POL

Petroleum Open Learning

Oil and Gas

Separation
Part of the
Petroleum Processing Technology Series

OPITO

THE OIL & GAS ACADEMY

Petroleum Open Learning

Designed, Produced and Published by OPITO Ltd., Petroleum Open Learning, Minerva House, Bruntland Road, Portlethen, Aberdeen AB12 4QL

Printed by Astute Print & Design, 44-46 Brechin Road, Forfar, Angus DD8 3JX www.astute.uk.com

OPITO 1993 (rev.2002)

ISBN 1 872041 85 X

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval or information storage system, transmitted in any form or by any means,
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Oil and Gas Separation Systems - Workbook 1

Petroleum Open Learning

(Part of the Petroleum Processing Technology Series)

Contents

Page

Training Targets

Introduction

Section 1 -The gathering System

Section 2 - The Theory of Separation

Methods of Separation

training targets for you to

achieve by the end of the unit

test yourself questions

to see how much you
understand

11

check yourself answers to

let you see if yoyu have been
thinking along the right lines

activities for you to apply

your new knowledge

summaries for you to recap

on the major steps in your
progress

Flow Lines
Headers

Visual Cues

Stage Separation

Section 3 - Construction of Separators

Classification of Separators
Separator Internals
External Features of Separators

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Training Targets
When you have completed Workbook 1 of this unit you will be able to :

Describe the construction and function of a typical gathering system

Explain the basic theory of oilfield separation

Explain how a typical separator achieves its process objectives

Describe the four main classifications with regard to separators

Describe the principal internal features of separators

Describe the external features of separators

Tick the box when you have met each target.

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Oil and Gas Separation Systems

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Introduction

The separation process is a fundamental part of all

petroleum producing operations, whether they be in
oilfields or gasfields.
The fluids which are produced from hydrocarbon
reservoirs consist mainly of a mixture of oil, water and
gas, in varying proportions. Before any further treatment
of the fluids can be carried out, these three components
must be separated from each other.

The term, Oil and Gas Separator, in petroleum

production terminology, refers to a pressure vessel
which is designed to separate reservoir fluids into liquid
and gaseous components. You may, however, come
across a number of other terms which are used to
describe these or similar vessels. I have listed below a
few of the alternative designations.
* trap
* knockout vessel

So, the objectives of a separation system are to :

* obtain oil which is free from gas and water

* obtain gas which is free from any liquids

* stage separator
* flash drum
* scrubber

The process which achieves these objectives is carried

out in vessels which are called, not surprisingly,
separators. These pieces of process equipment are
common to all oil and gas producing operations,
whether they are carried out on large offshore platforms
or small land-based installations.

These terms are commonly used for specific

applications. Throughout this unit I will simply use the
term separator.
Before the fluids can be separated, the individual well
streams must be combined and directed to the process.
This involves the use of some form of pipework system.
This system we will call the gathering system, and this
is where I intend to start the unit.
The complete unit consists of 6 sections and occupies
2 workbooks. The first 3 sections are in Book 1 with the
remainder in Book 2.

In Section 1, we will look at the function and layout of

a typical gathering system.
Five further sections will follow this and these consist
of:
Section 2, in which we will consider the basic theory of
separation.
Section 3, where we will look at the construction of
separators and discuss both their internal and external
features.
In Section 4, we will have a look at the control of
separators.
Section 5 covers separator safety systems.
Finally, in Section 6, we will look at routine separator
operations.
In this training programme, I will use an imaginary
separation system to illustrate the process. You should
remember, however, that each production process is
unique, and each one will differ in terms of number of
vessels, process layout, etc.

Oil and Gas Separation Systems

Petroleum Open Learning

Section 1 - The Gathering system

Reservoir fluids are produced to the surface via
individual wells. You could think of the well tubing
as a vertical pipeline topped with isolation valves,
i.e. the Xmas tree.
swab
valve

The location of the Xmas tree will vary according to

the type of production installation. If the production
facility is on land, the Xmas trees will be located
over a large area, possibly many square miles. On
a conventional offshore production platform, the
trees would be placed fairly close together on the
cellar deck or wellhead area. A facility with subsea
completions would have its Xmas trees on the sea
bed, either close together on a template or remote
from the production platform.
In this section we will concentrate on a typical
offshore platform system. Here the Xmas trees are
all located at the surface in an area of the platform
known as the wellhead area.
Figure 1 is a simplified drawing of a typical Xmas
tree indicating the terms used to describe the
various valves.

choke

Kill
wing
valve

flow wing valve

(automatically activated)

upper
master gate
valve
(automatically activated)
lower
master gate
valve

From each Xmas tree, the well fluids

have to be gathered together and
transported to the process system. Each
tree, therefore, is connected to a series
of pipelines which will direct the flow of
fluids to the process. This series of lines
is the gathering system.
There are two types of line which make
up the complete gathering system.
These are flow lines and headers.
Lets briefly look at each in turn.

Figure 1 Typical Xmas tree

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Flow Lines

You will see from Figure 2 that each well flow line
is connected to its Xmas tree at the outlet of the
Flow lines are relatively small diameter pipes choke valve (CV).
which connect each producing well to one or more
of the headers which we will be looking at shortly. If you follow the flow path of the fluids along the
flow line, you will see that immediately downstream
Figure 2 is a simple line diagram showing the of the choke valve is a non-return valve (NRV).
The NRV is installed to remove any possibility of
layout of a Xmas tree and its flow line.
oil from one well back-flowing down another well.
In Figure 2 we can also see that two pressure
switches are fitted to the flow line of each well.

Test Yourself 1
Which valve or valves on the Xmas
tree would be activated from the ESD
system to shut down the well?

The pressure switch low (PSL) will warn the

operator if the flow line pressure is too low.
The pressure switch high (PSH) will warn the
operator if the flow line pressure is too high.
In both instances the pressure switches are tied
in to the platform emergency shutdown (ESD)
system. This is a safety system which enables a
safe and effective shutdown of plant and equipment
in a controlled manner if a hazardous situation
should arise. We will be looking in more detail
at ESD systems in Section 5. For the moment, I
would ask you to accept the fact that, if either of
the pressure switches is activated, then the ESD
system will shut down the well.

You will find the answer to Test Yourself 1

on page 38

Figure 2

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The actual pressures at which the pressure

switches will operate, i.e. the set points, will
change during the life of the well. As the oilfield is
depleted the pressure in the flow line will fall. As
the normal operating pressure falls the set points
will be lowered accordingly.
To see why the pressure switches are fitted to
the flow line, we must think about what can occur
whilst the well is flowing.

Activity
Take a few minutes to jot down on a piece of paper all the events which you think may
cause the two pressure switches to operate.

What can happen to cause a low pressure situation?

What can happen to cause a high pressure situation?

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A number of events spring to mind. You have

probably written something along the following
lines:
Low pressure situations can be caused by :
* The well beginning to flow less oil due to
problems with the well itself. These problems
may be anything from a build up of wax in the
tubing to a slug of water entering the bottom of
the well.
* A valve closing on the Xmas tree. This could be
due to operator error, or maybe a problem with
the hydraulic system which should hold open
the surface safety valve(s) on the Xmas
tree.
* A large leak in the flow line itself. This could
be due to a flange failure or a rupture of the
piping.
* A low pressure problem further downstream.

When the well is closed, the pressure in the flow line

will fall, and the PSL will activate the ESD system.

Now lets look at some events which could cause

high pressure in the flow line.

The well, therefore, has been manually shut down for

operational reasons and the surface safety valve
has been automatically closed.

In your activity you have probably written something

like:

So, when we want to reopen this well, we have a

chicken and egg situation.

High pressure situations can be caused by :

We cannot open up the wells surface safety valve

because of the low pressure in the flow line, but, to
restore the pressure we need to open up the well!

* The well beginning to flow more oil due to

problems with the well itself. These problems
may be caused by a slug of gas building up in
the tubing, or the choke valve being eroded
away as the oil flows across it.

Obviously, in this situation, we need to override the

ESD system in order to open up the well For this
reason all PSLs are fitted with a by-pass switch.
The by-pass switch allows the operator to open the
surface safety valve when he brings the well on line.

* A valve being closed on the outlet of the flow

line. This could be due to operator error when
attempting to change over the well from one
flow path to another or when putting the well on
test.

Remember: once the well is back on stream the

PSL by-pass must be deactivated.

* A high pressure problem further downstream in

the process.

The four low pressure situations described above are

all triggered by unplanned events.
Now think about what would happen if a well is shut in
intentionally for operational reasons - for example, if
work needs to be done on the well.

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Headers

Test Yourself 2
From the tubing of a well, fluids flow
through a number of valves and along a
flow line. The following valves would be
found in this flow path, but they are not in
the correct sequence. Place the valves in
the right order, starting with the first valve
in the Xmas tree.
a

choke valve.

non-return valve.

lower master gate valve.

flow wing valve

The following diagram, Figure

3, shows how the flow path is
continued from the flow lines to
the separation system. In the
process I am describing throughout
this unit, the separation system
comprises two parallel separator
trains and a test separator.

upper master gate valve.

You will find the answer to Test Yourself

2 on page 38

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A separator train is a sequence of separator

vessels. We will look at the layout and operation of
such a sequence in Section 2.
In Figure 3 we can see that the flow line is
connected to three short pipes. Each pipe is fitted
with a block (isolation ) valve.
By opening one of the valves, and keeping the other
two closed, we can divert the flow from each well to a
different section of the separation system.
In the illustration we can see that there are three
headers. The headers are relatively large diameter
pipes which connect the well flow lines to the
various parts of the separation process.
You can see from Figure 3 that the headers are routed
to :
*

Separation Train A

Separation Train B, and,

Test Separator.

The illustration shows :

Well A1 flowing to Separation Train A,

Well A2 flowing to Separation Train 'B' and

Well A3 flowing to the Test Separator.

We will look at the different types of separation systems

later. At this stage you should note that any of the
wells may be routed to any part of the separation
process.
The manifold area of a typical offshore platform is a
maze of pipes and valves. In our illustration we are
connecting three wells to three headers. For these
purposes we need nine valves. On a large platform
there could be forty wells and five headers. Such a
manifold area would require two hundred valves, all of
which have to be located in a relatively small space.
In an equivalent onshore processing system, the
general layout is similar to the one I have just described.
However, space is not usually such a problem and the
manifold system can occupy a much larger area.

Each well on the platform can be connected to each

header.
The assembly of pipework where the different flow lines
enter the headers is called a manifold.

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Summary of Section 1
In this rather brief section we have seen how the reservoir fluids are gathered together for
further processing. The system of pipework used to do this is called the gathering system
which comprises flow lines and headers.
You saw that flow lines are relatively small diameter pipes which connect each producing
well to the headers. Flow lines incorporate pressure switches which sense abnormally high
or low pressures and are part of the platform Emergency Shutdown ( ESD ) system.
Headers are larger diameter lines which transport the produced fluids from a number of wells
to various parts of the separation process. We noted that the area of the gathering system
where the flow lines enter the headers via the isolation valves is called the manifold.
At this point let me repeat once more that every process is unique. The layout of
the pipework and the way that the ESD system works will vary from installation to
installation. In this section we have simply looked at a typical system which is not
meant to represent any specific installation.

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Section 2 - The Theory of Separation

Methods of Separation
Any process which is designed to separate
substances, relies on the fact that the substances
are different from each other in some way. Lets
consider for a moment how these differences can
enable a separation process to take place.
Imagine that you have a mixture of sand, sugar and
iron filings. What are the differences between these
substances which would enable you to separate
them from each other?

Activity
Jot down in the box provided
below a list of the properties of (or
differences between) sand, sugar
and iron filings which could assist
in their separation.

Some of the things which you might have listed

include :

The individual grains or particles may be of

a different size.

Iron filings are attracted by a magnet, the

other two are not.
The substances have different densities.

Sugar will dissolve in water, the other two

will not.

Im sure that you will have thought of other

differences but we could use just two of the above
to separate sand, sugar and iron filings from each
other.

If a magnet were to be introduced to the

mixture, the iron filings would stick to it
leaving sugar and sand behind.

Figure 4 on the next page, shows this being done.

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Natural Gas - which is associated with an oil

accumulation may be termed free gas or solution
gas.
Free Gas - is a hydrocarbon mixture which exists
in a gaseous state at reservoir conditions of
temperature and pressure. It remains as a gas
when it is produced under normal conditions.

Figure 4

Figure 5
In this simple example we have seen how differences
between sand, sugar and iron filings can be used to
separate them.

If the sand and sugar were stirred in a beaker

of water the sugar would dissolve. The sugar
solution could then be poured off leaving sand In an oilfield separation system the substances to be
separated are oil, water and gas. The difference in
behind.
this case is density.
The following drawing, Figure 5 shows this.
Before we go on to consider the oilfield separation
process in more detail, lets look at the components
to be separated.
Crude Oil - this is a complex mixture of hydro
carbons produced from the reservoir in liquid form.
Its density usually ranges from around 640 kg/m3 to
880 kg/m3.

Solution Gas - is dissolved in the oil at a certain

temperature and pressure. If the pressure is
reduced and/or the temperature is increased, the
solution gas may be liberated from the oil. When
this occurs the gas assumes the characteristics of
free gas.
The density of the gas depends upon the pressure at
which it is confined. At 50bar a typical hydrocarbon
gas may have a density of 36 kg/m3. However, at
atmospheric pressure the density of that same gas
may only be 1.6 kg/m3.
There is a relationship between the volumes of gas
and oil produced from a reservoir. This relationship
is known as the Gas Oil Ratio (G.O.R.).
G.O.R. is defined as the volume of gas produced
per unit volume of oil production. The usual oilfield
units for this ratio are standard cubic metres of gas
per standard cubic metres of oil (sm3/ sm3). You
may also come across the units standard cubic feet
of gas per barrel of oil (scf/bbl).

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To check that you understand this ratio, have a go

at the following Test Yourself:

Test Yourself 3
If the daily production from a field is 4400
sm3 of oil and 110,000 sm3 of gas, what is
the field G.O.R?

Water produced with oil or gas may be in the

form of liquid or vapour. The liquid water may also
be in the form of free water or it may be emulsified
in the oil. Other units in the Petroleum Processing
Technology Series will deal with the problems
of oilfield emulsions and water vapour in gas. In
this unit we will just concern ourselves with the
separation of free water from the oil and gas.
Produced water is usually salty and has a density
somewhat higher than that of sea water. A typical
oilfield water may have a density of 1072 kg/ m3.
If the three reservoir fluids of oil, water and gas
were to be placed in a closed container and
allowed to stand, separation would occur.
The water, being the most dense of the fluids,
would sink to the bottom of the container. The oil
would float on top of the water. Finally, gas, the
least dense component, would occupy the space
on top of the oil.

The Oilfield Separation Process

The process can be described as :

* 2 phase separation or

* 3 phase separation

The phases referred to are oil, water and gas. In 2

phase separation, gas is removed from total liquid
(oil plus water). In 3 phase separation, however, in
addition to the removal of gas from liquids, the oil
and water are separated from each other.
Figure 6 on the next page, shows the difference
between 2 and 3 phase separation in a very
simplistic way.

This then is the basis of oilfield separation.

You will find the answer to Test Yourself

3 on page 36

However, reservoir fluids are being continuously

produced and must be continuously separated.
This takes place in one or more pressure vessels
which are designed to achieve optimum separation
as a continuous process.

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Lets consider 2 phase first. This would normally be

used when the reservoir fluids contain only a small
proportion of free water.
The total process within the separator can be broken
down into 4 parts which we will follow now.
Part 1, Primary Separation
As the reservoir fluids enter the vessel an initial
separation of gas and liquid takes place. This happens
because of:

Part 2, Secondary Separation

After the initial separation, gas will flow towards the
outlet of the vessel. However, it will still contain a
certain amount of liquid in the form of droplets. In the
secondary separation process these liquid droplets
are removed from the gas stream.
Liquid droplets which are suspended in the gas stream
will tend to fall or settle towards the bottom of the
vessel. This is simply due to the force of gravity.

a reduction in velocity
a reduction in pressure
a change in flow direction
The velocity of the inlet stream is reduced as the fluids
flow from a relatively small diameter pipeline into the
large volume separator.
The pressure is reduced by maintaining a controlled
pressure on the vessel lower than that of the inlet
stream.

Figure 6

The change in flow direction is accomplished by

placing some form of deflector at the inlet to the
separator. (We will be looking in more detail at the
internal features of separators in the next section).

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The ease with which the droplets will settle out of the
gas stream and fall into the liquid accumulation section of
the separator depends on a number of factors. These
include :

Figure 7 shows a typical set of straightening vanes inside a vessel.

the size of the droplets.

the density of the liquid droplet compared to the

density of the gas.

the velocity at which the gas stream is travelling

through the separator.

the turbulence which exists in the flowing gas

stream.

Of these factors :

The difference in density between oil and gas and

the droplet size will be determined by the
composition of the well stream.

The velocity of the gas stream is determined by

the size of the separator and its throughput.

Turbulence can be reduced by having devices

called straightening vanes built into the
separator to make the gas flow more
streamlined.

Figure 7

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Part 3, Mist Extraction

The secondary separation of liquid droplets from the
gas by gravity settling will not usually remove very
small particles. These particles tend to remain in the
gas stream in the form of a mist. In order that the gas
leaving a separator is as free as possible from liquid,
a final mist extraction section is built into the vessel.
Mist extraction is accomplished using either an
impingement or a centrifugal force mechanism.
The most common mist extraction device is the
knitted wire mesh pad which is an impingement
mechanism.
Figure 8 shows a knitted wire mesh pad.

Figure 8

This type of mist extractor is placed near to the

gas outlet from the vessel. As the gas containing
the very small droplets flows past the wire mesh,
the gas turns to flow round the strands of wire.
The droplets, however, tend to continue in a
straight line so they will strike the wire strands and
stick to them.
As more droplets stick to the wire, a film

of liquid forms which slowly moves to the

lowest point on the wire. At this point the liquid
accumulates to form a drop. When the drop is
large enough it will break away from the surface
where it has collected. From there it will fall
down to the liquid accumulation section of the
separator under the influence of gravity.

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Figure 9 shows the action of a knitted wire mesh pad.

Figure 9

The use of centrifugal force for mist extraction is usually confined to vessels where the gas flow is vertically
upwards. If the gas stream containing liquid mist is made to flow in a circular motion, centrifugal
force throws the liquid particles outwards. This causes the particles to impinge on the walls of the
vessel or container. Here the small droplets will coalesce into larger droplets until they are large
enough to gravitate to the liquid accumulation section.

Figure 10 shows a centrifugal force type mist

extractor.

Figure 10

In centrifugal extraction, a continual change in

gas flow direction at high velocities is required for
small particle removal. This results in relatively large
pressure drops across the extractor, which may limit its
application.

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Part 4, Liquid Accumulation

Part 5, Oil and Water Separation

The lowermost section of a separator is where the

liquids from the other three sections accumulate
before being discharged from the vessel. Initially,
this liquid will have gas bubbles entrained within
it which must be removed.

Oil and water do not mix. If these liquids are left

long enough in a vessel, separation will occur and
the oil will float on top of the water.

Just as liquid droplets tend to fall through a gas

stream, gas bubbles tend to rise to the surface of
liquids due to density differences.
The time required for the bubbles to reach the
surface and re-enter the gas stream will vary.
However, for most oilfield applications it will occur
in one to four minutes. This means that the liquids
must stay in the vessel for this period of time,
which is known as the retention time.

Oil and water will separate faster than gas will

be liberated from the oil. So, if the separator is
large enough to allow efficient gas separation,
then the retention time required for oil and water
separation will be exceeded.

Test Yourself 4
Reservoir fluids are flowing into a separator
at the rate of 3600 sm3/day. If the liquid
accumulation section of the separator is
7.5 sm3,
Is the retention time in this case sufficient
for:
a. gas to be liberated from the liquid?
b. oil and water to separate?

If the separator is of a sufficiently large capacity,

this will ensure that the reservoir fluids stay in the
vessel for the required retention time. You will
remember that a 3 phase separation process not
only removes gas from liquid, as we have just
seen, but also separates oil and water.
This, in effect, adds a fifth part to the total process
within the separator.

You will find the answer to Test Yourself

4 on page 39

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Stage Separation
We have just been looking at the separation
process as it is carried out in one separator vessel.
In practice, however, it is common to separate the
reservoir fluids in a series of separators. This is
known as stage separation and we will have a look
at this now.
1 said in the Introduction that the objectives of a
separation system are to obtain liquids which are
free from gas, and gas which is free from liquids.
When ideal separation has been accomplished,
the gas and liquids have reached a state of
equilibrium at the temperature and pressure within
the vessel. In other words, at these conditions of
temperature and pressure, no further separation
would take place.
In most oilfield applications the goal is to stabilise
the crude oil for shipment at pressures at or near to
atmospheric. This means that the separator would
have to be operated at this pressure.
In many circumstances it may well be possible to
do this. However, imagine a situation where the
pressure of the reservoir fluids at the wellhead is
170 bar and the gas oil ratio is 350 sm3/sm3.

If separation is to yield stabilised oil and gas at

atmospheric pressure, then the separator may
need to be extremely large. With a throughput of,
say, 12,000 sm3/day) of oil, the separator must
be capable of handling all that oil plus 4,200,000
sm3/day of gas. The pressure would also have to
be reduced in one go, from wellhead conditions to
atmospheric conditions.
In order to achieve optimum separation in such
a case the process would be carried out in a
number of separator vessels working in series.
Each separator would operate at a lower pressure
than its predecessor. This process is known as
stage separation. At each stage the gas which is
liberated and separated is removed and the liquid
passes to the next vessel in the sequence.
The series of vessels used in a stage separation
process is known as a train of separators. The
number of vessels in a train varies, but usually
ranges from two to four. We can refer therefore to a
two, three or four stage separation train.
Figure 11 over the page, shows a train of separators
for a 3 stage separation process.

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Summary of Section 2
In this section we have looked at the basic theory behind separation.
You saw that, in order to separate substances from each other, there must be some physical or chemical differences
between them.
The components to be separated in an oilfield system are oil, water and gas, and you saw that, in this case, the
different densities of the 3 phases allowed separation to take place. We broke the total process of separation down
into 5 sections which take place in a separator. These are:

* The primary separation, which occurs at the inlet to the vessel

due to three things.
- A reduction in pressure
- A reduction in velocity
- A change in flow direction.

* The secondary separation where gravity settling of liquid droplets

from the gas takes place.

* The mist extraction section which removes very small droplets of

liquid from the gas.

* The liquid accumulation section of the separator where retention

time allows gas bubbles to be liberated from the liquid.
* The oil and water separation section (in a 3 phase separator).

In the last part of Section 2 of the programme we looked at stage

separation. This allows the total separation process to take place in
a number of separator vessels working in series. Stage separation is
used where there is a large throughput of relatively high gas oil ratio
reservoir fluid and where there is a large total pressure drop to be
accommodated.
In the next section, we will be looking at the classification of separators,
and the details of their construction.

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Section 3 - Construction of Separators

I have said already that a separator is
a pressure vessel used to separate reservoir
fluids into their constituent components. Most
separators operate under pressure. Therefore,
they are made from high quality steel and are
constructed according to rigid specifications.

Figure 12 shows a simple outline of these two types.

In a complete separation system there may be

several vessels, and these can be classified
in a number of ways.
So, before we go on to look at the construction
of the vessels lets consider this classification
of separators.

Classification of Separators
1.

Figure 12a : Horizontal Separator

Classification according to
configuration.

Here we can divide separators into three types.

Horizontal Separators

Vertical Separators

Spherical Separators

The first two are the most common and are

the ones we will concentrate on during the rest of
this programme.

Figure 12b : Vertical Separator

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2.

Classification according to number of

phases separated.

These are :
* 2 Phase Separators
* 3 Phase Separators
In a 2 phase separator, gas is separated from
total liquids. A 3 phase vessel however also
separates oil and water from each other.
Figure 13 shows a sketch of a 2 phase
vertical separator and a 3 phase horizontal
separator.
Note that the 2 phase vessel has one inlet and
two outlets, whilst the 3 phase vessel has 3
outlets, one each for oil, water and gas.

Figure 13b : 3 phase Separator

Figure 13a : 2 phase Separator

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3.

Classification according to duty.

In this classification we can describe separators as :

4.

Classification according to position in a train

of separators.

* Bulk Separators

As you have seen, a separator train may consist of a

number of vessels operating in series.

* Test Separators

These separators may be designated :

* 1st stage - 2nd stage - 3rd stage and so on.

* Clean-up Separators.
As the name suggests Bulk Separators are used to
process most of the fluids passing through a system,
and they are in continuous use.
Test Separators are used to check the production
rates of individual wells. At regular intervals, each
well in turn will be taken out of the main process flow
stream and diverted to the test separator. Because
this vessel has only to handle the production from
one well at a time, it is frequently smaller than the
bulk vessels. The test separator is always equipped
with meters on each outlet line, to measure the flow
rates of oil, water and gas.

or

* High pressure - Medium pressure - Low

pressure.

Figure 14 on page 25, shows a complete separation

system.

When a new well is brought on stream it will often

produce drilling fluids and other contaminants for a
period of time. Such a well may be flowed initially
through a Clean-up Separator, with the fluids being
disposed of by flaring until clean reservoir fluids are
being produced. A clean-up separator can often
double as a second test separator.

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Figure 14
Note that the system shown in Figure 14 is a continuation of the manifold system shown in
Figure 3 in Section 1.
Look at the two figures and follow the flow from each well in Figure 3 through the separation
system in Figure 14. You will see from Figure 14 that the liquid outlet from the test separator
can be directed to either train 'A' or train 'B', at the inlet to the second stage.

Now lets have a look at the internal features of

separators which help to achieve the process
objectives.

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Separator Internals
1. Inlet Deflectors
You saw in Section 2 that a change in flow direction of the inlet stream is required as part of the primary
separation process. This rapidly dissipates the energy of the incoming stream and quickly removes large slugs
and droplets of liquid from the gas.

A horizontal separator relies on properly shaped and

positioned deflector devices to perform the function.
A simple baffle plate may suffice for lower G.O.R.
streams, while a dish deflector would be more
suitable for most applications.
Figure 16 shows an example of each type.

It can be carried out in a vertical separator by having the inlet nozzle to the vessel constructed at a tangent to
the vessel shell. This causes the inlet stream to swirl around the inside of the separator under the influence
of centrifugal force. Large volumes of fluid can be separated quickly in this way.
Figure 15 shows the tangentially positioned inlet nozzle on a vertical separator.

Gas

liquid
Figure 16a : Baffle Plate Inlet Deflector

liquid

Figure 15

Figure 16b: Dish Deflector

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2.

Straightening Vanes

You will remember from Section 2 that turbulence in the flowing gas stream can be reduced by incorporating
straightening vanes in the separator.

3.

Mist Extractor

We also looked at mist extractors in Section 2.

I have included Figure 17 which is the same as Figure 7 on page 15 to remind you of the construction of
a set of straightening vanes.

Test Yourself 5
Make a simple sketch of a mist extractor
which you might find in a separator.

You will find the answer to Test Yourself 5

on page 39
Figure 17

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4.

Horizontal Baffles

These are flat plates located in the separator

just above the liquid accumulation section.
They help to prevent waves in the liquid which
might result in liquid re-entrainment in the gas
stream.
The horizontal baffles may also provide the
support for some of the other internal features
of the separator. Look back to Figure 17.
You will see that the straightening vanes are
supported on horizontal baffles.

5.

6.

Vortex Breakers

When large volumes of liquid are being run out

of a vessel through an outlet at the bottom, a
vortex may form. I'm sure you have noticed this
when you have pulled the plug in the bath and
watched the water run out. It is the cone shaped
whirlpool which forms above the plughole. If
this occurred in a separator, it could drag gas
into the outgoing liquid stream, thus defeating
the purpose of the vessel.
To prevent the formation of a vortex, some type
of breaker may be used. A typical one is shown
in Figure 18.

Vortex Breaker

Figure 18 : The Liquid Outlet End of a Separator

Showing a Vortex Breaker
This internal pipe with holes, is fitted to the liquid outlet
nozzle inside the separator. The outlet stream from
the vessel cannot swirl around to form a vortex.

Weirs

These are vertical baffles placed in the liquid

accumulation section of the separator. In a 3
phase vessel they separate the oil accumulation
area from the water accumulation part. They
may also be used to isolate a section of the oil
accumulation part of the separator. This will then
provide a calm area for level control equipment
to operate in.
We will be looking at the controls of a separator
in Section 4 of this programme.
The six internal features of separators I have just
described are the most common.
The two parts of Figure19 between them show
all the six features I have just described.

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Figure 19a : A 3 phase Horizontal Separator

Figure 19b : A 2 phase Horizontal Separator

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However, other internal devices may be found in

separators. These can include :
Coalescing Plates. A type of mist extractor
consisting of a series of parallel plates on which
small droplets of liquid mist collect and join
(coalesce) to form larger ones. The straightening
vanes which we looked at earlier also act as
coalescers.
Water Jets. Sometimes sand may be produced
from the wells, and these solids would tend to
accumulate in the bottom of the separator. Where
sand accumulation is a problem, water washing
facilities may be installed. These devices consist
of nozzles inside the separator with an external
connection to which can be fitted a high pressure
water supply. Accumulated sand at the bottom
of the vessel can be stirred up prior to draining
it from the separator during maintenance of the
equipment.

Now that you are familiar with what is likely to be

found inside a separator, let's go on to look at the
external features of these vessels.

External Features of Separators

Every separator has a number of connections
to the vessel shell. Some of these connections
are simply the fluid inlet and outlet pipes. Other
connections support equipment used to monitor
the operations, control the operations or to ensure
safe operating conditions.
In Section 4 we will be looking in more detail at the
control of separators. Here, I just want to consider
the basic equipment used to monitor the liquid
levels and pressure inside separator. These are
the simple Pressure Gauge and the Sight Glass.

When pressure is applied to the inside of the tube

its cross section tends to change from an oval
to a circular shape. This makes the tube try to
straighten out. The free end movement of the tube
is transmitted via the linkage to the pointer of the
gauge.
Figure 20 on page 31, shows the inner mechanism
of the Bourdon Tube type Pressure Gauge.

Pressure Gauge
The most common type of pressure measuring
instrument found on a separator is a mechanical
device incorporating a Bourdon Tube.
In its simplest form, the Bourdon Tube consists of
a metal tube with an oval cross section. The tube
is bent into the shape of a letter 'C'.
One end of the tube is fixed and open to the
pressure to be measured. The other end is sealed
and free to move. This free is connected via a
series of linkages to pointer which moves around
a scale

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The shell of the separator has threaded outlets, called bosses,

for connecting pressure gauges. However, the gauges should
never be attached directly to the vessel itself. A suitable
pressure gauge valve should be connected to the vessel and
the gauge screwed into the valve.
Why do you think that the gauge should never be connected
directly onto the separator?

Activity
Make a note below of a potential problem which
might arise from having a pressure gauge
attached directly to the shell of the separator.

Figure 20 : The Inner Mechanism of a Bourdon Tube Type Pressure Gauge

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Imagine a pressure gauge screwed directly to a separator as is shown in Figure 21.

If, however, a valve is connected to the vessel and
the gauge screwed into the valve there is no
problem. The valve can be closed to isolate the
gauge from the vessel pressure, then the gauge
removed and replaced without interrupting the
process.
Figure 22 shows this being done.

Figure 21

If for some reason the gauge needs replacing, how

can it be done? It will require the separator to be
taken out of service and depressurised before the
gauge can be removed.

Figure 22

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Sight Glass
Sight glasses, which are commonly called gauge glasses,
provide a continuous visual indication of liquid level in a
vessel.
The simplest type of sight glass consists of a vertical
glass or plastic tube connected to the vessel by piping.
The liquid level in the tube will be the same as that in
the vessel.
Figure 23 shows this very simple arrangement.

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The simple glass or plastic tube is only suitable for very

low pressure applications. For higher pressures a much
more substantial piece of equipment is required.
A reflex sight glass is commonly used on separators
for this purpose.
It consists of a special metal column with a recess
machined in one side. A tempered glass window fits
over the recess and is held in place by U' bolts and a
housing. The glass window forms a pressure tight seal
with the column.
Figure 24 shows this construction.

The recess in the column is connected via pipework to

the separator, so the level in the sight glass is the same
as that in the vessel.

Figure 24

The glass slab of the window is smooth on the outside

but has triangular grooves cut in its inside face. This
feature helps to give a clear indication of the interface
between liquid and gas. This is particularly important
where the liquid is transparent, such as water

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The clear indication comes about because of the

way that light behaves. Light rays entering the glass
above the liquid level strike the grooves which are in
contact with gas. These are reflected back to the
outside which makes the outside of the glass look
light. However, when the light rays enter the glass
where the grooves are in contact with liquid, some of
the light is absorbed. Less light is reflected back to
the outside of the glass and it will look much darker.
The insets of Figure 24 shows this.
Sight glasses are fitted to the separator using special
valves called ball check valves. These are designed
to block off the flow of liquid or gas should the sight
glass itself rupture.
Figure 25 shows a typical ball check valve.

Figure 25

The ball within the valve remains stationary under

normal operating conditions. It allows the normal flow
of liquid or gas through the valve as the level moves
up or down. If the glass should break, however, there
would be a rush of fluid through the valve. This would
force the ball tightly against its seat, stopping the
loss of fluid.

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Test Yourself 6
From the following list items, indicate whether they are internal components of separators,
external features, or not part of a separator at all.

1. Inlet nozzle

2. Horizontal baffle
3. Sight glass

4. Pressure gauge
5. Swab valve

6. Mist extractor
7. Master gate

8. Outlet nozzle

9. Inlet deflector

10. Header

11. Straightening vanes

12. Vortex breaker

Internal

External

None

o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o

o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o

o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o

You will find the answer to Test Yourself 6 on page 40

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Summary of Section 3
In this section we have been looking at the physical appearance of separators and their construction.

We started the section by first considering how

separators may be classified. You saw that the
main classifications are based on :

In the second part of the section we looked

at separator internals. We identified the six
common internal features as :

configuration

Inlet deflectors

number of phases separated

Straightening vanes

duty

Mist extractors

position in train

Horizontal baffles

Vortex breakers

Weirs

You saw a drawing of a complete system having

2 trains of 2 phase horizontal separators, with 3
stages in each train. A test separator was also
included in the system.

Finally we had a look at the external features

of separators.
These included :

Pressure gauges

Sight glasses

Inlet and outlet nozzles

Make sure that you are completely familiar with

these features before proceeding to the next
section.
In the next section we will look at the basics of
separator control.

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Check Yourself 1

Check Yourself 2

Check Yourself 3

If you look at Figure 1 you will see that 2 valves

are automatically activated. These are the ones
which would be activated from the ESD system,
i.e. the upper mastergate valve and the flow
wing valve. These two valves are also referred
to as surface safety valves.

The valve order would be :

25 sm3/ sm3

d-b-e-a-c

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Check Yourself 4
The flowrate into the vessel is 3600 sm3/day or
2.5 sm3/min. The retention time is therefore
(7.5/2.5) = 3 minutes

Check Yourself 5

In most cases this is sufficient time for both gas

and water to be separated.

This is the same type of mist extractor as Figure 8 in the text.

i.e. a knitted wire mesh pad. However you may have sketched a
centrifugal extractor, which is shown as Figure 10 on page 17.

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Check Yourself 6
From the following list items, indicate whether they are internal components of separators,
external features, or not part of a separator at all.

1. Inlet nozzle
2. Horizontal baffle
3. Sight glass
4. Pressure gauge
5. Swab valve
6. Mist extractor
7. Master gate
8. Outlet nozzle

9. Inlet deflector

10.
Header

11.
Straightening vanes
Vortex breaker
12.

Internal

External

None

o
3
o

o

o

o
3
o

o

o
3
o

o
3
o
3
o

3
o
o
3
o
3
o

o
o

o
3
o
o

o
o
o

o
o
o
o
3
o
o
3
o
o
o
3
o
o
o
40