Chapter 8

Separating and Treating Well Fluids

Chapter 8 Separating and Treating Well Fluids

- - Well fluids produced - - Mixture of oil, gas and water
the force of gravity
Separation of oil, gas and water

Principles and Operation of Production Separators

Gas, oil and water separation was achieved by
the difference in gravity, or weight, of each fluid.
Production separator do the same job, except they
are built to handle a continuous-flow stream and
have features to improve separation efficiency
under flow conditions.

Three general types of separators

Horizontal separator
for high-pressure and medium-pressure service
Vertical separator
for low-pressure service (generally)
Spherical separator
more compact and cheaper
limited separation space and liquid surge capacity
for low-volume remote platforms

Internal Structure of Separators

Separation methods

Stage separation method

Low-temperature separation method

Stage separation method (two stage separation)

Any number of separators may be used in stage separation as

long as stage operates at successively lower pressures.
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Low-temperatures separation method

It is used to handle the production from high-pressure gas

wells

Well fluids a mixture of gas & some light liquids

Dehydration the removal of water vapor from gas

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Low-temperature separation method

For high-pressure gas wells (well fluids: mixture of gas and
some light liquids)
Dehydration to remove water vapor from gas

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Emulsion
Water and oil are immiscible.
These two liquids will form an emulsion only
(1) if there is sufficient agitation to disperse one liquid as
droplets in the other , and
(2) if there is an emulsifying agent , or emulsifier , present.

Emulsifying agents asphalt

resinous substances
oil-soluble organic acids.

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Stable emulsion will not break down into its components

without some form of treating.

Emulsion tight (difficult to break) or loose (easy to break)

Depending on
(1) the properties of the oil & water
(2) the percentage of each found in the emulsion
(3) type and amount of emulsifier present .

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Treating oil-field emulsions

Emulsion

dispersion
water
phase

continuous

Oil - Water Emulsion (oil in water)

oil - dispersed phase

Water - oil Emulsion (water in oil)

Oil and water to form an emulsion only
(1) sufficient agitation

(2) emulsifying agent or emulsifier exist

asphalt

resinous substances

oil - soluble organic acid

Tight
difficult to break
Emulsion

Loose
easy to break

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Water removal
Treatment of free-water

using

Free water knock out (FWKO)

Treatment of oil-water or water-oil emulsion

1 Heat
2 Chemicals
3 Electricity
4 Combination of these (heater- treater)
flow treater or emulsion treated
5 Gun barrel or wash tank if emulsion is not stable

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Application of heat

One theory assumes that very small droplets, like those found
in emulsions, are in constant motion even when the emulsion
itself is not rest .

Application of heat
(1) Heat increases the movement are makes the droplets strike
each other with greater force and frequency.
(2) Heat also reduces the viscosity the resistance to flow of the
oil.
Heater ( )
(1) direct heater
(2) Indirect heaterwater bath (fig5.22 P.161)

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Application of chemicals

One theory suggests that chemical should be used strictly to

neutralize the emulsifying agent.
Thus, to break a water-in-oil emulsion,
another emulsifying agent to produce oil-in-water emulsion
should be added.

Another theory suggests the chemicals should make the film of

emulsifying agent around the water droplet in a water-in-oil
emulsion very rigid.
Thus, to break rigid film
apply heat or
add chemical.
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Heater-treater

also called a flow treater or an emulsion treater.

Heater-treater (or call flow treater, or emulsion treater)

apply the effects of

Chemicals, heat , settling, and often electricity

Any or all of the following elements may be included in a treater:

oil-gas separator,
free-water knockout,
heater,
water, wash, filter section,
stabilizing section,
heat exchanger, and
electrostatic field.
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Treater

Treater can be operator at atmospheric pressure,

often be operated under low working pressure.
A low-pressure, second-stage separator as well as
treating unit.
When flow-line pressure are low, it can be used as a
primary separator thus eliminating the need for a regular
separator. (fig 5.25, P.164)

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Treating natural gas

Field processing of natural gas consist of four basic processes:

(1)

the gas must be separated from free liquids such as crude oil,
hydrocarbon condensate, water , and entrained solids,

(2) the gas must be processed to remove condensable and

recoverable H.C. vapors
(3) the gas must be treated to remove condensable water vapor,
which might cause hydrate formation
(4) the gas must be treated to remove other undesirable
components, such as hydrogen sulfide or carbon dioxide.
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Treating Natural Gas

The primary treatments for natural gas involve
1 prevention of hydrate formation
Heat
Hydrate inhibitor: ammonia
brine
glycol ( )
methanol ( )
2 dehydration,
absorption ( ) Liquid
adsorption ( ) Solid
3 The removal of undesirable components (H2O CO)
Alkanolamine process
Iron-sponge process
Glycol/amine process
Sulfinol process
Molecular-sieve removal

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Removal of undesirable components

Hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S)

acid gases
Carbon dioxide (CO 2 )

Alkanolamine process
-- It is a continuous-operation liquid process that uses absorption
for the acid-gas removal, with subsequent heat addition to string
the acid-gas component from absorbent solution.

Other processes that are used to removal H 2S & CO2 are

The Iron-sponge process,
The glycol/amine process,
The sulfinol process, and
The molecular-sieve removal.
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Typical Natural Gas Components

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Casinghead gas
-- gas produced with oil from an oil well.

Residue gas
-- any gas suitable for as commercial natural gas that comes
from a processing plant.

Sweet gas
--the content of hydrogen sulfide, other sulfur compounds,
and carbon dioxide is low enough that gas may be sold
commercially without further effort to remove these
compounds.

Sour gas
--the opposite of sweet gas.
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Types of Natural Gas Liquids

Commercial propane ( )
-- propane and/or propylene (at least 95%)
-- vapor pressure < 215 psig at 100 0F

Commercial Butane ( )
-- butanes and/or Butane (at least 95%)
-- vapor pressure < 70 psig at 100 0F
-- At least 95% must evaporate at 34 0F or lower in a
standard test.

Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG)

-- A mixture of commercial propane and commercial butane.
-- maximum vapor pressure < 215 psig at 100 0F
At least 95% must evaporate at 34 0F or lower in a
standard test.
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Types of Natural Gas Liquids

Natural Gasoline
--This petroleum product is extracted from natural gas
--specifications:
Vapor pressure:10-34psi
Percentage evaporated at 140 F: 24-85%
Percentage evaporated at 275 F: not less the 90%

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The Storage System

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The Storage System

Stock tanks (or storage tanks)
Tank battery
separation equipment
treating equipment
storage facilities

tank battery

stock tanks

Bolted steel tank 500 bbls or larger; assembled on location

Welded steel tank 90 bbl to several thousand bbls;
welded in a shop and then transported
as a complete unit to the site
Vapor Recovery System
LACT (Lease automatic custody transfer) unit
Oil sampling

thief sampling method

Botlle sampling method

Gas sampling
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Low temperature separation method

uses the cooling effect of expanding high pressure gas

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