EPS Chemical Engineering B4.

4OD3 Oil and Gas Processing

3. Estimate the size of a horizontal 2 phase separator to process the following

Tutorial : Primary Separator Design fluid:
Gas flowrate 10 mmscfd at 0.6 specific gravity, oil rate 2000 bpd at 40° API.
The numerical answers are provided as a guide only as decisions and Operating pressure 1000 psia and temperature is 60°F. Compressibility
assumptions taken during the procedures will affect the end result. Please use the factor at operating conditions is Z=0.84
answers with discretion. You should make reasonable assumptions where
necessary, just as in the exam and in real life!. 4. Preliminary data for an offshore field predicts peak production rates of 40
mmscfd gas and 10,000 bbl/d oil. If the first stage separator operates at 500
1. Information on BP’s Single Well Oil Production Systems (SWOPS), suggests psia and 180°F estimate the following:
the process separators handle 6 mmscfd of gas and 15,000 bbl/d of oil. The a) Gas volumetric flow rate at separator conditions
first stage separator operates at an average pressure of 175 psia and b) Maximum allowable gas velocity and the minimum area for gas flow.
temperature of 75°C. Estimate the following: c) The hold up volume of oil required
d) The diameter, length and slenderness ratio assuming the gas occupies half
3
a) Actual volumetric flowrates of gas and oil in m /s at separator the available volume and that the gas phase constrains the design.
2
conditions. Assume Z=0.85 at separator conditions. e) Derive an expression of the form D L=function of oil flowrate, residence
time, filling factor and hence find the size of this vessel for a slenderness ratio
b) If the separator is a horizontal cylinder of diameter 2m by 7m in length of 4.
and operates half full of liquid, calculate the gas and liquid velocities.
c) The oil residence time Additional Data:
• Gas compressibility factor is 0.9
• Souder’s-Brown constant to be 0.12 m/s
Assume the produced gas is mainly methane. • Allow a 5 minute residence time.
3 3 • The gas is mainly methane
(Ans Qg=0.169 m /s ,Qo=0.028 m /s ug=0.108 m/s, uo=0.018 m/s, 5 mins)
• Oil density is 890 kg/m
3

2. Estimate the size of a horizontal 2 phase separator to process 50 mmscfd of 3 -1 3 -1

(Ans Qg=0.427m s , Qo=0.018 m /s, ug=0.57ms , Vo=5.5m , D=1.4m,
3
gas with a 0.6 specific gravity, oil rate 6000 bpd at 40° API. Operating 2
L=9,s=7.15, D L=kQt/(1-f), where k is a constant)
pressure 1000 psia and temperature is 60°F. Assume the compressibility
factor at operating conditions is Z=0.84. Neglect the level alarm positions but
make reasonable assumptions on other operating parameters. State any other
5. A medium sized horizontal separator 3m in diameter with an effective length
assumptions made.
of 10m is used to process 9000 kg/hr gas, 80,000 kg/hr oil and 30,000 kg/hr
water. The gas/oil level is set to 2m from the vessel base, and the oil/water
What would happen to the separator’s performance, if the liquid flowrate level is set to 0.7m above the base. Estimate the following:
increased by a factor of 50%, but ensuring the residence time was kept the
a) Axial velocities of water and oil layers
same?
b) Residence times of each phase
c) Size of the smallest water-in-oil drop which can be separated in this
(Ans: D=1.89m, L=6.6m, residence time 10 mins, slenderness ratio 3.5, 50%
separator
full, filling increases to 75%)
Physical properties are give in the table below

Revised 4 February, 2009 at 06:10 PM Page 1 of 2

Dr G.White
 EPS Chemical Engineering B4.4OD3 Oil and Gas Processing

Gas Oil Water (Ans D=3.54m, L=9.73m at 75% liquid volume, how=1.934m, hgo=2.5m)
-3
Density (kg m ) 6 860 1070
Viscosity (cP) 10 1 8. In a production separator, the velocity of both oil and water phases is
measured to be 0.05 m/s. The residence time is 3 minutes and the separator
is 75% full of liquid. Using the information below, calculate the liquid levels, the
(Ans, uoil=6.9 mm/s, uwater=6.2 mm/s, toil=18 mins, twater=20 min, 335 diameter and length of the separator.
microns)
What changes to your calculation method would you expect to make if either
perforated plates or structured packing were to be used?
6. The first stage separator for the “Hutton” TLP was originally designed to cope
with a maximum oil rate of 117000 bpd, water at 50,000 bpd, and gas at 10 Gas Oil Water
mmscfd. Operating conditions were 16 barg, 105 °C. Oil API gravity was 20°. Flow rate 30 260 100 kg/s
Assuming the properties and conditions listed below estimate the following: Density 50 850 1022 kg/m
3

a) Diameter, length and liquid filling levels for this separator, assuming this Viscosity - 0.006 0.0004 Ns/m
2

separator operates at 75% full.

b) Size of the smallest water in oil drop that would be separated in this unit.
c) The typical response time for the gas/oil level controller.

Assume that
the oil viscosity as 10cP, water viscosity 1cP
Souder’s Brown constant is 0.15 m/s
Residence times are 3 minutes

(Ans D=3.2m, Lss=9.2m, Water NLL=0.89m, Oil NLL=2.25m, 1280 microns,

7. The first stage three phase separator on the “Gullfaks A” platform was
designed with the following production rates :
Flowrate Density Viscosity
3 -1 -3 -2
m h kg m Nsm
Gas 1640 49.7 0.000013
Oil 1840 831.5 0.00525
Water 287 1030 0.00043
* Physical properties are taken at separator conditions

Calculate the diameter, length and fill depths for this separator given:
• Water-in-oil drop size to separate, are less than 730 µm
• Souder’s-Brown constant : 0.13

Assume table above applies to separator conditions.

Revised 4 February, 2009 at 06:10 PM Page 2 of 2

Dr G.White