Stem Exchanger (Heater)

Introduction
The steam exchanger is an optional piece of surface testing equipment that
may be required, depending on the characteristics of the well effluent, when a
well is being tested. This training page describes the purpose of the steam
exchanger, shows where it's located in relationship to other surface testing
equipment, examines how the steam exchanger works, and describes its main
components.

A steam exchanger is used to raise the temperature of the well effluent for the
following reasons:

Hydrate Prevention
Water is often present in the well effluent along with oil and gas. Under certain
flow conditions, the temperature of the well effluent can drop significantly.
This temperature drop can cause the particles of water and some of the light
hydrocarbons in the gas to solidify. The accumulation of solid particles can
make the valves along the flow path inoperative. If these solid particles are not
eliminated or prevented from forming, they can eventually block the flow line.
Natural gas hydrates have the appearance of hard snow and are formed at
temperatures above the normal freezing point of water when certain
 hydrocarbons are dissolved in water under low temperature and high pressure
conditions. High velocities, pressure pulsations, and agitation accelerate these
phenomena. H2S and CO2 promote the formation of hydrates.
Viscosity Reduction
If the effluent has a high viscosity, then its ability to flow through the pipe is
impaired. Because viscosity is temperature-dependent, using a steam
exchanger to raise the effluent temperature decreases its viscosity.
Emulsion Breaking
Under certain conditions, the oil and water in the effluent are miscible,
creating an emulsion that will not separate unless the temperature of the
effluent is raised.
Foam Reduction
For certain types of crude oil, reducing the flow rate pressure causes some gas
bubbles to become encased in a thin film of oil, instead of being liberated from
the oil. These results in the dispersion of foam or froth throughout the oil,
creating what is known as foaming oil.
Foaming greatly reduces the flow rate capacity of oil and gas separators and
makes it difficult to accurately measure the oil flow rate. These problems,
combined with the potential loss of oil and gas because of improper
separation, emphasize the need for special equipment and procedures to
handle foaming oil. Heat is one of the main methods used to eliminate or
reduce foaming.
Increased Burner Efficiency
Reducing the oil viscosity improves the atomization of oil at the burner head.

Objectives
Upon completion of this package, you should be able to:

Explain the operating principles of the steam exchanger.

Draw a diagram of the steam exchanger circuits that the well effluent and the
steam flow through.
Write down a list of the safety rules to be observed when operating the steam
exchanger.

Upon completion of the practical exercises for the steam exchanger, you should be
able to:

Identify all the components of the steam exchanger by visual inspection.

Complete the steps required to prepare the steam exchanger to flow fluids
through both coils.
Write down the steps required to pressure test the coils, then pressure test both
coils.
Follow recommended safety procedures when operating a steam exchanger.
Divert the flow to bypass the steam exchanger.

Principles of Operation
The steam exchanger is a steam vessel with two coils through which the well fluid
passes. A choke assembly between the coils allows the well to be controlled at the
steam exchanger instead of at the choke manifold. An inlet manifold with three gate
valves controls fluid flow and provides a way to bypass the coils and choke. To
maintain a preset temperature, the steam flowing into the vessel is regulated by an
automatic control valve (ACV) on the steam inlet. A steam trap is mounted on the
stream outlet line.

The steam vessel is protected by a safety relief valve. A flange on the steam vessel is
available to connect either an additional safety relief valve or a bursting disk. The
steam exchanger is insulated on the outside with glass wool and is covered with an
aluminum jacket. Steam is supplied to the vessel by a steam generator (usually rented
from a third-party company). The steam allows fluids to be heated to higher
temperatures than could be obtained with water.

The parts of the steam exchanger are illustrated in the "Steam Exchanger" diagram
and are described below:

Temperature controller system

A controller continuously monitors the difference in temperature between the
well effluent leaving the steam exchanger and the temperature set on the
controller. To maintain a stable fluid temperature, the temperature controller
produces an output air signal that is function of this difference. This air signal
is transmitted to an ACV that regulates steam intake.
Steam trap
The steam trap is mounted on the steam condensate outlet line of the steam
vessel. Its main functions are:
Maintain a constant pressure inside the vessel in order to maintain the
set temperature. The temperature of the steam is about 90o C during
normal operation and rises to 170o C when the steam exchanger is
working at full capacity.
Eliminate steam condensate without letting the steam escape.
Condensate should be evacuated rapidly so the exchange surfaces
inside the vessel remain completely surrounded by steam and water
does not accumulate on the exchange surfaces. This reduces the heat
exchange loss between the steam and the well effluent.

The "Steam Trap Operation" series of diagrams shows how the steam trap
works:

Safety relief valve

The safety relief valve is located on top of the steam exchanger. When the
steam pressure inside the vessel rises above the working pressure (WP) of the
vessel, the relief valve opens and bleeds off the steam pressure, preventing the
vessel from accidentally bursting.

The outlet for the safety relief valve is connected to a vent line that's sized to
handle the steam flow plus the maximum flow rate of the effluent. This is a
safety precaution that's taken to ensure, in case the coil inside the vessel
breaks, that the well effluent can be liberated with the steam. Offshore the vent
line goes overboard.
 The safety relief valve incorporates a bellows seal that prevents steam from
entering the upper part of the valve that is exposed to the atmospheric
pressure. The bellows covers an area equal to the area of the valve seat, so the
effect of any back pressure from the valve outlet on the set pressure is
eliminated. The set pressure is the pressure at which you want the safety relief
valve to open. The set pressure is adjusted by the force of a spring on a sealing
disk that is exposed to steam pressure.

Choke box
The choke box is designed to receive either a fixed or an adjustable choke. It is
located between the two coils in order to heat the fluid before it passes through
the choke. When the fluid arrives at the choke, it is preheated. This helps to
prevent the formation of hydrates in the fluid; or in the case of gas, it prevents
freezing.

Equipment
The steam exchanger is available in 5000, 10,000, and 15,000 psi pressure ratings.
The heating capacity is expressed in Btu/hr (British thermal unit per hour). The wide
range of steam exchangers makes it possible to select a steam exchanger that can
accommodate the required well test without having to use equipment that is larger,
more complicated, or more expensive than the overall project requires.

This drawing shows an example of a steam heat exchanger. Specifications are

provided for five different models: STX-BBS, CCN, CCQ, STX-D and STX-P. If you
would like a printed version of these tool specifications, please use the PDF version
provided in the original graphics.
 Steam Exchanger Steam Exchanger Steam Exchanger
5K, 32oF 10K, -4oF 15K, -4oF
(STX-BBS) (STX-CCN) (STX-CCQ)

Steam Exchanger Plate Steam

10K, 32oF Exchanger
(STX-D) (STX-P)

Steam Exchanger Selection Guidelines

The principal criteria for selecting a steam exchanger are:

Pressure rating requirements

Heating capacity
Safety regulations (an indirect heater is not accepted in some locations)

Note: In some countries, a steam exchanger must be used because safety

regulations prohibit the use of indirect heaters. The steam exchanger is
intrinsically safe in terms of fire risk because it does not use a flame to heat
the well effluent.

Additional considerations are:

A steam generator is needed for the steam exchanger.

Air supply for the temperature controller of the steam exchanger.

Safety
The following is a list of key safety considerations for steam exchangers:

Do not touch the steam vessel with bare hands when the steam exchanger is
working.
After the job, flush the coils thoroughly with soft water and fill them with
corrosion inhibitor before storing the steam exchanger.
Never flow the well through the coils if a choke is not installed. Sand particles
or corrosive fluids can erode the threads in the choke box.
Do not use the adjustable choke to stop the flow, you can break the stem tip.
Do not use the gate valves on the steam exchanger as chokes.
 Do not transport the steam exchanger when it is full
of condensate water. The frame cannot support this
extra weight.
Before starting the steam exchanger, verify that the
inlet and outlet valves for the coils are open. If the
coils are filled with liquid and the valves are closed, the thermal expansion
that results can generate enough pressure to burst the coils.

Maintenance
For information about the preparation and functional checks for the steam exchanger,
see the recommended steps in the Field Operating Handbook (FOH) for Surface Well
Testing. For information about equipment maintenance, see the maintenance manuals
for the steam exchanger.

For this type of equipment, it is quite common to implement some modifications

which originate from the engineering center. The changes to be made are listed on
modification recaps (MR) and can be mandatory.

Summary
In this training page, we have discussed:

The purpose of a steam exchanger and five reasons to use it.

The general description of the steam exchanger.
The function of the parts of the steam exchanger.
Explained why the steam exchanger is intrinsically safer than the indirect
heater.

Introduction

The steam exchanger is used to raise the temperature of the well effluent to prevent
hydrate formation, reduce fluid viscosity, and breakdown emulsions before the well
effluent enters the separator. The steam exchanger uses hot steam to heat the well
effluent.

Features and Benefits

The steam exchanger has the following features and benefits:

A choke assembly to control the well at the steam exchanger instead of at the
choke manifold. The fluid is heated before it passes through the choke.
An inlet manifold made of three gate valves to control the fluid flow and to
bypass the steam exchanger if necessary.
 A temperature regulator with an automatic control valve (ACV) on the steam
inlet to maintain a preset temperature.
A steam trap mounted on the steam outlet to keep the steam inside the vessel
and bleed off only the steam condensate.
A safety relief valve to protect the vessel from overpressuring.
A flange on the vessel permits connection of either an additional safety relief
valve or a bursting disc.
Glass wool insulation and an aluminum jacket covering.

The steam exchanger permits testing of wells with effluent characteristics that would
normally impair the separation and metering process if the effluent were not heated.

The steam exchanger can be used where regulations prohibit the use of an indirect
heater (naked flame) because of the fire risk. As safety regulations become more and
more stringent, the steam exchanger is progressively replacing the indirect heater.

Applications

A steam exchanger is used whenever the well effluent needs to be heated up before it
enters the separator.

Self Test
1. Why is it sometimes necessary to heat up the well effluent?
2. What is the purpose of the choke assembly?
3. Why is the steam exchanger safer than the indirect heater?
4. How is the steam kept inside the vessel?
5. What precaution should be taken before starting the steam exchanger?
6. How is the ACV controlled that is mounted on the steam inlet line?
Stem Heat Exchanger

Description

Steam heat exchangers are used to raise the temperature of

well effluent for hydrate prevention, viscosity reduction
and breakdown of emulsions. It is a skid mounted unit
consisting of:

one 42 in. x 15 ft vessel equipped with a split coil 4 in. XXH x 4 in. XXH.
one adjustable choke (D58) with a 1 1/2 in. seat, a 3 in. manifold equipped
with three gate valves, 3 1/8 in. 5000 psi WP and a 1 1/2 in. safety valve on
the vessel.
one steam trap and a nonreturn valve on the steam inlet. The vessel is
protected by two 6 in. safety valves. The insulation of the vessel is made of
glass wool with an aluminum jacket.
lifting frame.
Description

The plate steam exchanger is used to raise the temperature of the well effluent or for
oil conditioning for burning or export. The unit is skid mounted with a protective
frame and consists of:

a plate exchanger.
a crude manifold equipped with bypass and pressure relief valve.
a steam manifold equipped with a fisher 2 in. control, relief valve to regulate
the crude temperature via the steam flow.