Chapter 12: Oil and Gas Separators
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Chapter 12 Oil and Gas Separators H. Vernon Smith, MeridianCorp. Summary This chapter is a discussion of the design, use, functions, fluids. Therefore, they are usually sized to handle the capacities, classifications, performance, operation, and highest instantaneous rates of flow. maintenance of oil and gas separators. Vertical. horizon- A knockout vessel, drum, or trap may be used to re- tal. and spherical separators in both two- and three-phase move only water from the well fluid or to remove all liq- arrangements are discussed. Quality of effluent fluids is uid, oil plus water, from the gas. In the case of a water approximated. Equations for calculating the sizes and ca- knockout for use near the wellhead, the gas and liquid pacities of separators and capacity curves and tables for petroleum are usually discharged together, and the free sizing oil and gas separators are provided. These capaci- water is separated and discharged from the bottom of the ty curves and tables can be used to estimate capacities of vessel. separators as well as to determine the size of separator A liquid knockout is used to remove all liquid, oil plus required to handle given volumes of fluids. Sample cal- water. from the gas. The water and liquid hydrocarbons culations for sizing separators are included. are discharged together from the bottom of the vessel, and the gas is discharged from the top. Introduction A flash chamber (trap or vessel) normally refers to a The term “oil and gas separator” in oilfield terminology conventional oil and gas separator operated at low pres- designates a pressure vessel used for separating well fluids sure, with the liquid from a higher-pressure separator produced from oil and gas wells into gaseous and liquid being “flashed” into it. This flash chamber is quite often components. A separating vessel may be referred to in the second or third stage of separation, with the liquid the following ways: being discharged from the flash chamber to storage. 1, Oil and gas separator. An expansion vessel is the first-stage separator vessel 2. Separator. on a low-temperature or cold-separation unit. This ves- 3. Stage separator. sel may be equipped with a heating coil to melt hydrates, 4. Trap. or a hydrate-preventive liquid (such as glycol) may be in- 5. Knockout vessel, knockout drum. knockout trap, jected into the well fluid just before expansion into this water knockout, or liquid knockout. vessel. 6. Flash chamber, flash vessel, or flash trap A gas scrubber may be similar to an oil and gas sepa- 7. Expansion separator or expansion vessel. rator. Usually it handles fluid that contains less liquid than 8. Scrubber (gas scrubber). dry or wet type. that produced from oil and gas wells. Gas scrubbers are 9. Filter (gas filter). dry or wet type. normally used in gas gathering, sales, and distribution IO. Filter/separator. lines where they are not required to handle slugs or heads The terms “oil and gas separator.” “separator,” “stage of liquid, as is often the case with oil and gas separators. separator,” and “trap” refer to a conventional oil and The dry-type gas scrubber uses mist extractors and other gas separator. These separating vessels are normally used internals similar to oil and gas separators. with prefer- on a producing lease or platform near the wellhead, ence shown to the coalescing-type mist extractor. The wet- manifold, or tank battery to separate fluids produced from type gas scrubber passes the stream of gas through a bath oil and gas wells into oil and gas or liquid and gas. They of oil or other liquid that washes dust and other impuri- must be capable of handling “slugs” or “heads” of well ties from the gas. The gas is flowed through a mist ex- PETROLEUM ENGINEERING HANDBOOK Fig. 12.1-Typical surface production equipment for handling oil and gas-oil and gas separators and other related equipment. tractor where all removable liquid is separated from it. uid surges (slugs) from the wells and/or flowlines. A “scrubber” can refer to a vessel used upstream from 3. Adequate vessel diameter and height or length to al- any gas-processing vessel or unit to protect the down- low most of the liquid to separate from the gas so that stream vessel or unit from liquid hydrocarbons and/or the mist extractor will not be flooded. water. 4. A means of controlling an oil level in the separator, The “filter” (gas filter or filter/separator) refers to a which usually includes a liquid-level controller and a di- dry-type gas scrubber, especially if the unit is being used aphragm motor valve on the oil outlet. For three-phase primarily to remove dust from the gas stream. A filter- operation, the separator must include an oil/water inter- ing medium is used in the vessel to remove dust, line scale, face liquid-level controller and a water-discharge control rust, and other foreign material from the gas. Such units valve. will normally remove liquid from the gas. 5. A backpressure valve on the gas outlet to maintain An oil and gas separator generally includes the follow- a steady pressure in the vessel. ing essential components and features. 6. Pressure relief devices. 1. A vessel that includes (a) primary separation device In most oil and gas surface production equipment sys- and/or section, (b) secondary “gravity” settling (separat- tems, the oil and gas separator is the first vessel the well ing) section, (c) mist extractor to remove small liquid par- fluid flows through after it leaves the producing well. ticles from the gas, (d) gas outlet, (e) liquid settling However, other equipment-such as heaters and water (separating) section to remove gas or vapor from oil (on knockouts-may be installed upstream of the separator. a three-phase unit, this section also separates water from Fig. 12.1 shows a typical surface production equipment oil), (f) oil outlet, and (g) water outlet (three-phase unit). system for handling crude oil using an oil and gas sepa- 2. Adequate volumetric liquid capacity to handle liq- rator along with related equipment. OIL AND GAS SEPARATORS 12-3 Well Fluids and Their Characteristics Primary Functions of Oil and Some of the physical characteristics of well fluids han- Gas Separators dled by oil and gas separators are briefly outlined in this Separation of oil from gas may begin as the fluid flows section. through the producing formation into the wellbore and may progressively increase through the tubing, flowlines, Crude Oil. Crude oil is a complex mixture of hydro- and surface handling equipment. Under certain conditions, carbons produced in liquid form. The API gravity of crude the fluid may be completely separated into liquid and gas oil can range from 6 to 5O”API and viscosity from 5.0 before it reaches the oil and gas separator. In such cases, to 90,000 cp at average operating conditions. Color var- the separator vessel affords only an “enlargement” to per- ies through shades of green, yellow, brown, and black. mit gas to ascend to one outlet and liquid to descend to Detailed characteristics of crude oils are given in another. Chap. 21. Removal of Oil From Gas Difference in density of the liquid and gaseous hydrocar- Condensate. This is a hydrocarbon that may exist in the bons may accomplish acceptable separation in an oil and producing formation either as a liquid or as a condens- gas separator. However, in some instances, it is neces- ible vapor. Liquefaction of gaseous components of the sary to use mechanical devices commonly referred to as condensate usually occurs with reduction of well-fluid “mist extractors” to remove liquid mist from the gas be- temperature to surface operating conditions. Gravities of fore it is discharged from the separator. Also, it may be the condensed liquids may range from 50 to 120”API and desirable or necessary to use some means to remove non- viscosities from 2.0 to 6.0 cp at standard conditions. Color solution gas from the oil before the oil is discharged from may be water-white, light yellow, or light blue. the separator. Natural Gas. A gas may be defined as a substance that Removal of Gas From Oil has no shape or volume of its own. It will completely fill The physical and chemical characteristics of the oil and any container in which it is placed and will take the shape its conditions of pressure and temperature determine the of the container. Hydrocarbon gas associated with crude amount of gas it will contain in solution. The rate at which oil is referred to as natural gas and may be found as the gas is liberated from a given oil is a function of change “free” gas or as “solution” gas. Specific gravity of natur- in pressure and temperature. The volume of gas that an al gas may vary from 0.55 to 0.90 and viscosity from oil and gas separator will remove from crude oil is de- 0.01 1 to 0.024 cp at standard conditions. pendent on (1) physical and chemical characteristics of Free Gus. Free gas is a hydrocarbon that exists in the the crude, (2) operating pressure, (3) operating tempera- gaseous phase at operating pressure and temperature. Free ture, (4) rate of throughput, (5) size and configuration gas may refer to any gas at any pressure that is not in of the separator, and (6) other factors. solution or mechanically held in the liquid hydrocarbon. Rate of throughput and liquid depth in the separator de- S&&ion Gas. Solution gas is homogeneously contained termine the “retention” or “settling” time of the oil.