Method and apparatus for heating a submarine pipeline
AssigneeConocoPhillips Company
InventorMichael W. Wedel
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A novel system for inductively heating a fluid conduit using an electrical cable located proximate the fluid conduit. Electricity is conducted to the cable in either a powering mode, in which a powered system is electrically coupled to the cable and substantially no inductive heating of the fluid conduit is provided, or a heating mode, in which the powered system is electrically decoupled from the cable and inductive heating of the fluid conduit is provided.
Claims16
A hydrocarbon production system comprising:
- a central facility including a three-phase power supply and a single-phase power supply;
- a wellhead facility spaced from the central facility, said wellhead facility including powered equipment for producing hydrocarbons and a wellhead ground terminal electrically coupled to the ground;
- an electrically conductive pipeline extending between the central facility and the wellhead facility;
- and
- an electrical cable coupled to and extending alongside the pipeline,
- said central facility including a first electrical switch for electrically coupling and decoupling the three-phase power supply and the electrical cable,
- said central facility including a second electrical switch for electrically coupling and decoupling the single-phase power supply and the electrical cable,
- said wellhead facility including a third electrical switch for electrically coupling and decoupling the powered equipment and the electrical cable,
- said wellhead facility including a fourth electrical switch for electrically coupling and decoupling the wellhead ground terminal and the electrical cable.
A hydrocarbon production system comprising:
- a central facility including a three-phase power supply and a single-phase power supply;
- a wellhead facility spaced from the central facility, said well head facility including powered equipment for producing hydrocarbons;
- an electrically conductive pipeline extending between the central facility and the wellhead facility;
- a first electrical cable positioned alongside the pipeline;
- and
- a second electrical cable positioned alongside the pipeline on a side of the pipeline generally opposite the side of the pipeline along which the first electrical cable is positioned,
- said central facility including a first switch for electrically coupling and decoupling the three-phase power supply and the first electrical cable,
- said central facility including a second switch for electrically coupling and decoupling the single-phase power supply and the first electrical cable,
- said central facility including a third switch for electrically coupling and decoupling the single-phase power supply and the second electrical cable,
- said central facility including a fourth switch for electrically coupling and decoupling the first and second electrical cables,
- said wellhead facility including a fifth switch for electrically coupling and decoupling the power equipment and the first electrical cable.
A method of retrofitting an existing subsea pipeline with a pipeline heating system, said existing subsea pipeline being operable to transport fluids from a wellhead facility to a central facility, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) positioning a first electrical cable alongside the pipeline, said first electrical cable including a protective jacket surrounding three insulated electrical conductors;
- (b) electrically coupling one end of the first electrical cable to a first switching device located at the central facility;
- (c) electrically coupling an opposite end of the first electrical cable to a second switching device located at the wellhead facility;
- and
- (d) electrically coupling the first switching device to a three-phase power supply and a single-phase power supply located at the central facility so that the first switching device can electrically couple and decouple the first electrical cable to the three-phase and single-phase power supplies.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.