Oil & Gas
Separation
Production Equipment's Course
Separators
Benefits of separation
Separated gas, crude oil and produced water can be processed easily
at low cost
Removal of water helps in reducing damage due to corrosion
Less energy is required to move single phases
Separation Depends on following
factors:
Pressure
Temperature
Gas Oil Ratio (GOR)
Flow rate
Fluid properties like density, viscosity etc.
Principles of separation
Density difference
Impingement
Change of flow direction
Change of flow velocity
Centrifugal force
Coalescence
Filtering
Principles of separation
Gravity Separation
Diff. Liquid phases
Diff. Densities
Diff. momentum
Principles of separation
Gravity Separation:
Terminal / Free settling
velocity of droplet
Max. allowable gas velocity
Vt = [4 g Dp (l - g) / 3 g C’]
Principles of separation
Impingement :
If a flowing stream of gas containing liquid mist is impinged against
a surface, the liquid mist may adhere to and coalesce on the
surface.
Principles of separation
Change of flow direction:
Change in flow direction: Change in inertia
Gas assumes change in direction readily
Liquid gets retarded and flow back due to higher density.
Principles of separation
Change of flow velocity:
Change in flow velocity: Change in inertia.
Increase / decrease in velocity: High inertia liquid moves away from
gas.
Principles of separation
Filtering :
Porous filters are effective to remove liquid mist.
Uses the principles of impingement, change in direction, change in
velocity and coalescence.
Principles of separation
Coalescing
Coalescing of small droplets (mist/fog)
Formation of large droplets
Settling by gravity
Principles of separation
Centrifugal force:
Fluids allowed to flow in circular motion at high
velocity.
Centrifugal force throws liquid mist outward against
the walls of the vessel.
Main Sections/Components Of A Separator
1. Primary separating section HORIZONTAL SEPARATOR
2. Secondary or gravity separating Two Phase InletGas Outlet
Mesh Pad
section A B C
3. Coalescing section(Mist Extraction D
Section) Liquid Outlet
4. Sump or liquid section( Liquid
accumulation section) VERTICAL SEPARATOR
Gas Outlet
Mes
h
Two phase Pad
Inlet
A B
A – Primary Separation D
B – Gravity Settling
C – Coalescing
D – Liquid Collecting
Liquid Outlet
Oil & gas separation
Components of oil and gas separators:
Primary separation device and /or section
Secondary gravity settling section
Mist extractor
Liquid accumulation (settling) section
Gas out let
Main Sections/Components Of A Separator
1. Primary separating section
Inlet Diverter
Separate bulk portion of free liquid
Vane type
Mist Extractor from inlet stream
Vapor
Outlet
D
v
Two phase
Inlet
Down
comer
Liq. Outlet
MAIN SECTIONS/COMPONENTS OF A SEPARATOR
2. Secondary or gravity separating section
• Settling section
• Reduced turbulence
• Retention time
• Straightening vanes/ Settling
vanes
• Defoaming plates
MAIN SECTIONS/COMPONENTS OF A SEPARATOR
3. Coalescing section
• Coalesce or mist extractor/demister pad
Knitted wire mesh type
• Interwoven mesh
• Gets plugged very easily with heavier
hydrocarbons or deposits
• Requires frequent cleaning
MAIN SECTIONS/COMPONENTS OF A SEPARATOR
3. Coalescing section
• Coalescer or mist extractor/
demister pad
Vane type
• Does not require frequent cleaning
• Better suited to crudes having high wax
and deposition tendency
MAIN SECTIONS/COMPONENTS OF A SEPARATOR
4. Sump / Liquid Accumulation Section
• Receiver for all liquid separated from well fluid in first 3 sections
• Minimum level required for liquid controls
• Requirement of surge volume for degassing or slug removal
Separator Configuration:
1. Vertical separator
2. Horizontal separator
3. Spherical separator
• Vertical and Horizontal type separators are the most
common in the oil industry.
SEPARATOR CONFIGURATION:
1. Vertical Separator (Advantages)
• Low to medium GOR streams
• When relatively large liquid slugs are
expected
• Incidence of sand, paraffin, wax
• Limited plot space
• Ease of level control is desired
• Full diameter for gas & liq. flow
Vertical separators
Disadvantages
- More difficult to skid mount and ship
- More difficult to reach and service top
mounted devices
SEPARATOR CONFIGURATION:
2. Horizontal Separator
(Advantages)
• High to medium GOR streams
• Less difficult to skid mount
and ship
• Larger volume of gas
• Foaming crude
• 3-Phase separation
Horizontal separators
Disadvantages
Only part of shell available for gas
separation
Occupies more area
Liquid level control is more critical
More difficult to clean produced sand
SEPARATOR SELECTION CRITERIA:
Vertical Separator Horizontal Separator
Low to medium GOR Medium to high GOR
When large liquid slugs are For larger volumes of gas
expected
Incidence of sand, paraffin or wax For foaming crude
Limited plot space For 3- separation
Ease of level control is desired
SEPARATOR
CONFIGURATION:
3. Spherical Separator
• Most commonly used for
separation of large vol. of gas from
extremely small vol. of liquid
• High pressure service where
compactness is desired
• Limited liquid surge capacity
Separator design guidelines
Sufficient residence time for both oil and water
is provided to enable separation of water from
oil and oil from water.
Enough free space is left at the top for separation
of liquid from gas.
Oil & gas separation
Design considerations:
Sized for maximum flow rates
Should take care of :
Heads/ slugs and pumping requirements
Pumping , gas lift and naturally flowing wells .
Oil & gas separation
Capacity of vertical and horizontal
separators:
Monographs/Curves available
To size the separator
To determine the volume of fluid for a given separator
•
Suitable for preliminary sizing
Oil & gas separation
Selection criteria of separators:
Vertical separator applications
Well fluids having low GOR.
Well fluids having sand, etc.,
Where limitation of space exits
Slug flow from wells
Down stream and upstream equipment.
Oil & gas separation
Selection criteria of separators:
Horizontal separator applications
Separation of water from oil
Foaming crude oils
Well fluids with high GOR
Wells with relatively uniform flow
Skid mounted or trailer mounted
Stacking of multiple units.
Oil & gas separation
Selection criteria of separators:
Spherical oil and gas separator applications
Well fluids having high GOR and constant flow rate
Installations where both vertical and horizontal
space/height limitations exist.
As gas scrubbers down stream of process units.
Separator Oil capacity
Separator Oil capacity
The oil capacity (q) of the separator is based on the normal oil
volume (V) and the retention time (t) which is the time required to
allow the gas to separate from bulk oil (t = 1 min).
q =V/ t ft3/min
1 ft3/min = 257 bpd
q =257 V/t bpd
The rated oil capacity is taken to be one half of the actual capacity
to allow for normal heading flow.
qr = 128 V/t bpd
Separator Oil capacity
For vertical separator :
Oil volume Vo =0.785 d2h
d =ID of the separator in (ft).
h =the height of the oil column in ft above
the bottom of the oil out let.
For shell = 5 ft h = 2.5 ft
For shell = 10 ft h = 3.25 ft
For shell = 15 ft h = 4.25 ft
qr = 100.5 d2h/t bpd
Separator Oil capacity
For horizontal single-tube separator.
Oil volume Vo =0.785 d2L/2
Vo = ½ Vshell
Vg = ½ V shell
L= the length of the separator.
qr =50.24 d2 L/t bpd
Separator Oil capacity
For horizontal double-tube separator.
Oil volume Vo =0.785 d2L
L= the length of the separator.
qr = 100.5 d2L/t bpd
Separator Oil capacity
For Spherical separator.
Vo = ½ V shell
V = (4/6) πr3 (d/2) ½
The volume is increased by a factor of (d/2) ½
because the spherical separator owing to its shape has a
greater surge capacity.
qr = 33.51 (d3/t)(d/2) 1/2 bpd
Separator Gas capacity
The separator gas capacity is related to the suspending velocity which
is the upward velocity of the gas required for suspension of the
droplets.
The droplets are exposed to two forces:
o The droplet resistance to the moving gas.
o The force on the droplets due to gravity.
Separator Gas capacity
Separator Gas capacity
Separator Gas capacity
Separator Gas capacity
The value of constant c :
For vertical separator with mist extractor = 0.167
For horizontal separator with mist extractor = 0.382
For spherical separator = 0.35
Separator Gas capacity
Separator Gas capacity
Separator Gas capacity
The vertical separator or mist extractor area is
As = Ag = ft2
ds =13.53 s in
For spherical separator
d = 9.93 x
For horizontal separator, the area of the gas space Ag equal the
area of the liquid space Al then
As = 2 Ag
Graphical Method
Design the separator for a certain gas flow rate.
Then; Check the design whether it will accommodate
the oil rate also or not.
