Method and means for separating hydrocarbon liquids and water from high-pressure gasstreams

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF SEPARATING LIQUIDS FROM A HIGH PRESSURE GAS STREAM FLOWING FROM A HIGH PRESSURE WELL INCLUDING, FLOWING THE STREAM THROUGH A CONDUIT, REMOVING THE FREE LIQUIDS PRESENT IN THE STREAM FROM SAID CONDUIT, THEREAFTER EXPANDING THE GAS STREAM TO REDUCE THE TEMPERATURE OF THE GAS STREAM TO A POINT WHERE HYDROCARBON CONDENSATE AND WATER NORMALLY PRESENT IN THE VAPOR STATE UNDER INITIAL FLOW STREAM TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE ARE CONDENSENSED AND ALSO TO THE POINT WHERE THE CONDENSED WATER WILL FORM FROZEN PARTICLES, DIRECTING THE CONDENSATE AND FROZEN PARTICLES INTO A CHAMBER TO CREATE A COLD ZONE THEREIN FROM WHICH SAID CONDENSATE AND FROZEN PARTICLES PRECIPITATE DOWNWARDLY, DIRECTING THE PRECIPITATED CONDENSATE AND FROZEN PARTICLES INTO A WARM ZONE BELOW THE COLD ZONE WHEREBY THE FROZEN PARTICLES ARE CONVERTD TO A FLUENT STATE, WITHDRAWING THE GAS FROM THE COLD ZONE, AND WITHDRAWING SAID CONDENSATE AND FROZEN PARTICLES IN A FLUENT STATE FROM THE WARM ZONE.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF SEPARATING LIQUIDS FROM A HIGH PRESSURE GAS STREAM FLOWING FROM A HIGH PRESSURE WELL INCLUDING, FLOWING THE STREAM THROUGH A CONDUIT, REMOVING THE FREE LIQUIDS PRESENT IN THE STREAM FROM SAID CONDUIT, THEREAFTER EXPANDING THE GAS STREAM TO REDUCE THE TEMPERATURE OF THE GAS STREAM TO A POINT WHERE HYDROCARBON CONDENSATE AND WATER NORMALLY PRESENT IN THE VAPOR STATE UNDER INITIAL FLOW STREAM TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE ARE CONDENSENSED AND ALSO TO THE POINT WHERE THE CONDENSED WATER WILL FORM FROZEN PARTICLES, DIRECTING THE CONDENSATE AND FROZEN PARTICLES INTO A CHAMBER TO CREATE A COLD ZONE THEREIN FROM WHICH SAID CONDENSATE AND FROZEN PARTICLES PRECIPITATE DOWNWARDLY, DIRECTING THE PRECIPITATED CONDENSATE AND FROZEN PARTICLES INTO A WARM ZONE BELOW THE COLD ZONE WHEREBY THE FROZEN PARTICLES ARE CONVERTD TO A FLUENT STATE, WITHDRAWING THE GAS FROM THE COLD ZONE, AND WITHDRAWING SAID CONDENSATE AND FROZEN PARTICLES IN A FLUENT STATE FROM THE WARM ZONE.

Claim 3

AN APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING LIQUIDS FROM A HIGH PRESSURE GAS STREAM FLOWING FROM A HIGH PRESSURE WELL INCLUDING, A FLOW CONDUIT CONNECTED TO THE WELL FOR CONDUCTING FROM THE WELL A GAS STREAM HAVING HYDROCARBON CONDENSATE AND WATER IN THE LIQUID AND VAPOR PHASES PRESENT THEREIN, A LIQUID KNOCKOUT UNIT CONNECTED TO THE FLOW CONDUIT FOR REMOVING FREE LIQUIDS FROM THE GAS STREAM WHEREBY THE GAS STREAM IS CONDUCTED THROUGH SAID UNIT AND FREE LIQUIDS ARE REMOVED THEREFROM, A SEPARATOR VESSEL HAVING A COLD ZONE IN ITS UPPER PORTION AND A WARM ZONE IN ITS LOWER PORTION, A CONDUCTOR BETWEEN THE LIQUID KNOCKOUT UNIT AND THE COLD ZONE OF THE SEPARATOR VESSEL FOR CONDUCTING THE GAS STREAM FROM THE LIQUID KNOCKOUT UNIT TO THE SEPARATOR VESSEL, MEANS MOUNTED IN SAID CONDUCTOR FOR EXPANDING THE GAS STREAM TO REDUCE THE TEMPERATURE OF THE GAS STREAM TO A POINT WHERE HYDROCARBON CONDENSATE AND WATER NORMALLY PRESENT IN THE VAPOR PHASE UNDER INITIAL FLOW STREAM PRESSURE AND TEMPERATURE ARE CONDENSED AND ALSO TO THE POINT WHERE CONDENSED WATER IS FROZEN INTO HYDRATES, SAID STREAM HAVING THE CONDENSATE AND HYDRATES THEREIN BEING CONDUCTED DIRECTLY TO THE COLD ZONE OF THE SEPARATOR VESSEL THROUGH SAID CONDUCTOR AND SUBSEQUENT TO THE PASSAGE OF THE STREAM THROUGH THE EXPANDING MEANS, SAID CONDENSATE AND HYDRATES PRECIPITATING DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID COLD ZONE INTO THE WARM ZONE OF THE SEPARATOR VESSEL, HEATING MEANS WITHIN THE WARM ZONE FOR HEATING SAID ZONE TO MELT THE HYDRATES, A GAS OUTLET IN THE UPPER PORTION OF THE COLD ZONE AND A LIQUID OUTLET EXTENDING FROM THE WARM ZONE.

Claim 4

AN APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING LIQUIDS FROM A HIGH PRESSURE GAS STREAM FLOWING FROM A HIGH PRESSURE WELL INCLUDING, A FLOW CONDUIT CONNECTED TO THE WELL FOR CONDUCTING FROM THE WELL A GAS STREAM HAVING HYDROCARBON CONDENSATE AND WATER IN THE LIQUID AND VAPOR PHASES PRESENT THEREIN, A LIQUID KNOCKOUT UNIT CONNECTED TO THE FLOW CONDUIT FOR REMOVING FREE LIQUIDS FROM THE GAS STREAM WHEREBY THE GAS STREAM IS CONDUCTED THROUGH SAID UNIT AND FREE LIQUIDS ARE REMOVED THEREFROM, A SEPARATOR VESSEL HAVING A COLD ZONE IN ITS UPPER PORTION AND A WARM ZONE IN ITS LOWER PORTION, A CONDUCTOR BETWEEN THE LIQUID KNOCKOUT UNIT AND THE COLD ZONE OF THE SEPARATOR VESSEL FOR CONDUCTING THE GAS STREAM FROM THE LIQUID KNOCKOUT UNIT TO THE SEPARATOR VESSEL, MEANS MOUNTED IN SAID CONDUCTOR FOR EXPANDING THE GAS STREAM TO REDUCE THE TEMPERATURE OF THE GAS STREAM TO A POINT WHERE HYDROCARBON CONDENSATE AND WATER NORMALLY PRESENT IN THE VAPOR PHASE UNDER INITIAL FLOW STREAM PRESSURE AND TEMPERATURE ARE CONDENSED AND ALSO TO THE POINT WHERE CONDENSED WATER IS FROZEN INTO HYDRATES, SAID STREAM HAVING THE CONDENSATE AND HYDRATES THEREIN BEING CONDUCTED DIRECTLY TO THE COLD ZONE OF THE SEPARATOR VESSEL THROUGH SAID CONDUCTOR AND SUBSEQUENT TO THE PASSAGE OF THE STREAM THROUGH THE EXPANDING MEANS, SAID CONDENSATE AND HYDRATES PRECIPITATING DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID COLD ZONE INTO THE WARM ZONE OF THE SEPARATOR VESSEL, HEATING MEANS WITHIN THE WARM ZONE FOR HEATING SAID ZONE TO MELT THE HYDRATES, A GAS OUTLET IN THE UPPER PORTION OF THE COLD ZONE AND A LIQUID OUTLET EXTENDING FROM THE WARM ZONE.