US 7,322,387 B2 · Reception, processing, handling and distribution of hydrocarbons and other fluids

Abstract

An integrated energy hub facility capable of bringing together all aspects of hydrocarbon and other fluid product movement under controlled conditions applicable to the reception, storage, processing, collection and transmission downstream is provided. Input to the energy hub includes natural gas and crude from a pipeline or a carrier, LNG from a carrier, CNG from a carrier, and carrier-regassed LNG, as well as other products from a pipeline or a carrier. Storage can be above surface, in salt caverns or in subterranean formations and cavities, and include petroleum crude, natural gas, LPG, NGL, GTL and other fluids. Transmission downstream may be carried out by a vessel or other type of carrier and/or by means of a pipeline system. Cryogenic fluids are offloaded and sent to the energy hub surface holding tank, then pumped to the energy hub vaporizers and sent to underground storage and/or distribution.

Claims52

Dependent claims

An energy hub system for the reception, processing, handling and marketplace distribution of hydrocarbons and other fluids, comprising:

(a) facilities for receiving and offloading hydrocarbons or other fluids;
(b) at least one surface holding tank, connectable to said facilities for receiving and offloading hydrocarbons or other fluids and capable of holding received and offloaded hydrocarbons or other fluids;
(c) means for vaporizing said received and offloaded hydrocarbons or other fluids;
(d) first pumping means, connectable to said at least one surface holding tank and capable of flowing said hydrocarbons or other fluids into said vaporization means;
(e) distribution means, connectable to said vaporization means and capable of directing said hydrocarbons or other fluids to the marketplace;
(f) an underground storage facility, connectable to said vaporization means and to said distribution means;
and
(g) second pumping means, connectable to said vaporization means and capable of flowing said hydrocarbons or other fluids from said vaporization means into said distribution means and underground storage facility, wherein said at least one surface holding tank is used to minimize offload time and wherein the volume capacity of said at least one surface holding tank, in BCFE, is less than the per-day offloading rate, in BCFED, at which said hydrocarbons or other fluids are offloaded and received by said facilities for receiving and offloading them.

5 more elements

An energy hub system for the reception, processing, handling and marketplace distribution of hydrocarbons, comprising:

(a) facilities for receiving and offloading hydrocarbons;
(b) a surface holding tank, connectable to said facilities for receiving and offloading hydrocarbons and capable of holding received and offloaded hydrocarbons;
(c) conventional means for vaporizing hydrocarbons, said conventional means selected from the group consisting of open rack vaporizers, remotely heated vaporizers, integral heated vaporizers, intermediate fluid vaporizers, steam heated vaporizers, shell-and-tube heat exchangers and air-exchange heaters;
(d) first pumping means, connectable to said surface holding tank and capable of flowing said hydrocarbons into said conventional means for vaporizing hydrocarbons;
(e) a pipeline system, connectable to said conventional means for vaporizing hydrocarbons and capable of directing vaporized hydrocarbons to the marketplace;
(f) at least one underground salt storage cavern, connectable to said conventional vaporization means and to said pipeline system;
(g) second pumping means, connectable to said conventional vaporization means and capable of flowing vaporized hydrocarbons from said conventional vaporization means into said pipeline system and said at least one underground salt storage cavern;
and
(h) valve means, connectable to said conventional vaporization means, for controlling and directing the flow of vaporized hydrocarbons from said conventional vaporization means between said pipeline system and said at least one underground salt storage cavern, wherein said surface holding tank is used to minimize offload time and wherein the volume capacity of said surface holding tank, in BCFE, is less than the per-day offloading rate, in BCFED, at which said hydrocarbons are offloaded and received by said facilities for receiving and offloading them.

6 more elements

A method for the reception, processing, handling and marketplace distribution of hydrocarbons, said method comprising:

(a) receiving and offloading hydrocarbons;
(b) flowing the received and offloaded hydrocarbons into a surface holding tank;
(c) pumping the received and offloaded hydrocarbons from said surface holding tank into a conventional vaporizer and subjecting them to vaporization, said conventional vaporizer selected from the group consisting of open rack vaporizers, remotely heated vaporizers, integral heated vaporizers, intermediate fluid vaporizers, steam heated vaporizers, shell-and-tube heat exchangers and air-exchange heaters;
(d) directing a first portion of the vaporized hydrocarbons to the marketplace by means of a pipeline system;
(e) directing a second portion of the vaporized hydrocarbons to at least one underground salt storage cavern wherefrom they may be subsequently directed to the marketplace by means of a pipeline system;
and
(f) storing said second portion of the vaporized hydrocarbons in said at least one underground salt storage cavern, wherein said surface holding tank is used to minimize offload time and wherein the volume capacity of said surface holding tank, in BCFE, is less than the per-day offloading rate, in BCFED, at which said hydrocarbons are offloaded and received by said facilities for receiving and offloading them.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Reception, processing, handling and distribution of hydrocarbons and other fluids

Life of this patent

Reception, processing, handling and distribution of hydrocarbons and other fluids

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims52