Total Sand Management

Experiences from primary separation through to disposal Malcolm Corsie, Cyclotech Norway

Topics
Items to be covered during this presentation:
Cyclotech Company Update
What is Sand and why is it a problem? Sand Accumulation in Process and Produced Water Systems Sand Removal Options
Wellhead (Multiphase) Desanding
Produced Water Desanding

Sand Cleaning Sand Disposal

Cyclotech R&D Focus on Sand

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Cyclotech company update

In November 2009 Cyclotech Group of Companies was purchased by MI SWACO
Cyclotech now part of MI SWACOs Production Technologies Group Cyclotech now work alongside Epcon technology within the Production Technologies Group

Business as usual!

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What is sand?
Sand generally means ALL types of production solids Proppant:
D98 ~ 400 - 1200 microns, hard ceramic beads, s.g. 2.6

Sand:
D98 > 100 microns, hard silica, angular shapes, s.g. 2.6

Chalk:
D98 > 5 microns, absorbent, amorphous, soft, almost neutrally buoyant

Scale:
similar to chalk but wide range of sizes

Corrosion Products:
wide range of sizes, hard, angular, s.g. 4.0

Abnormal:
Casing fragments, Drill cuttings , spanners, gloves etc, range of sizes
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Why is sand a problem?

Solids Production can block and erode equipment and pipework
Can be a major contributor to production OPEX
Downhole Solids exclusion not always possible and can fail Impacts Process Availability Compromises System Integrity

Safety
Environmental (not forgetting carry-over of oil-wetted solids)

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Problems come in many sizes..

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Sand Accumulation in the Process System Potential Removal Points

=areas to be covered in this presentation

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Wellhead (Multiphase) Desanding

Definition
Desanding a Multiphase Flow Stream

Upstream of Choke - High Pressure Ratings (up to 15k psi)

Production / Test manifold - Lower Pressure, Higher Capacity

Applications
Well Operations Drilling, Well workover, proppant flowback Production Choke Protection (upstream of choke), Manifold (downstream of choke)

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Wellhead (Multiphase) Desanding - Cont

Principle of Operation
Solids separated by spinning flow within cyclone insert Separated solids collect in lower solids accumulator Desanded multiphase flow exits through upper overflow nozzle Solids accumulator periodically purged: isolate, vent, flush, repressurise, de-isolate Cyclone operation independent of solids accumulator purge process

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Wellhead (Multiphase) Desanding

The Pros
Effective removal of problematic solids at earliest point of process

Minimises equipment damage and downstream solids accumulation

Removed sand is generally still water-wetted and in some cases can be discharged straight to sea Effective solids removal performance with d98 removal generally below 80 microns and in some cases as low as 10 microns Use of advanced ceramics to ensure solids stream never encounters pressure vessel wall

The Cons
Tall Heavy and expensive, if used to treat total production rate, so generally best suited to single (problematical) well application High design pressures

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Wellhead Desanding Case Study Shell Shearwater

Design conditions 120 MMSCD gas, 1000 BPD liquid
Design pressure 15k psi rated WDC-200 (8) cyclone insert Manual Operation Well work over operations Performance: 20 mic to 25mm @ Pressure Drop = 3 bar

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Produced Water Desanding Hydrocyclones

Equipment Protection
Blockage of heat exchangers etc.

Erosion of Deoiling Hydrocyclones, pipework, control valves, pumps etc.

Oil or produced water Large Diameter MC or UC Desanding cyclone

Produced Water and PWRI

Sustain injectivity Cut size sub-10 to 25+ microns Produced water, aquifer water, seawater 10, 25, 50 & 100mm diameter MC cyclones
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Different Cyclones for Different Solids

MC-10F : ULTRA FINE Solids removal (3 -5 mic)
Duty: ultra fine particulate removal

MC-25F : Fine Solids removal (5 -10 mic)

Duty: Fines (silt) removal

MC-25 : Fine Solids Removal (10 - 20 mic)

Duty: Water Polishing, Intensive Sand Cleaning

MC-50 : Standard Sand Removal (20 - 40 mic)

Duty: PW Desanding, PWRI, Sand Cleaning

MC-100 : Coarse Sand Removal (40+ mic)

Duty: Equipment Protection

BUT.
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Desanding Cyclone Comparison

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Desanding Hydrocyclones Considerations

Care should be taken when selecting required solids cutsize for any given system
Smaller cyclones require larger pressure vessels and therefore larger system

Balance between cutsize and system robustness should always be evaluated

Maximum expected particle size and maximum solids loading should also be taken into account not just solids d50 size

Focus should always be on removal of problematic solids

Often smaller fines will pass right through system Solids which drop out in main production separator are generally large and are the ones that cause downstream erosion

Finally remember once solids have been removed, you have to do something with them!

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Desanding Cyclone Case Study BP Schiehallion

Design conditions 220,000 BPD liquid
Design pressure 300#
Replaced Duty/Standby Filters Performance: d98 15 microns at 2.5 bar DP

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Sand Receiving & Cleaning

Usually three modes of operation:

Sand Receiving Sand Cleaning Sand Discharge

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Sand Receiving & Cleaning

Generally uses a combined Desanding / Accumulator Vessel;

Same equipment used to receive separator jetting water and for sand cleaning proposes;
Uses erosion resistant materials (ceramic) in high wear areas (ie cyclones and SandScape ejector); System designed to be robust to deal with elevated sand levels during initial jetting operations (if traditional jetting system used);

Solids cleaned to a level suitable for onward disposal (usually less than 1% w/w oil-on-solids).

BUT
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Sand Cleaning Considerations

Cleaning loop will require similar pressure drop to removal loop to ensure solids are held within system

Critical that clean water is always taken in and dirty (oily) water always removed from loop
Sand cleaning requires clean water input..

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Sand Cleaning Case Study Woodside Vincent

6,000 BPD capacity

Duplex SS

300# Rating
Automated & equipped with Sand Bagging System Discharge Specs: Oil on Sand < 0.5%wt, Oil in Water <30 mg/

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Sand Cleaning Case Study Hess Triton FPSO

30,000 BPD capacity

Duplex SS

300# Rating
Sand Receiving / Cleaning / Disposal System Discharge Specs: Oil on Sand < 0.5%wt, Oil in Water <30 mg/l

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Sand Cleaning Recent Deliveries

Cyclotech have recently delivered sand cleaning packages to two of the most recent Norwegian field developments

GDF / Statoil Gja. System incorporated jetting pumps and sand bagging system. System designed to receive sand from MEG and normal production systems.

BP Scarv. System incorporated jetting pump and rail-removable (enclosed) sand bagging system.

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Sand Disposal
Various Options for disposal before or after cleaning
Removable / replaceable accumulator vessel

Slurry discharge to off-site container / ship (needs further dewatering)

Cuttings re-injection facility Sand bagging system Overboard disposal

Chosen disposal method based on:

Available process equipment Site logistics Environmental legislation Company environmental policy

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The Future?
Current Cyclotech R&D focus on
Improving sand detection methods

Implementing erosion resistant materials throughout produced water treatment system

Condition monitoring of produced water treatment equipment Once-though sand cleaning system

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Ultrasonic Sand Cleaning

1st phase of JIP successful in evaluation of ultrasound technology for sand cleaning

Integration of technology into desanding hydrocyclone accumulator, to clean sand as it settles (avoiding need for recirculation)
Dynamic tests (lab based) comparing external and internal application of ultrasound with conventional recirculatory cleaning mechanisms. Process Sand can be cleaned down to 0.2% w/w oil-on-sand with a one pass system

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Ultrasonic Sand Cleaning

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The End!

Any Questions?
(easy ones please if you all want to make it to lunch on time)

Also more info at www.cyclotech.com

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