System for fluid transfer

Abstract

A fluid transfer system for use with a valve tree at a well, the valve tree having a wellhead axis, may comprise a header having a header flow axis and a coupler connected to the valve tree and the header and providing fluid communication between the valve tree and the header, the coupler having a coupler flow axis. The sum of the direction changes for a fluid flowing from the header into the valve tree may be less than 225°. The coupler may include a coupler inlet, which may be at substantially the same elevation as the header flow axis. The coupler may be connected to the header such that the coupler flow axis intersects the header flow axis or such that the coupler axis passes between the header axis and the surface of the earth. An angle between the coupler flow axis and the wellhead axis may be acute.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A fluid transfer system for use with a valve tree at a well, the valve tree having a wellhead axis, the system comprising:
 a header having a header flow axis; and   a coupler connected to the valve tree and the header and providing fluid communication between the valve tree and the header, the coupler having a coupler flow axis;   wherein the coupler is configured such that no two consecutive flow directions within the coupler are perpendicular to one another.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the coupler includes a coupler inlet and wherein the coupler inlet is at substantially the same elevation as the header flow axis 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the coupler includes a coupler inlet and wherein the coupler flow axis passes above the header flow axis. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the coupler is connected to the header such that the coupler flow axis passes between the header axis and the surface of the earth. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the coupler includes a coupler conduit defining the coupler flow axis and wherein the coupler flow axis intersects the header flow axis. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the system includes a multi-path flow connector in fluid communication with the valve tree and a flow control valve having a flow axis, the flow control valve directly coupled to the multi-path flow connector and in fluid communication with the header, and wherein the connection between the coupler and the valve tree includes the multi-path flow connector. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6  wherein the header includes a conduit connected to an inlet through a header multi-path flow connector and an isolation valve. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the conduit includes an expansion spool. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 6  wherein the valve tree includes a master valve, wherein the valve tree multi-path flow connector is disposed vertically above the master valve, and wherein the flow axis of the flow control valve is substantially perpendicular to the flow axis of the master valve. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the multi-path flow connector comprises a studded or flanged flow tee. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the coupler has a fixed length. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the coupler includes an expansion joint. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the coupler is connected to the header by a header coupler connection and to the valve tree by a valve tree coupler connector. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the header coupler connector and the valve tree coupler connector are each adapted to cause a change of 45° in the direction of fluid flow. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the header further comprises an expansion spool. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising an elevating skid, the elevating skid positioned beneath the header. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising an isolation valve, wherein the isolation valve is positioned so as to isolate a section of the header.