to the inlet of the pump.

A method of processing well fluid from a subsea well, comprising:

• (a)deploying a well fluid separator subsea and connecting an inlet of the separator to the well;
• (b)connecting a choke downstream of the separator;
• (c)flowing well fluid from the well to the inlet of the separator, and limiting the flow rate of the well fluid with the choke;
• and
• (d)with the separator, separating heavier and lighter components of well fluid flowing from a subsea well and directing the lighter components to flow to a surface processing facility.

A method of processing well fluid from first and second subsea wells, comprising:

• (a)with a first separator, separating heavier and lighter components of well fluid flowing from the first well;
• (b)with a second separator, separating heavier and lighter components of well fluid flowing from the second well;
• (c)delivering the lighter components of each of the separators to a surface processing facility;
• (d)delivering the heavier components from a heavier component outlet of each of the separators to a pump;
• (e)with the pump, delivering the heavier components to a disposal location;
• and
• (f)selectively, causing at least a portion of the heavier components being pumped by the pump back to the heavier component outlet of the first separator to backflush the first separator while continuing receive heavier components from the heavier component outlet of the second separator.