US 4,139,019 A · Method and system for transporting natural gas to a pipeline

Abstract

Natural gas from one or more wells is gathered, dehydrated, compressed to a relatively high pressure, and loaded into pressure vessel means mounted for transporting at ambient temperatures by a transport vehicle. The pressure vessel means is then driven to a transmission pipeline terminal, or other end user, and the natural gas is off-loaded while being heated to prevent the formation of harmful hydrates, the gas being metered before flowing into the pipeline.

Claims26

Dependent claims

A system for transporting natural gas from a gas well location to a terminal facility located at a delivery location, including:

pressure vessel means mounted for transporting by a transport vehicle, and including:
at least one pressure vessel;
and vehicle manifold means connected with said pressure vessel, and including vehicle coupling means;
a first terminal located at said gas well location, and including:
means for gathering natural gas from gas well(s) at said gas well location;
loading manifold means;
loading coupling means for detachably connecting said loading manifold means with said vehicle coupling means;
and a loading conduit means connecting said gathering means with said loading manifold means, said loading conduit means including compressor means, and said compressor means including:
a compressor unit;
a pressure control valve in said loading conduit means, located before said compressor unit;
a by-pass flow control valve in said loading conduit means, located after said compressor unit;
and
a by-pass conduit connecting said by-pass flow control valve with the inlet side of said pressure control valve;
and
a second terminal located at said terminal facility at said delivery location, and including:
off-loading manifold means;
off-loading coupling means for detachably connecting said off-loading manifold means with said vehicle coupling means;
and off-loading conduit means connected with said off-loading manifold means, and including heater means for heating compressed natural gas taken from said pressure vessel, to eliminate the formation of hydrates therein.

15 more elements

A system for transporting natural gas from a gas well location to a terminal facility located at a delivery location, including:

pressure vessel means mounted for transporting by a transport vehicle, and including:
at least one pressure vessel;
and vehicle manifold means connected with said pressure vessel, said vehicle manifold means including:
a manifold conduit;
conduit means connecting each pressure vessel with said manifold conduit;
a T-branch fitting connected with said manifold conduit;
a loading conduit means connected to one side of said T-branch fitting, and including in series, moving outwardly from said fitting:
a check valve arranged to allow flow only toward said fitting;
a flow control valve;
one-half of a loading quick connect-disconnect coupling;
and a bleed valve;
and
an off-loading conduit means connected to the other side of said T-branch fitting, and including in series, moving outwardly from said fitting:
a flow control valve;
one-half of an off-loading quick connect-disconnect coupling;
and a bleed valve;
a first terminal located at said gas well location, and including:
means for gathering natural gas from gas well(s) at said gas well location;
loading manifold means;
loading coupling means for detachably connecting said loading manifold means with said one-half of a loading quick connect-disconnect coupling;
and a loading conduit means connecting said gathering means with said loading manifold means, said loading conduit means including compressor means;
and
a second terminal located at said terminal facility at said delivery location, and including:
off-loading manifold means;
off-loading coupling means for detachably connecting said off-loading manifold means with said one-half of an off-loading quick connect-disconnect coupling;
and an off-loading conduit means connected with said off-loading manifold means, and including heater means for heating compressed natural gas taken from said pressure vessel, to eliminate the formation of hydrates therein.

23 more elements

A system for transporting natural gas from a gas well location to a terminal facility located at an end user location, said gas well location having a gas gathering system, and said transporting system including:

at least one pressure vessel means, mounted for transporting by a transport vehicle;
a first terminal located at said gas well, and including:
a loading manifold, means for connecting said loading manifold with said pressure vessel, and including a flow control valve;
and conduit means connecting said gas well gathering system with said loading manifold, and including:
a dehydrator unit;
a compressor unit connected after said dehydrator unit;
and a main flow control valve connected between said compressor unit and said loading manifold;
and
a second terminal located at said end user location, and including:
an off-loading manifold;
means for connecting said off-loading manifold with said pressure vessel, and including a flow control valve;
and conduit means connecting said off-loading manifold with said terminal facility, and including:
a main flow control valve;
a heater unit connected after said main flow control valve, for heating compressed natural gas to prevent the formation of hydrates therein;
meter means connected after said heater unit for measuring the flow of natural gas to said terminal facility;
a by-pass valve at the inlet of said heater unit;
and a heater temperature control unit connected with said by-pass valve, and operable to control the temperature of natural gas flowing to said terminal facility from said heater unit.

14 more elements

In a system for transporting natural gas from a first terminal located at a gas well location to a second terminal located at an end user location, said first terminal including a loading manifold means for supplying natural gas under high pressure, and said second terminal including an off-loading manifold means, a pressure vessel means for transporting compressed natural gas between said first and said second terminals, including:

vehicle means;
at least one pressure vessel carried by said vehicle means;
and
a vehicle manifold means carried by said vehicle means and connected with said pressure vessel, said vehicle manifold means including:
a manifold conduit;
means connecting said manifold conduit with said pressure vessel;
a T-branch fitting connected with said manifold conduit;
a loading conduit means connected to one side of said T-branch fitting, and including in series, moving outwardly from said fitting:
a check valve arranged to allow flow only toward said fitting;
a flow control valve;
one-half of a quick connect-disconnect coupling;
and a bleed valve;
and
an off-loading conduit means connected to the other side of said T-branch fitting, and including in series, moving outwardly from said fitting:
a flow control valve;
one-half of a quick connect-disconnect coupling;
and a bleed valve,
said loading manifold means including one-half of a quick connect-disconnect coupling arranged to mate with said coupling half of said loading conduit means, and said off-loading manifold means including one-half of a quick connect-disconnect coupling arranged to mate with the coupling half to said off-loading conduit means.

15 more elements

A system for transporting natural gas from a gas well location to a terminal facility located at a delivery location, including:

pressure vessel means mounted for transporting by a transport vehicle, and including:
at least one pressure vessel;
and vehicle manifold means connected with said pressure vessel, said vehicle manifold means including:
a manifold conduit;
means connecting said manifold conduit with said pressure vessel;
and
vehicle conduit means connected with said manifold conduit, and including in series, moving outwardly from said manifold conduit, flow control valve means;
vehicle coupling means;
and bleed valve means;
a first terminal located at said gas well location, and including:
means for gathering natural gas from a gas well(s) at said gas well location;
loading manifold means;
loading coupling means for detachably connecting said loading manifold means with said vehicle coupling means, and including in series moving outwardly from said loading manifold, flow control valve means;
bleed valve means;
and a loading coupling connectable with said vehicle coupling means;
and loading conduit means connecting said gathering means with said loading manifold means, said loading conduit means including dehydrator means connected therein;
and
a second terminal located at said terminal facility at said delivery location, and including:
off-loading manifold means;
off-loading coupling means for detachably connecting said off-loading manifold means with said vehicle coupling means, and including in series, moving toward said off-loading manifold means, an off-loading coupling connectable with said vehicle coupling means;
bleed valve means;
and flow control valve means;
and off-loading conduit means connected with said off-loading manifold means.

20 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

05/758,154Filed 10 Jan 1977 · continuation in part

Priority

22 Jan 1976

Granted

13 Feb 1979

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification17 codes

F17C 5/002
Methods or apparatus for filling containers with liquefied, solidified, or compressed gases under pressures: automated filling apparatus
F17D 1/02
Pipe-line systems: for gases or vapours
F17C 2205/0134
Two or more vessels: characterised by the presence of fluid connection between vessels
F17C 2205/0323
Fittings, valves, filters, or components in connection with the gas storage device: valves

Abstract

Claims26

Dependent claims

A system for transporting natural gas from a gas well location to a terminal facility located at a delivery location, including:

pressure vessel means mounted for transporting by a transport vehicle, and including:
at least one pressure vessel;
and vehicle manifold means connected with said pressure vessel, and including vehicle coupling means;
a first terminal located at said gas well location, and including:
means for gathering natural gas from gas well(s) at said gas well location;
loading manifold means;
loading coupling means for detachably connecting said loading manifold means with said vehicle coupling means;
and a loading conduit means connecting said gathering means with said loading manifold means, said loading conduit means including compressor means, and said compressor means including:
a compressor unit;
a pressure control valve in said loading conduit means, located before said compressor unit;
a by-pass flow control valve in said loading conduit means, located after said compressor unit;
and
a by-pass conduit connecting said by-pass flow control valve with the inlet side of said pressure control valve;
and
a second terminal located at said terminal facility at said delivery location, and including:
off-loading manifold means;
off-loading coupling means for detachably connecting said off-loading manifold means with said vehicle coupling means;
and off-loading conduit means connected with said off-loading manifold means, and including heater means for heating compressed natural gas taken from said pressure vessel, to eliminate the formation of hydrates therein.

15 more elements

A system for transporting natural gas from a gas well location to a terminal facility located at a delivery location, including:

pressure vessel means mounted for transporting by a transport vehicle, and including:
at least one pressure vessel;
and vehicle manifold means connected with said pressure vessel, said vehicle manifold means including:
a manifold conduit;
conduit means connecting each pressure vessel with said manifold conduit;
a T-branch fitting connected with said manifold conduit;
a loading conduit means connected to one side of said T-branch fitting, and including in series, moving outwardly from said fitting:
a check valve arranged to allow flow only toward said fitting;
a flow control valve;
one-half of a loading quick connect-disconnect coupling;
and a bleed valve;
and
an off-loading conduit means connected to the other side of said T-branch fitting, and including in series, moving outwardly from said fitting:
a flow control valve;
one-half of an off-loading quick connect-disconnect coupling;
and a bleed valve;
a first terminal located at said gas well location, and including:
means for gathering natural gas from gas well(s) at said gas well location;
loading manifold means;
loading coupling means for detachably connecting said loading manifold means with said one-half of a loading quick connect-disconnect coupling;
and a loading conduit means connecting said gathering means with said loading manifold means, said loading conduit means including compressor means;
and
a second terminal located at said terminal facility at said delivery location, and including:
off-loading manifold means;
off-loading coupling means for detachably connecting said off-loading manifold means with said one-half of an off-loading quick connect-disconnect coupling;
and an off-loading conduit means connected with said off-loading manifold means, and including heater means for heating compressed natural gas taken from said pressure vessel, to eliminate the formation of hydrates therein.

23 more elements

at least one pressure vessel means, mounted for transporting by a transport vehicle;
a first terminal located at said gas well, and including:
a loading manifold, means for connecting said loading manifold with said pressure vessel, and including a flow control valve;
and conduit means connecting said gas well gathering system with said loading manifold, and including:
a dehydrator unit;
a compressor unit connected after said dehydrator unit;
and a main flow control valve connected between said compressor unit and said loading manifold;
and
a second terminal located at said end user location, and including:
an off-loading manifold;
means for connecting said off-loading manifold with said pressure vessel, and including a flow control valve;
and conduit means connecting said off-loading manifold with said terminal facility, and including:
a main flow control valve;
a heater unit connected after said main flow control valve, for heating compressed natural gas to prevent the formation of hydrates therein;
meter means connected after said heater unit for measuring the flow of natural gas to said terminal facility;
a by-pass valve at the inlet of said heater unit;
and a heater temperature control unit connected with said by-pass valve, and operable to control the temperature of natural gas flowing to said terminal facility from said heater unit.

14 more elements

vehicle means;
at least one pressure vessel carried by said vehicle means;
and
a vehicle manifold means carried by said vehicle means and connected with said pressure vessel, said vehicle manifold means including:
a manifold conduit;
means connecting said manifold conduit with said pressure vessel;
a T-branch fitting connected with said manifold conduit;
a loading conduit means connected to one side of said T-branch fitting, and including in series, moving outwardly from said fitting:
a check valve arranged to allow flow only toward said fitting;
a flow control valve;
one-half of a quick connect-disconnect coupling;
and a bleed valve;
and
an off-loading conduit means connected to the other side of said T-branch fitting, and including in series, moving outwardly from said fitting:
a flow control valve;
one-half of a quick connect-disconnect coupling;
and a bleed valve,
said loading manifold means including one-half of a quick connect-disconnect coupling arranged to mate with said coupling half of said loading conduit means, and said off-loading manifold means including one-half of a quick connect-disconnect coupling arranged to mate with the coupling half to said off-loading conduit means.

15 more elements

A system for transporting natural gas from a gas well location to a terminal facility located at a delivery location, including:

pressure vessel means mounted for transporting by a transport vehicle, and including:
at least one pressure vessel;
and vehicle manifold means connected with said pressure vessel, said vehicle manifold means including:
a manifold conduit;
means connecting said manifold conduit with said pressure vessel;
and
vehicle conduit means connected with said manifold conduit, and including in series, moving outwardly from said manifold conduit, flow control valve means;
vehicle coupling means;
and bleed valve means;
a first terminal located at said gas well location, and including:
means for gathering natural gas from a gas well(s) at said gas well location;
loading manifold means;
loading coupling means for detachably connecting said loading manifold means with said vehicle coupling means, and including in series moving outwardly from said loading manifold, flow control valve means;
bleed valve means;
and a loading coupling connectable with said vehicle coupling means;
and loading conduit means connecting said gathering means with said loading manifold means, said loading conduit means including dehydrator means connected therein;
and
a second terminal located at said terminal facility at said delivery location, and including:
off-loading manifold means;
off-loading coupling means for detachably connecting said off-loading manifold means with said vehicle coupling means, and including in series, moving toward said off-loading manifold means, an off-loading coupling connectable with said vehicle coupling means;
bleed valve means;
and flow control valve means;
and off-loading conduit means connected with said off-loading manifold means.

20 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and system for transporting natural gas to a pipeline

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims26

Method and system for transporting natural gas to a pipeline

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims26