Apparatus for Conditioning Natural Gas for Use in Gas Lift Artificial Lift Applications in Oil and Gas Production
AssigneeMoneyhun Equipment Sales
InventorsDavid Moneyhun, Bernie Claydon
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A natural gas conditioning system for conditioning unconditioned natural gas for use in a gas lift system at a wellbore comprises a series of coolers to receive and cool unconditioned natural gas, and a high-pressure, three-phase separator. The separator receives cooled unconditioned natural gas from the coolers and results in separate flows of conditioned lift gas, waste water and hydro-carbon liquids. The conditioned lift gas can be directed to a first heat exchanger, and the hydro-carbon liquids can be directed to a second heat exchanger. A chiller can be coupled to a third heat exchanger. All the components can be carried by a skid.
Claims18
A conditioning system configured to condition unconditioned natural gas as conditioned lift gas usable in a gas lift system at a wellbore, the conditioning system comprising:
- a) a mobile skid configured to be deliverable to a well site;
- b) a series of coolers carried by the skid and comprising first, second and third heat exchangers;
- c) a chiller carried by the skid and having a chill loop configured to produce circulate cold fluid through the chill loop;
- and
- d) a high-pressure, three-phase separator carried by the skid and configured to separate unconditioned natural gas into separate flows of conditioned lift gas, hydro-carbon liquid (HCL) and waste water;
- and
- e) an inlet carried by the skid and configured to receive unconditioned natural gas;
- a lift gas outlet carried by the skid and configured to discharge conditioned natural gas;
- and an HCL outlet configured to discharge HCL;
- f) the series of coolers being coupled between the inlet and the separator and configured to cool unconditioned natural gas passing from the inlet to the separator;
- g) the first heat exchanger coupled between the separator and the lift gas outlet and configured to pass conditioned lift gas from the separator to the lift gas outlet and transfer heat from the unconditioned natural gas to the conditioned lift gas;
- h) the second heat exchanger coupled between the separator and the HCL outlet and configured to pass HCL from the separator to the HCL outlet and to transfer heat from the unconditioned natural gas to the HCL;
- and
- i) the third heat exchanger coupled to the chiller and configured to transfer heat from the unconditioned natural gas to the cold fluid.
A conditioning system configured to condition unconditioned natural gas as conditioned lift gas, the conditioning system comprising:
- a) a series of coolers configured to receive and cool the unconditioned natural gas,
- b) a chiller having a chill loop coupled to the series of coolers and configured to produce cold fluid and circulate the cold fluid through the chill loop;
- c) a high-pressure, three-phase separator coupled to the series of coolers and configured to separate unconditioned natural gas into separate flows of conditioned lift gas, hydro-carbon liquid (HCL) and waste water;
- d) the series of coolers comprising:
- i) a first heat exchanger coupled to the separator to receive and pass conditioned lift gas and configured to transfer heat from the unconditioned natural gas to the conditioned lift gas;
- ii) a second heat exchanger coupled to the first heat exchanger and the separator to receive and pass HCL and configured to transfer heat from the unconditioned natural gas to the HCL;
- and
- iii) a third heat exchanger coupled to the second heat exchanger and the chiller loop and configured to transfer heat from the unconditioned natural gas to the cold fluid;
- and
- e) an expansion valve associated with the second heat exchanger and configured to expand the HCL, and thus cool the HCL prior to the second heat exchanger.
A method for conditioning an unconditioned natural gas, the method comprising:
- a) cooling the unconditioned natural gas by passing the unconditioned natural gas through a series of coolers including first, second and third heat exchangers, defining cooled unconditioned natural gas;
- and
- b) separating waste water and hydro-carbon liquids from the cooled unconditioned natural gas by passing the cooled unconditioned natural gas through a high-pressure, three-phase separator resulting in separate flows of conditioned lift gas, hydro-carbon liquid (HCL) and waste water, and using the conditioned lift gas to cool the unconditioned natural gas by passing the lift gas through the first heat exchanger, using the HCL to cool the unconditioned natural gas by passing the HCL through the second heat exchanger, and using cold fluid from a chiller to cool the unconditioned natural bas by passing the cold fluid through the third heat exchanger.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.