Separator

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Lecture Objectives,
By the end of this lecture, YOU should be able to:

 Explain the separation principle

 Explain the functions of the Separator and associated
equipment (liquid & gas meters, safety devices)
 List all characteristics of the separator
 Know about Data Quality

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CONTAINS

 Separation principle

 Description & Operation of separator

with all associated equipment

 Data Quality

 References

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INTRODUCTION
 Used to separate, meter and sample all phases of the
effluent.

 They are able to treat effluent as gas, gas condensate,

light oil, heavy oil, foaming oil, oil containing water
impurities such as mud or solid particles.

 The main element is the vessel, with the necessary piping,

skid and protective frame.

 There are also equipped with a built-in Shrinkage tester,

Barton recorder & sampling point.
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SEPARATOR - FLOW SHEET

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VESSEL DESCRIPTION

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SEPARATION PRINCIPLE
 Phase separation in a separator is based on gravity.
 Gas is segregated from liquid.
 Oil is segregated from water.
 Gravity separation only takes place when:
 Fluids to be segregated are not soluble in each
together.
 Fluids have different densities
 Separation speed is a direct function of relative gravity.
95% of separation takes
Ggas /Gliquid = 1/20 = 0.05 place within a few seconds

Gliquid / Gwater = 0.75 Separation requires a few minutes

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SEPARATOR CAPACITY
High liquid
level

Medium liquid
level

Low liquid
level

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SEPARATOR CAPACITY
 Liquid capacity is function of:
 Retention Time
 Separator oil volume

Volume of oil (design capacity for 1-mn RT)

Retention Time =
Quantity of oil (meter reading)

 Gas capacity is function of:

 Retention Time
 Separator oil volume
 Separator pressure
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SEPARATOR CAPACITY

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SEPARATOR LIQUID & GAS CAPACITY
According to liquid level and also to pressure for the gas, as it’s compressible.

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PNEUMATIC REGULATION

 The system is supplied with air under a constant

pressure of 35 psi.
 The air pressure acting on the ACV is adjusted by
a restricted orifice (inside the relay) and a nozzle,
that can be more or less blocked by a flapper,
pivoting at a fixed point and connected at the
other end to the detection mechanism. (Bourdon
tube or float).

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PNEUMATIC REGULATION

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AIR INSTRUMENTATION SUPPLY

• Gas outlet
separator

Rig air supply • Gas sampling

point
Gauge • Pressure
Air to regulator 67FR and regulator to 40
to Press/Level controllers – 50 psi

Scrubber

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PRESSURE REGULATOR

 The 67FR used to

supply air pressure at
a constant pressure
(35psi) to the
pneumatic controllers.
 it reduces pressure
 It maintains a constant
flow
 It filters impurities

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AUTOMATIC CONTROL VALVE
 The ACV for oil, gas, and water controllers are
designed to regulate the rate of flow in a pipe
by varying its cross-sectional area in response
to an air leak signal received from a controller.

 There are two different types of ACV used in a

separator:
 normally open (on gas line)
 normally close (on liquid line)

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AUTOMATIC CONTROL VALVE
 Pressure Control Valve
(PCV):

 It is Normally Open (stays

Open if air supply is lost, to
release vessel pressure).

 It is usually a 3” Fisher valve

located on the gas outlet
separator and surge tank.

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AUTOMATIC CONTROL VALVE

 Liquid Control Valve (LCV):

 It is Normally Close (Close if

air supply is lost, to minimize
pollution).

 There are usually 3” and 2”

valves located on the oil outlet
and a 2” on the water outlet
separator.
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PNEUMATIC CONTROLLERS
Level Trol (Liquid) & Wizard (Pressure)

Set point
(5 is medium
level)

Proportional
Band
Relay (usually
15%~25%)

Air supply
(35psi) Air pressure
to ACV

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RELAY: The heart of the system

35

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PNEUMATIC CONTROL
Position of free floating assembly when Flapper is AWAY from Nozzle

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RELAY
Position of free floating assembly when Flapper is CLOSE to Nozzle

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PRESSURE CONTROL VALVE

 When gas line pressure

drops bourdon tube contracts
closing nozzle, relay switches
allowing pressure build up to
close valve.
 As gas line pressure rises
bourdon tube expands
opening relay and releasing
pressure from valve allowing it
to open.

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PRESSURE CONTROL VALVE
35

(High Pressure)

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LEVEL CONTROL VALVE
With low level flapper nozzle is
open to atmosphere, pressure
cannot build up and valve remains
closed.
As level increases float rises
closing the nozzle with the float.
Pressure builds up and valve
opens.

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LEVEL CONTROL VALVE
From PB
valve
Low level

Bourdon Tube
From pilot relay
(thru liner &
nozzle)

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PROPORTIONAL BAND

 The PB control valve is a three-way valve connecting:

 the proportional action bellows
 the modulated air supply
 the atmosphere

 The extreme positions correspond to either closure of the

modulated air inlet (0%) or to closure of the bleed to
atmosphere (100%)
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PROPORTIONAL BAND

Pressure:
The PB valve reduces the response time of the PCV to
act as a damper and prevent oscillation of the PCV, and
therefore reducing pressure oscillation in the separator.
if:
Full range is 1500 psi (Bourdon tube range)
10% on the PB
75 psi before valve fully open or close,
above & below set point.

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PROPORTIONAL BAND
Level:
The PB valve reduces the response time of the LCV to
act as a damper and prevent oscillation of the LCV, and
therefore reducing pressure oscillation in the separator.

if: Full range is 12 inches

10% on the PB
0.6 in. before valve fully Open or Close,
above & below set point.

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 SAFETY DEVICES
SAFETY RELIEF VALVES
On the separator there are two Safety Relief Valves, normally a
pilot operated relief valve set to open when pressure exceeds
working pressure
Both SRV are set to 100% of vessel WP

“Farris” (not pilot-operated) “Keystone”pilot-operated

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PILOTED OPERATED SAFETY VALVES

Supplier : Keystone pilot

Inlet : 3” 600 # RF
Outlet : 4” 600 # RF
Operation : Designed for modulating
action. It opens at set pressure, as process
outlet
pressure increases, the valve will open
more and be full lift at 105% of set.

inlet
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PILOTED OPERATED SAFETY VALVE
Operation: At set pressure, the pilot relieves, depressurizing the
volume above the piston and the piston lifts permitting discharge from
the main valve.

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CHECK VALVE
Located on the effluent inlet separator, a 3” or 4”
check-valve prevents the release to atmosphere of
all the energy vessel gas pressure and liquid, in a
case of a line inlet rupture.

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SIGHT GLASS SAFETY VALVES
• The sight-glass is a visual level indicator. In the event the glass
breaks, it is equipped with safety valves that prevent fluids inside
the separator from escaping.

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METERING DEVICES

• Oil metering:
- 2” Nu Flo meter, High flow
- 1” Nu Flo meter, Low flow-rate
• Gas metering:
- Daniel orifice
- Barton chart recorder
• Water metering:
- 1” Nu Flo meter, low flow-rate
• 3 phases separation:
- BSW at oil outlet separator

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LIQUID METERING DEVICES

Oil /water metering: 1” and 2” Turbine Meter

As liquid flows through the meter and over the rotor,

the rotor turns at a speed that is directly proportional to the flow
rate.

A magnetic pickup senses the rotor blades as they pass and

generates an electrical (sine wave) signal.

These electrical pulses are then transmitted to the flow

measurement readout equipment.

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TURBINE METER RANGES

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TURBINE METER

1. Permanent Conduit connection 5. Flow Vane Sub

2. Rotor 6. Rotor shaft, Bearing, and Trust ball.
3. End Connection 7. Retaining Ring.
4. Flow Vanes 8. Flow Meter Body

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 METERING DEVICES
Pressure Drop Curve for Turbine Flow Meters

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GAS METERING DEVICES
The Daniel Orifice Meter:
Differential pressure
combined with Static
pressure and gas
temperature.
Allow a gas rate to be
calculated.

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GAS METERING DEVICES

The Daniel Orifice Meter:

 During the test, the gas flow-
rate may change, therefore,
different sizes of orifice plates
are used.

 It’s important to have an

apparatus that allows the
orifice plate to be changed
without interrupting the gas
flow.

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GAS METERING DEVICES
The Daniel Orifice Meter:

 Size of the orifice is stamped on the

outer edge of the downstream side
of the plate.

 Size of the pipe ID or Line Bore, is

found on the name plate of the
Daniel itself.

Never change separator pressure or

change choke with the orifice plate
installed.
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GAS METERING DEVICES
Straightening Vanes:

 To obtain accurate
differential pressure data,
gas flow must be laminar
at the meter.

 Straightening Vanes are

positioned before the
meter to reduce
disturbances created by the
elbows in the gas line.

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GAS METERING DEVICES
Caution:
Liners are crossed, HP side of the
Barton is connected on the upstream
side of the Daniel orifice and the LP
on the downstream side LP

HP

 To obtain accurate data, HP

gas is filtered through
scrubbers to remove all
LP
impurities.

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GAS METERING DEVICE
Barton chart recorder:
 Records gas differential
pressure.
 Records static pressure (taken
downstream orifice).
 May also record gas line
temperature.

Barton manifold valves are here

on “by-pass” position.

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GAS METERING DEVICE
 Barton chart recorder:

bellows

HP LP

 DP spring ranges 100“H2O

(inches of water) 200”H2O
300”H20
(400 in.H20 = 14.73 psi) 400”H20

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GAS METERING DEVICES
BARTON CHART RECORDER
Low viscosity oil
Stem disc
Torque tube
shaft (rotation =
H.P. bellows 8 deg)

L.P. bellows

Compensating
chamber
DP calibrated
spring

“O”ring
3RP
Pulsation dampener
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GAS METERING DEVICES
BARTON CHART RECORDER

Connected with
3 links to the
PEN

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SHRINKAGE TESTER
 It measures the oil volume change
Pressure
between separator conditions and
atmospheric conditions (Pressure &
Temp).

 Direct reading in %. if Level

shrinkage measurement = 5%, the
shrinkage factor (1-shr) in this case is
0.950.

 Requires Temperature reading in the Temperature

same time that the final reading,
usually after 30 minutes.

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SHRINKAGE TESTER
1 2 3

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DATA QUALITY
When taking separator readings always ensure:
 Meter readings are taken at the correct time for accurate rate calculations.

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DATA QUALITY
When taking separator readings always ensure:
 Meter readings are taken at the correct time for accurate rate
calculations.

 Take readings at regular time: 5, 10, 15 minutes, etc.

 BSW & SG’s should be recorded at the time the sample was taken and
not the reading.

 Completeness of data, e.g.: oil SG, Shrinkage (with tank or shrinkage

tester), are quoted with temperature.

 Only enter actual measurements, e.g.:do not enter the previous BSW
reading because you forgot to take it this time.

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DATA QUALITY
X
Separator bypass before SI well:
Build up data necessary for
interpretation is damaged.

Separator bypass after SI well:

A clean BHP curve is obtained
for accurate interpretation.

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HOW THE SYSTEM WORK TOGETHER
Closing one burner head causes:
 an increase of oil line backpressure - further opening of the oil ACV

Decrease of separator pressure:

 Decrease oil line back pressure
(decrease of GOR2).
 Open oil ACV (less pressure
drop across ACV).
 Increase the gas line
backpressure (higher gas
velocity).
 Open gas ACV (less pressure
drop across ACV).

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EQUIPMENT SPECIFICATION
 Standard 3 phases horizontal, SWT separators:
Vessel Size : 42” x 10 ft Horizontal or 106.7 cm x 3.048 m
Design Pressure : 1440 psi @ 122o F
Design Temperature : -20o to 250o F.
Maximum WP : 1330 psi @ 250o F
Service Qualification : NACE MR 01-75 for H2S and H2S
Maximum Gross Weight : 16,000 kgs (Empty).
Dimensions : 6.058m x 2.438m x 2.591m (L x B x H)
Maximum Oil Rate : 15,000 BOP
(Hi Liquid Level)
Maximum Gas Rate : 70 MMscfd
Measuring Equipment : 6” DC Daniel Orifice meter with 5.761” LB,
Inlet : 3” fig 602 F
Gas / Oil / Water Outlet : 3” fig 602 M
Vent Outlet : 4” fig 602 M

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Any Questions?

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