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Mud/Gas Separator Sizing and Evaluation

Description: Recent well-site disasters have led to an increased emphasis on

properly sized mud/gas separators. This topic reviews and analyzes existing

mud/gas separator technology and recommends separator configuration,

components, design considerations, and a sizing procedure. A simple method of

evaluating mud/gas separation within the separator vessel has been developed as

a basis for the sizing procedure. A mud/gas separator sizing worksheet will assist

drilling personnel with the sizing calculations. The worksheet provides a quick and

easy evaluation of most mud/gas separators for a specific well application. A brief

discussion of other mud/gas separator considerations is provided, including

separator components, testing, materials, and oil-based-mud considerations.

Introduction

The mud/gas separator is designed to provide effective separation of the mud and

gas circulated from the well by venting the gas and returning the mud to the mud

pits. Small amounts of entrained gas can then be handled by a vacuum-type

degasser located in the mud pits. The mud/gas separator controls gas cutting

during kick situations, during drilling with significant drilled gas in the mud returns,

or when trip gas is circulated up.

This topic discusses design considerations for mud/gas separators. The purpose of

this topic is to allow drilling rig supervisors to evaluate mud/gas separators

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properly and to upgrade (if required) the separator economically to meet the

design criteria outlined in this topic, and to provide office drilling personnel with

guidelines for designing mud/gas separators before delivery at the drill-site.

Principle of Operation

The operating principle of a mud/gas separator is relatively simple. The device is

essentially a vertical steel cylindrical body with openings on the top, bottom, and

side, as shown in Fig-1. The mud and gas mixture is fed into the separator inlet and

directed at a flat steel plate perpendicular to the flow. This impingement plate

minimizes the erosional wear on the separator's internal walls and assists with

mud/gas separation. Separation is further assisted as the mud/gas mixture falls

over a series of baffles designed to increase the turbulence within the upper

section of the vessel. The free gas is then vented through the gas vent line, and

mud is returned to the mud tanks.

Operating pressure within the separator is equal to the friction pressure of the free

gas venting through the vent line. Fluid is maintained at a specific level (mud leg)

within the separator at all times. If the friction pressure of the gas venting through

the vent line exceeds the mud-leg hydrostatic pressure within the separator, a

blow-through condition will result sending a mud/gas mixture to the mud tanks. As

one can readily see, the critical point for separator blow-through exists when peak

gas flow rates are experienced in the separator. Peak gas flow rates should

theoretically be experienced when gas initially reaches the separator.

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Types of Mud/Gas Separators

Three types of mud/gas separators commonly are used today: closed bottom, open

bottom, and float type. The principle of mud/gas separation within each type of

vessel is identical. Differences can be found in the method of maintaining the mud

leg, as discussed below.

The closed-bottom separator, as the name implies, is closed at the vessel bottom

with the mud return line directed back to the mud tanks, as shown in Fig. 1. Mud

leg is maintained in the separator by installation of an inverted V-shaped bend in

the mud return line. Fluid level can be adjusted by increasing/decreasing the length

of the V-shaped bend.

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Commonly called the poor boy degasser, 2, 3 the open-bottom mud/gas separator

is typically mounted on a mud tank or trip tank with the bottom of the separator

body submerged in the mud, as shown in Fig. 2. The fluid level (mud leg) in the

separator is controlled by adjusting the fluid level in the mud tank or by moving the

separator up or down within the tank. Mud-tank height can restrict the maximum

mud leg obtainable for open-bottom mud/gas separators.

Fluid level (mud leg) is maintained in a float-type mud/gas separator by a

float/valve configuration, as shown in Fig. 3. The float opens and closes a valve on

the mud return line to maintain the mud-leg level. Valves can be operated by a

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manual linkage system connected from the float to the valve, or the valve can be

air-operated with rig air. Mud-leg height can be controlled by adjusting the float

assembly.

There are some inherent problems in the use of float-type mud/gas separators. The

manual linkage separator has experienced problems with linkage failure resulting

in improper opening or closing of the mud-return-line valve. Air-operated valves

fail to function if rig air is lost, resulting in no control of fluid level within the

separator. Mud-return-line valves are prone to plug with solids, preventing mud

flow-back to the mud pits.

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Because of these problems, float-type mud/gas separators are not recommended

and a closed-bottom separator is preferred. Open bottom separators are

acceptable; however, one should be aware that they are restricted to a maximum

mud leg, somewhat lower than the mud-tank height. Although float-type mud/gas

separators are strongly discouraged, these separators can be modified easily for

disconnection of the float, removal of the valve, and installation of a mud leg in the

mud return line.

For the purpose of this topic, a closed-bottom mud/gas separator will be

considered for all separator designs.

Sizing the Mud/Gas Separator

Table 1 shows a mud/gas separator worksheet to assist with the sizing calculation.

The mud/gas separator illustrated in Fig. 4 will be evaluated for sufficient sizing in

this topic.

TABLE 1-MUD/GAS SEPARATOR SIZING WORKSHEET

Slow pump rate information, q slow

 Strokes per min 33

 psi 790

 bbl/stroke 0.091

 bbl/min 3.0

Mud/gas separator data

 Separator body 10, in. 36

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 Gas vent-line 10, d j , in. 7.0

 Gas vent-line effective length,

L a =L+L eq , L eq from Table 2, ft 410

Kick data

 Old mud weight, Ibm/gal 15.2

 Initial shut-in drillpipe pressure, psi 520

 Initial shut-in caSing pressure, psi 640

 Pit gain, bbl 24

 True vertical depth, ft 14,400

Peak gas-flow rate calculation

 P cmax for driller's method, psi 1750

 Volume of gas upstream of choke,

 V cmax , bbl 75.9

 Time to pump gas out of well,

 t= V cmax /q slow , minutes 25.3

 Volume of gas downstream of

choke, 9036

 V c =P cmax V c max /P c' , bbl

 Peak gas flow rate, q max =

V c 8085.6/t, ft3/D 2,887,806

Vent-line friction-pressure calculation

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p f = (5.0 x 10 -12)(L a )(q max )2/d i 5 , psi 1.0

Mud-leg calculation

Minimum mud leg required, P I /g mt ' ft 3.8

Separator 10 calculation

Minimum separator 10, 15.56 X√q slow

(bbl/min), in. 27

If the mud/gas separator does not meet the sizing criteria, refer to the section on trouble-shooting for suggested
modifications.

Peak Gas Flow Rate. As discussed previously, the critical time for separator

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blow-through exists when peak gas flow rates are experienced. Mud/gas separator

blow-through is defined as inefficient separator operation resulting in a mud/gas

mixture returning to the mud tanks through the mud return line.

Two situations can cause separator blow-through.

I. Friction pressure of the gas venting through the vent line exceeds the mud-leg

hydrostatic pressure, resulting in evacuation of fluid from the separator. Friction

pressure of the mud through the mud return line is considered negligible because

of its short length.

2. Vessel ID is too small, causing insufficient retention time for the gas to separate

efficiently from the mud. This situation is commonly called insufficient' separator

cut.

To estimate a peak gas flow rate properly, we must consider a "typical" kick. The

typical kick will depend on the well location, depth, type size, and component ratios

of influx. Kick data should be based on previous offset well data and should be a

realistic worst-case gas kick. The well and kick data in Fig. 5 will be used in this

topic.

The volume and pressure of the gas upstream of the choke must first be calculated.

Using the drilling applications module Dril-pro™, we concluded that Pc max = 1,750

psi and Vcmax =75.9bbl.

The driller's method was used for calculation purposes. Use of the wait-and-weight

method would result in a lower peak gas flow rate. Driller's method calculations

provide a worst-case well-control scenario for mud/gas separator sizing.

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The following equation calculates the time necessary to vent gas:

t= Vemax/qk=75.9/3=25.3 minutes (1)

With Boyle's gas law,2 calculate the volume of gas downstream of the choke, V c '

Assume an atmospheric pressure of 14.7 psi. Neglect the effects of gas

temperature and compressibility.

Pcmax Vcmax =Pc Vc; (2)

therefore, Vc=(1,750X75.9)/(l4.7)=9,036 bbl.

Calculate the peak gas flow rate, q max' as

qmax = Vc/t=9,036/25.3=357.2 bbl/min (3)

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Convert barrels per minute to cubic feet per day,

qmax =357.2x8,085.6=2,887,806 ft3/D.

Vent-Line Friction Pressure. The formula used by this topic to calculate friction

pressure of gas through a vent line is derived from the Atkinson-modified

Darcy-Weisbach equation:

hf=fsLq2/5.2A3.

If we assume an empirical friction factor for smooth, straight, steel pipe-10x10-10

Ibm-min2/ft4 and gas density =0.01 lbm/ gal-the following much simpler equation

can be used:

Pf=5.0x 10-12Leq'2max/ds5. (4)

Effective length, L e , can be defined as the total vent-line length plus equivalent

lengths for various bends, corners, etc. (Table 2), for the mud/gas separator shown

in Fig. 4. The vent line consists of 200 ft of a 7-in.-ID circular steel line with three

sharp right bends. L e can be calculated as

Le=L+Leq =200+(3x70)=410 ft (5)

Vent-line friction pressure is

Pf =(5.0x 10-12 X410X2,887,806)2/7.05 = 1.0 psi.

Note that effective vent-line lengths will be significantly affected by the installation

of flame arresters or some auto-igniters. The effect of this additional backpressure

should be included in the calculation of vent-line friction pressure.

Mud Leg. As previously discussed, mud-leg hydrostatic pressure must exceed

vent-line friction pressure to prevent a separator blow-through condition.

Minimum mud-leg hydrostatic pressure would occur if an oil/gas kick was taken

and the mud leg was filled with 0.26 psi/ft oil. 8 This minimum condition mayor

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may not occur, depending on the well location. Offset well data should be

evaluated to establish a minimum mud-leg fluid gradient. For example, the

0.26-psi/ft mud-leg gradient would be considered extremely conservative if dry gas

were expected for the sample problem. A more realistic estimate would approach

the gradient of whole mud for the dry-gas case. A realistic mud-leg gradient for a

gas/water kick would be the gradient of native salt water.

In this topic, a worst-case scenario is considered with a mud-leg fluid gradient of

0.26 psi/ft. If we assume a 7-ft mud leg,

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P ml =h ml g ml =7x0.26=1.8 psi, (6)

where P ml >P f (1.8> 1.0 psi).

Therefore, a blow-through condition does not exist when vent-line friction pressure

is calculated at peak gas flow rates.

Separator ID. A blow-through condition may exist because a small vessel ID results

in insufficient separator cut. Several complicated models exist to describe gas

movement within a liquid. A simplified approach, taken in this topic, states that the

gas migration rate upward within the separator must exceed the liquid velocity

downward within the separator to give 100% separator cut and to prevent a

separator blow-through condition. Gas migration rate is estimated at 500 ft/hr, or

8.4 ft/min, within the separator. This estimation is conservative and more realistic

values would be higher; however, the slow gas migration rate serves as a

worst-case scenario. Liquid flow rate through the separator can be estimated as

2xqk; for this topic 2x3=6 bbl/min. This factor of two was determined from gas

volume at depth calculations (Boyle's law) using Drill-pro ™ for various depths and

kick sizes. Correlation of the data shows that the mud flow from the well

approaches twice the mud flow into the well (kill rate) for various kick sizes, kill

rates, and wellbore geometries. A more accurate determination of mud flow from

the well can be incorporated into the design procedure.

By calculating the liquid velocity downward within the separator

vL =2qk/Csp, (7)
where C sp =d s 2/1,029 bbl/ft. If we assume a 36-in. separator,
vL =[(2x3)/362]/1,029=4.8 ft/min.

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We find that the gas migration rate is greater than the liquid velocity in the

separator, 8.4>4.8 ft/min. Therefore, a blow-through condition caused by

insufficient separator cut does not exist.

Note that a separator cut < 100% frequently exists with mud/gas separators, and

under some conditions, is not a major concern. As stated earlier, the mud/gas

separator is designed to provide effective separation of mud and gas with small

amounts of entrained gas handled by a vacuum-type degasser located in the mud

pits. Therefore, large active pit volumes may tolerate < 100% separator cut.

Sizing Conclusion. Having evaluated sizing criteria for the mud/gas separator (Fig.

4), we may conclude that the separator is sized sufficiently to handle our worst-case

kick properly.

OIL-Based-Mud Considerations

The effects of oil-based mud on the operation of the mud/gas separation can

significantly affect sizing and design requirements. These concerns are currently

being evaluated. However, some conclusions can be made at this stage.

1. Gas kicks in oil-based mud can approach "possibly soluble" conditions while

the kick is circulated from the well.

2. Gas kicks in oil-based mud that pass through the gas bubble point while being

circulated from the well can experience higher P cmax and V cmax values than were

calculated for a kick of the same initial pit gain in a water-based mud. This

results in higher peak gas flow rates through the separator and thus the

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requirement for a more stringent separator design.

3. Gas kicks in oil-based mud that do not pass through the gas bubble point until

the gas is downstream of the choke will severely affect mud/gas separator

sizing and design. Peak gas flow rates will be extremely high relative to those

calculated for water-based mud as outlined in this topic. Additional evaluation

of the separator sizing should be completed if these well conditions exist.

Other Mud/Gas Separator Considerations

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Fig. 6 shows other separator components. A minimum 8-in.-ID mud return line is

recommended for closed-bottom separators. Smaller lines may encounter

problems with solids plugging the line. A larger ID line would be considered

beneficial. The impingement plate should be perpendicular to the separator inlet

line and field replaceable.

Baffles within the separator should be located in the upper part of the separator

and may continue into the lower part of the vessel. Typically, baffles consist of

near-horizontal plates. The plates may be solid or have holes in them. The baffles

should not impede the flow of liquid through the separator, which would cause

fluid buildup above the baffles. Solids buildup in the baffles can also be a problem

if the baffles are too restrictive.

An upper manway should be located on the upper part of the separator to permit

visual inspection of the interior of the separator. The manway should be large

enough to permit replacement of the impingement plate and equipped with a

replaceable rubber seal to prevent leakage.

Closed-bottom mud/gas separators should be designed with a minimum 1-ft sump

at the bottom of the vessel. The sump will help prevent solids from settling and

plugging the mud-return-line outlet.

A lower manway should be located on the lower part of the separator to permit

sump cleanout or unplugging of the mud return line. The manway should be

equipped with a replaceable rubber seal to prevent leakage.

The mud/gas separator should be equipped with a valved inlet on the lower section

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of the vessel to permit mud to be pumped into the separator. Mud can be pumped

into the lower section of the separator during operation to decrease the possibility

of solids settling in the mud return line. The valved inlet also permits cleaning solids

from the lower portion of the separator, especially after separator use.

A siphon breaker or anti-siphon tube may be required to prevent having to siphon

mud from the separator into the mud tanks, especially with configurations that

require the mud return line to be extended below the separator elevation to allow

mud to return to the mud tanks. The siphon breaker is simply an upward-directed

open-ended pipe attached to the highest point of the mud return line.

All separators must be built in compliance with the ASME Boiler and Pressure

Vessel Code, Sec. VIII, Div. I with all materials meeting requirements of NACE

Standard MROJ-75-8412 (1980 Revision). All welding on the vessel must meet

ASME requirements.

New mud/gas separators should be hydrostatically tested to 188 psi to give a

maximum working pressure of 150 psi, as recommended by ASME. 11 Periodic

nondestructive testing should include radiographic examination of wall thickness

and ultrasound verification of weld continuity. 12 At each initial hookup, every

separator should be circulated through with water at the maximum possible flow

rate to check for possible leaks in the connections. Frequency of testing should

depend on anticipated and historical use of the separator.

Bracing the mud/gas separator has always been a major problem. When gas

reaches the surface, separators tend to vibrate and, if not properly supported, can

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move, resulting in near-catastrophic problems. Thus, it is critical that all mud/gas

separators be sufficiently anchored and properly braced to prevent movement of

both the separator body and the lines.

Trouble Shooting an Insufficiently Sized Separator

Frequently, the situation arises where a mud/gas separator is picked up with the rig

contract, and the drilling rig supervisor and engineer must evaluate the suitability

of the separator for the well location. This evaluation typically should be conducted

during the rig bid analysis process. If the separator is insufficient or marginal, it may

be more economical to upgrade the existing separator to meet the sizing criteria as

an alternative to renting or building a suitable one.

Small Vessel ID. We frequently do our calculations and determine that our vessel ID

is too small. Reducing the kill rate will improve this situation; e.g., if the kill rate for

the previously sized separator were reduced from 3 to 1.5 bbl/min, then from Eq. 7:

vL = [(2 x 1.5)/362]/1,029 =2.4 ft/min.

Thus, reducing the kill rate also reduces the liquid velocity rate in the separator,

which increases the mud/gas retention time and improves the efficiency of

mud/gas separation.

Also note that a gas migration rate of 500 ft/hr (8.4 ft/min) is a worst-case scenario

and values could be higher. Therefore, when vessel ID is considered, a marginal

separator probably would be sufficient because of this built-in safety factor. Higher

gas migration rates may also be used in the sizing procedure, as previously

discussed. Fig. 7 shows the effect of kill rate on the calculation of minimum

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separator ID for different gas migration rates.

Vent-Line Friction Pressure Exceeds Mud-Leg

Hydrostatic Pressure.

Another area of concern is vent-line friction pressure exceeding mud-leg

hydrostatic pressure, P f > P ml several options exist to help alleviate this problem.

1. Reduce the circulating kill rate. As discussed previously, a reduction in the

circulating kill rate may improve a separator's operation when vessel ID is

considered and also when excessive vent-line friction pressures are considered.

This reduction in kill rate may be the most economical solution to the sizing

concern. For example, if the kill rate for the previously sized separator were

reduced from 3 to 1.5bbl/min, the peak gas flow rate would decrease.

Combining Eqs. 1 and 3 and converting, we obtain:

t=75.9/1.5=50.6 min and q max =9,036/50.6=1,443,903 ft3/D.

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This decrease in peak gas flow rate would significantly decrease the excessive

vent-line friction pressure and improve the operation of the separator (Eq. 4).

P f (5.0X 10-12 x410x 1,443,903)2/7.05 =0.25 psi.

Fig. 8 shows the effect of kill rate on the calculation of vent-line friction pressure

for the previously sized separator.

2. Increase the mud leg. Another solution may be to increase the height of the

mud leg. For example, if we increased the previously sized separator from a 7-ft

mud leg to alOft mud leg, the mud-leg hydrostatic pressure should increase (Eq.

6).

P ml =10x0.26=2.6 psi.

Thus, the mud-leg hydrostatic pressure increased from 1.8 to 2.6 psi, allowing

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the separator to operate more efficiently.

Fig. 9 shows the effect of mud-leg height on the calculation of mud-leg

hydrostatic pressure for different mud-leg gradients. Note that the mud-leg

height cannot exceed the separator height. The mud leg may also be restricted

by bell-nipple elevation. If the mud leg is higher than the bell nipple, additional

surface equipment may be required to permit the separator to operate when

drilling with significant gas in the mud returns.

3. Adjust vent-line bends. As shown in Table 1, the type and number of bends in

the vent line significantly affect the effective vent-line length, which in turn

affects the calculation for vent-line friction pressure. If we were to replace the

targeted T-bends on the previously sized separator with right-rounded bends,

the calculations for the effective length (Eq. 5) and vent-line friction pressure

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(Eq. 4) would change:

L e =200+(3 X 1)=203 ft and P f =(5.0x 10-12 x203x2,887,806)2/7.05 =0.5 psi.

Hence, a vent-line friction-pressure decrease from 1.0 to 0.5 psi increases the

efficiency of the separator for a given mud leg. In addition, the vent-line friction

pressure increases proportionally to the effective length (Fig. 10).

4. Increase vent-line ID. Increasing the vent-line ID is generally the most expensive

alternative but may be the only adjustment possible to increase separator

efficiency. Larger-ID vent lines will decrease the vent-line friction-pressure

calculation. For the previously sized separator, if an 8.0-in.-ID vent line were

used, the calculation for vent-line friction pressure (Eq. 5) would change to

P f =(5.0x 10-12 X410X2,887,806)2/7.05 =0.5psi.

Again, a vent-line friction-pressure decrease from 1.0 to 0.5 psi will increase

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separator efficiency for a given mud leg. Fig. 11 shows the effect of vent-line ID

on the calculation of vent-line friction pressure for the previously sized

separator.

Conclusions

1. The principle of mud/gas separation within most commonly used mud/gas

separators is identical. Differences can be found in the method of maintaining

the mud leg.

2. A closed-bottom mud/gas separator is the preferred configuration.

Open-bottom and float-type separators work well but are subject to limitations

and prone to failure.

3. Sizing of a mud/ gas separator should be specific to individual well conditions.

4. Modeling of gas flow through a mud/gas separator can be approximated by a

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simple procedure in a limited time.

5. A complete list of mud/gas separator components and considerations was

compiled to assist with the design of mud/ gas separators.

6. A trouble-shooting guide was developed to address economical upgrading of

an existing insufficiently sized separator to meet sizing guidelines as an

alternative to building or renting a new separator.

Nomenclatu
A = cross-sectional area of gas vent line, ft2
C qJ = separator capacity, bbl/ft
di = gas vent-line ID, in.
d s = separator ID, in.
t = empirical friction factor, Ibm-min2/ft4
g ml = mud-leg fluid gradient, psi/ft
h ml = mud-leg height, ft
L = gas vent-line length, ft
L e = gas 'vent-line effective length, ft
L eq = equivalent length of bends, ft
P c = pressure of gas downstream of choke=atmospheric
pressure, 14.7 psi
P cmax = pressure of gas upstream of choke, psi
P f = gas vent-line friction pressure, psi
P ml = mud-leg hydrostatic pressure, psi
q = gas flow rate, bbllmin
q k = kill rate, bbl/min
q max = peak gas flow rate through mud/gas separator,
bbl/min or ft3/D
q slow = slow pump rate, psi
s = gas vent-line perimeter, ft
t = time venting gas at surface, minutes
v L = liquid velocity in the mud/gas separator, ft/min
V c = volume of gas downstream of choke, bbl
V cmax = volume of gas upstream of choke, bbl

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