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Contents:

•Separation principle
•Description & Operation of separator with all
associated equipment
•Data Quality
•References

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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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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.
Separator flow sheet SEPARATOR

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Separator 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 place
Gg/Gl = 1/20 = 0.05 within a few seconds

Gl/Gw = 0.75 Separation requires a few minutes

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Separator capacity: SEPARATOR

High liquid level

(liquid level = 10bbls)

Medium liquid level

Low liquid level

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Separation 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
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-Separator pressure
Separator capacity: SEPARATOR

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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: SEPARATOR

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Air Gas outlet separator
instrumentation
supply: Gas sampling point

Rig air supply

Pressure regulator to
40 – 50 psi
Gauge

Air to regulator 67FR

and to Press/Level
controllers

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 Valves
•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 Valves
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 Valves
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 SEPARATOR

3
5

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Relay: SEPARATOR
Position of free floating assembly when Flapper is CLOSE to Nozzle

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Relay: SEPARATOR
Position of free floating assembly when Flapper is AWAY from Nozzle

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Pressure Control Valve (PCV): SEPARATOR
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 (PCV): SEPARATOR
3
5

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Level Control Valve (LCV): SEPARATOR
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 (LCV): SEPARATOR
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 SEPARATOR
•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

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

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Safety Devices SEPARATOR
pilot
•Piloted operated Safety Valves

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

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Safety Devices SEPARATOR
•Piloted operated Safety Valves
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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Safety Devices
•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:
- 3” Rotron vortex meter, High
flow - 2” Floco positive
displacement meter, low
flowrate
•Gas metering:
- Daniel orifice
- Barton chart recorder
•Water metering:
- 2” Floco positive displacement
meter, low flowrate
•3 phases separation:
- BSW at oil outlet separator
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Gas Metering Device SEPARATOR

•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 Device SEPARATOR
•The Daniel Orifice
Meter:
-During the test, the gas
flowrate 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 Device SEPARATOR
•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 Device SEPARATOR

•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 Device SEPARATOR
Caution: liners are crossed,
HP side of the Barton is
connected on the upstream
side of the Daniel orifice LP

and the LP on the HP

downstream side.
HP
•To obtain accurate data, gas
is filtered through scrubbers
to remove all impurities. LP

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Gas Metering Device SEPARATOR

•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 SEPARATOR
•Barton chart recorder:
bellows

HP LP

-DP spring ranges 100“H2O

(inches of water) 200”H2O
300”H20
(400 in.H20 = 14.73
psi)
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Gas Metering Device SEPARATOR
Barton chart recorder: Low viscosity oil

Stem disc Torque tube shaft

(rotation = 8 deg)
H.P. bellows

L.P. bellows

Compensating
chamber
DP calibrated spring

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“O”ring Pulsation dampener
Gas Metering Device SEPARATOR
Barton chart recorder:

Connected with 3
links to the PEN

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Shrinkage Tester SEPARATOR
•It measures the oil volume Pressure
change between separator
conditions and atmospheric
conditions (Pressure & Temp.)
•Direct reading in %.
-if shrinkage measurement= Level

5%, the shrinkage factor (1-shr)

in this case is 0.950
•Requires Temperature reading Temperature

in the same time that the final

reading, usually after 30
minutes
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Shrinkage Tester operation SEPARATOR

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.
•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
shrink.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.

V
•Separator bypass after SI well:
a clean BHP curve is obtained
for accurate interpretation.

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 How the system Works Together SEPARATOR

•Closing one burnerhead

causes:
-an increase of oil line backpressure
- further opening of the oil ACV

•Decrease of sep.press:
-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
•Standard 3 phases horizontal, SWT separators:

description 1440 psi WP 720 psi WP 600 psi WP

Vessel size 42” x 10’ 42” x 15’ 36” x 10’
Nominal capacity
Gas @ low liquid level 60 MMSCFD 41 MMSCFD 28 MMSCFD
Gas @ high liquid level 25 MMSCFD 18 MMSCFD 10.8 MMSCFD
Liquid @ low liquid level 6 650 BPD 10 500 BPD 2 600 BPD
Liquid @ high liquid 14 000 BPD 23 800 BPD 10 500 BPD
level
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EQUIPMENT
•Standard 3 phases horizontal, SWT separators:
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EQUIPMENT
•NON-Standard 3 phases horizontal Separator (type N) -
High flowrate (90 MMSCFD) -
Cyclone inlet cluster (foam-free separation)

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EQUIPMENT SEPARATOR
•Separator (SEPS-A):
-Smart weir system (clean-up thru separator)
- Coriolis metering

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EQUIPMENT
•Vertical Separator
(2200 psi WP)
- High flowrate (100
MMSCFD)
- Cyclone inlet cluster
(foam-free separation)

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References:

. On Line Training
. FOH for SWT (Run & Report)
. InTouch: Technical Data Sheet
& Maintenance manual
. + Animations: “Gpc”,“Llc”,“Gopm”,“Gas fr”,”Shrink”,
”Separator preparation”,”Separator operation”

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References (cont) : Animations SEPARATOR

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The End

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