System and method for hydrate recovery
AssigneeSyntroleum Corporation
InventorsMark A. Agee, Larry J. Weick, Kenneth L. Agee
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for recovering liquid hydrocarbons from hydrates on an ocean floor includes a vessel, a positioning subsystem coupled to the vessel for holding the vessel in a desired location over a hydrate formation, a hydrate recovery subsystem coupled to the vessel for delivering hydrates from an ocean floor to the vessel and separating gas from hydrates removed from an ocean floor, a gas conversion subsystem coupled to the hydrate recovery subsystem for converting gas to liquids, and a storage and removal subsystem. Excess energy from the gas conversion subsystem is used elsewhere in the system. A method of recovering hydrates from an ocean floor is also provided.
Claims19
A system for recovering liquid hydrocarbons from gas from hydrates of a hydrate formation on an ocean floor, the system comprising:
- a vessel;
- a positioning subsystem coupled to the vessel for holding the vessel in a desired location over the hydrate formation;
- a hydrate-recovery subsystem coupled to the vessel for delivering gas from the hydrates on an ocean floor to the vessel and separating gas from the hydrates;
- a gas-conversion subsystem coupled to the hydrate recovery subsystem for receiving gas from the hydrate recovery subsystem and converting the gas to liquid hydrocarbons;
- a storage and removal subsystem coupled to the gas-conversion subsystem for holding liquid hydrocarbons produced by the gas-conversion subsystem;
- and
- wherein excess power generated by the gas-conversion subsystem is supplied to the hydrate-recovery subsystem.
A method for recovering liquid hydrocarbons from hydrates on an ocean floor, the method comprising:
- positioning a vessel over a hydrate formation on the ocean floor;
- delivering hydrates into a conduit wherein the hydrates decompose to include a gas;
- delivering the gas to a synthesis gas conversion system;
- using the synthesis gas conversion system to convert the gas to liquid hydrocarbons;
- and
- using energy from the synthesis gas conversion system in the step of delivering hydrates into the conduit.
A system for recovering gas from hydrates of a hydrate formation on an ocean floor, the system comprising:
- an ocean-going vessel;
- a positioning subsystem coupled to the vessel for holding the vessel in a desired location over the hydrate formation;
- a hydrate-recovery subsystem coupled to the vessel for delivering gas from the hydrates on the ocean floor to the vessel, wherein the hydrate-recovery subsystem comprises a main conduit having a first end and a second end, the second end of the main conduit fluidly coupled to the gas-conversion subsystem, and a collector coupled to the first end of the main conduit for receiving hydrates from the ocean floor;
- a gas-conversion subsystem secured to the vessel, the gas-conversion subsystem coupled to the hydrate-recovery subsystem for receiving gas from the hydrate-recovery subsystem and converting the gas to liquid hydrocarbons, wherein the gas-conversion subsystem comprises:
- a synthesis gas unit for producing a synthesis gas, a Fischer-Tropsch synthesis unit coupled to the synthesis gas unit for receiving the synthesis gas and converting the synthesis gas to liquid hydrocarbons, and a turbine coupled to the synthesis unit and synthesis gas unit, the turbine for compressing air provided to the synthesis gas unit and developing energy to power the gas-conversion subsystem and at least a portion of the hydrate-recovery subsystem;
- a storage and removal subsystem coupled to the gas-conversion subsystem for holding liquid hydrocarbons produced by the gas-conversion subsystem;
- and
- wherein excess power generated by the gas-conversion subsystem is supplied to the hydrate-recovery subsystem to at least partially power the hydrate-recovery subsystem.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.