Enhanced subsea production recovery using subsea jet pumps

Abstract

A system for enhancing subsea production recovery can include a subsea jet pump disposed within piping that is configured to receive a low-pressure fluid from a low-pressure subsea well, where the subsea jet pump is further configured to receive a high-pressure motive fluid from a source, where the subsea jet pump is further configured to push a mixture of the high-pressure motive fluid and the low-pressure fluid through a throat of the subsea jet pump, where the subsea jet pump is further configured to discharge the mixture at an elevated pressure relative to a pressure of the low-pressure fluid toward a production facility.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for enhancing subsea production recovery, the system comprising:
 a subsea jet pump disposed within piping that receives a low-pressure fluid from a low-pressure subsea well, wherein the subsea jet pump is configured to receive a high-pressure motive fluid from a source, wherein the subsea jet pump is configured to facilitate a mixture of the high-pressure motive fluid and the low-pressure fluid that passes through a throat of the subsea jet pump, and wherein the subsea jet pump is further configured to discharge the mixture at an elevated pressure relative to a pressure of the low-pressure fluid toward a production facility.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the source comprises a high-pressure subsea well. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the source comprises a high-pressure fluid pumped from a topsides of a platform positioned above the low-pressure subsea well. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a pump assembly that is configured to pump the high-pressure fluid, wherein the piping is coupled to and disposed between the pump assembly and the subsea just pump, and wherein the high-pressure fluid flows from the pump assembly to the low-pressure subsea well through the piping.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the piping comprises a subsea jumper positioned between a subsea tree and a subsea manifold. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the subsea jumper comprises a flow control valve placed in series with the subsea jet pump. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the subsea jumper further comprises an additional flow control valve placed in parallel with the subsea jet pump and the flow control valve. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the subsea jumper further is piggable through the additional flow control valve when the flow control valve is closed and the additional flow control valve is open. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the piping comprises a subsea jumper positioned between a subsea pipeline and a subsea riser base. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the high-pressure motive fluid is delivered from an additional subsea riser base through piping to the subsea jet pump. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the subsea jet pump is integrated with a subsea structure, and wherein the subsea structure further comprises a plurality of flow control valves. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a sensor device that is configured to measure a parameter associated with the mixture.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a controller communicably coupled to the sensor device, wherein the controller is configured to control the high-pressure motive fluid delivered to the subsea jet pump based on a measurement of the parameter made by the sensor device.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the subsea jet pump is part of a subsea manifold. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the jet pump comprises a nozzle, a mixing zone, and a throat, wherein the high-pressure motive fluid flows through the nozzle and mixes with the low-pressure fluid in the mixing zone to generate the mixture, and wherein the mixture is pressurized as the mixture flows through the throat. 
     
     
         16 . A method for enhancing subsea production recovery, the method comprising:
 facilitating flow of a high-pressure motive fluid through piping to a subsea jet pump, wherein the subsea jet pump is positioned in a flow path of a low-pressure fluid from a low-pressure subsea well, wherein the subsea jet pump pushes a mixture of the high-pressure motive fluid and the low-pressure fluid through a throat of the subsea jet pump, wherein the mixture is discharged from the subsea jet pump at an elevated pressure relative to a pressure of the low-pressure fluid, and wherein the mixture is discharged from the subsea jet pump toward a production facility.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 installing the subsea jet pump in second piping, wherein the flow path of the low-pressure fluid is within the second piping.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 closing a valve to bypass the subsea jet pump in the piping;   employing a pigging device through a portion of the piping; and   opening the valve.   
     
     
         19 . A subsea jumper used for subsea production recovery, the subsea jumper comprising:
 piping configured to couple to an upstream component and a downstream component of a subsea system, wherein the piping is configured to receive a low-pressure fluid from a low-pressure subsea well through the upstream component; and   a subsea jet pump disposed within the piping, wherein the subsea jet pump receives a high-pressure motive fluid from a source, wherein the subsea jet pump pushes a mixture of the high-pressure motive fluid and the low-pressure fluid through a throat of the subsea jet pump, wherein the mixture is discharged from the subsea jet pump at an elevated pressure relative to a pressure of the low-pressure fluid, and wherein the mixture is discharged from the subsea jet pump toward the downstream component of the subsea system.   
     
     
         20 . The subsea jumper of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 additional piping connected to the piping in parallel with the subsea jet pump;   a first flow control valve placed in line with the piping and the subsea jet pump; and   a second flow control valve placed in line with the additional piping.