Subsea fluid sampling and analysis

Abstract

Subsea apparatus and a method for sampling and analysing fluid from a subsea fluid flowline proximate a subsea well is provided, wherein the apparatus comprises at least one housing located in close proximity to said subsea fluid flowline; at least one fluid sampling device located in the housing in fluid communication with a said subsea fluid flowline for obtaining a sample of fluid from the subsea fluid flowline; at least one fluid processing apparatus located in the housing in fluid communication with said subsea fluid flowline for receiving and processing a portion of the fluid flowing through said fluid flowline or in fluid communication with the fluid sampling device, for processing the sample of fluid obtained from the subsea fluid flowline for analysis, while keeping the sample of fluid at subsea conditions; a fluid analysis device located in the housing, the fluid analysis device being in fluid communication with the fluid processing device and/or with the fluid sampling device, the fluid analysis device being used for analysing said sample of fluid or the processed sample of fluid to generate data relating to a plurality of properties of said sample of fluid and communicating said data to a surface data processor or to at least one other subsea apparatus; and conveying means included in the housing for conveying the housing means from one subsea fluid flowline to another subsea fluid flowline or for conveying the housing to the surface.

1 . Subsea apparatus for sampling and analysing fluid from a subsea fluid flowline proximate a subsea well, comprising:
 at least one housing located in close proximity to said subsea fluid flowline;   at least one fluid sampling device located in the housing in fluid communication with a said subsea fluid flowline for obtaining a sample of fluid from the subsea fluid flowline;   at least one fluid processing apparatus located in the housing in fluid communication with said subsea fluid flowline for receiving and processing a portion of the fluid flowing through said fluid flowline or in fluid communication with the fluid sampling device, for processing the sample of fluid obtained from the subsea fluid flowline for analysis, while keeping the sample of fluid at subsea conditions;   a fluid analysis device located in the housing, the fluid analysis device being in fluid communication with the fluid processing device and/or with the fluid sampling device, the fluid analysis device being used for analysing said sample of fluid or the processed sample of fluid to generate data relating to a plurality of properties of said sample of fluid and communicating said data to a surface data processor or to at least one other subsea apparatus; and   conveying means included in the housing for conveying the housing means from one subsea fluid flowline to another subsea fluid flowline or for conveying the housing to the surface.   
   
   
       2 . Subsea apparatus as in  claim 1 , further comprising at least one electronic device which
 incorporates at least one software model used to provide information regarding the production of said subsea well.   
   
   
       3 . Subsea apparatus as in  claim 1 , wherein the fluid analysis data is used to control at least one subsea piece of equipment. 
   
   
       4 . Subsea apparatus as in claim I, wherein the fluid processing apparatus separates the sample of fluid into at least a liquid and a gaseous phase, or mixes the sample of fluid with at least one other different fluid, or enriches the sample of fluid. 
   
   
       5 . Subsea apparatus as in  claim 1 , wherein at least one data processing device is located in the housing and is in communication with the fluid analysis device. 
   
   
       6 . Subsea apparatus as in  claim 1 , wherein the conveying means is an attachment for a detachable subsea vehicle. 
   
   
       7 . Subsea apparatus as in  claim 6 , wherein the conveying means is an attachment for a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and/or an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV). 
   
   
       8 . Subsea apparatus as in  claim 1 , which comprises a plurality of fluid analysis devices which are connected to each other. 
   
   
       9 . Subsea apparatus as in  claim 1 , which comprises a plurality of housings connected to each other in a modular fashion located in close proximity to said subsea fluid flowline, and wherein each fluid analysis device of each housing is in fluid communication with each other, and each fluid sampling device of each housing is in fluid communication with each other. 
   
   
       10 . A method of sampling and analysing fluid from a subsea well, the method comprising:
 locating at least one housing in close proximity to a subsea flowline proximate said subsea well, said housing comprising at least one fluid analysis device, at least one fluid processing apparatus and at least one fluid sampling device, the fluid sampling device being in fluid communication with said subsea flowline, the fluid processing apparatus being in fluid communication with said subsea flowline and/or with the fluid sampling device, the fluid analysis device being in fluid communication with the fluid processing device and/or with the fluid sampling device;   obtaining a sample of fluid from the subsea flowline, and storing it in the fluid sampling device;   transferring the sample of fluid to the processing device, and processing the sample of fluid with the processing device for analysis by the fluid analysis device, while keeping the sample of fluid at subsea conditions;   transferring the sample of fluid from the processing device to the fluid analysis device;   analysing the properties of the fluid with the fluid analysis device to obtain fluid analysis data subsea;   communicating the fluid analysis data to at least one other subsea apparatus or to a surface data processor; and   conveying the housing from said subsea fluid flowline to another subsea fluid flowline or to the surface.   
   
   
       11 . The method as in  claim 10 , wherein the fluid sampling device is in fluid communication with a fluid processing apparatus, the fluid processing apparatus being in fluid communication with the well fluid flowing in the subsea flowline and the sample of fluid is obtained from the well fluid in the subsea flowline via the fluid processing apparatus. 
   
   
       12 . The method as in  claim 10 , wherein at least one data processing device is locatable in the housing and is in fluid communication with the fluid analysis device, and which further comprises processing fluid analysis data received from the fluid analysis device by means of the data processing device and communicating the processed data to another apparatus or to the surface. 
   
   
       13 . The method as in  claim 10 , wherein the conveying means is an attachment for a detachable subsea vehicle. 
   
   
       14 . The method as in  claim 10 , wherein there are a plurality of housings, and which further comprises connecting the plurality of housings to each other in a modular fashion, and wherein each fluid analysis device of each housing is in fluid communication with each other, and each fluid sampling device of each housing is in fluid communication with each other.