OIL & GAS PROCESSING

By GSB
Oil and Gas Processing:

As the well fluid rises in the well-bore and travels towards surface, the
temperature and pressure falls. The pressure is reduced further at the
choke. Due to these pressure variations the fluid separates into two
phases. These phases are separated in the processing facilities with the
aim to maximize oil production.
The produced fluid after passing through the X-Mass tree, choke and
well head manifold reaches the processed facilities, which include:

• Inlet manifold
• Separation
• Oil system (Separation, Pumping, Metering)
• Gas Processing & transportation
• ETP
 Oil and Gas Processing
• Oil and gas wells produce a mixture of hydrocarbon
gas, condensate or oil; water with dissolved minerals,
usually including a large amount of salt; other gases,
including nitrogen, carbon dioxide (CO2), and
possibly hydrogen sulphide (H2S); and solids,
including sand from the reservoir, dirt, scale, and
corrosion products from the tubing.
• The purpose of oil and gas processing is to separate,
remove, or transform these various components to
make the hydrocarbons ready for sale.
 TOPICS TO BE DISCUSSED

• INTAKE HEADER OR INLET MANIFOLD

• PIGGING
• SEPARATORS
• NG COMPRESSOR
• HEATER TREATER
• SALES AREA
• EFFLUENT TREATMENT PLANT
• FLARE AREA
BASIC COMPONENT OF A PROCESSING PLANT

GAS PLANT

SEPERATOR COMPRESSOR Dew Point

Control Unit

OIL PLANT

SEPERATOR Heater Treater STORAGE TANK

INTAKE HEADER OR INLET MANIFOLD
 INTAKE HEADER OR INLET MANIFOLD
• Manifold is a processing installation which consists of a Group
Header and Test Header(Used for Testing). All the producing wells
are connected to the plant through the manifold. The arrangement is
such that the all the wells can be connected directly to any of the two
headers.

• Intake header or inlet manifold is the receiving point for oil and
gas into a process facility from the well site.
• It comprises of headers, NRV(non return valve), cathodic
protection, ESDV(Emergency shut down valve) & PIG receiving
unit.
• The lines through which wells are connected to the intake
header of a process plant are large diameter pipelines called
trunk lines.
• The PIG receiving facility is also provided in the intake header.
 PIGGING
• PIG means Pipeline Inspection Gauge
• Pigging is done to perform various maintenance operations on a
pipeline.
• Pigging is combination of two process : pig launching & pig
receiving .
• This is accomplished by inserting the pig into a pig launcher in
the pipeline.
• A pig is a device inserted into a pipeline which travels freely
through it, driven by the produce gas .
• Pigs perform a function such as cleaning, separating products in-
line or dewatering the line & also are used to provide
information on the condition of the pipeline and the extent and
location of any problem such as corrosion .
 THE TWO PROCESS OF PIGGING

PIG launching PIG receiving

 SEPARATORS

 Separators are universally employed in almost every phase of

field and gas plant processing. They are employed in the field to
separate the gas from all free liquids(oil, water, condensates).
 A separator includes a primary separation section, gravity
settling section , mist extraction section and liquid collecting
section.
 Generally the separators which are used in plants most of them
are three phase Separators .
 Two types of separators are used in oil & gas processing
plant(may be vertical or horizontal ) :

 LP separator (low pressure separator)

 HP separator (high pressure separator)
Separators work on the basis of gravity segregation and/or
centrifugal segregation. A separator is normally constructed in
such a way that it has the following features:

1. It has a centrifugal inlet device where the primary separation of the

liquid and gas is made.
2. It provides a large settling section of sufficient height or length to
allow liquid droplets to settle out of the gas stream with adequate surge
room for slugs of liquid.
3. It is equipped with a mist extractor or eliminator near the gas outlet to
coalesce small particles of liquid that do not settle out by gravity.
4. It allows adequate controls consisting of level control, liquid dump
valve, gas backpressure valve, safety relief valve, pressure gauge, gauge
glass, instrument gas regulator, and piping.
 SEPARATOR

To compressor

To Storage tank

To ETP

Safety Equipments
The term separator in oil field
 NRV(non return valve)
terminology designates a pressure
 PSV(Pressure safety valve)
vessel used for separating well fluids
 PCV(Pressure control valve)
produced from oil and gas wells into  LC(Level Controller)
gaseous and liquid components.
Horizontal Separator
SECTIONAL VIEW OF VERTICAL SEPERATOR

2 phase 3 phase
Spherical Separator
 NG COMPRESSOR
• Gas compressors are mechanical device that increase the pressure
of gas by reducing its volume.
• They are also responsible for moving the natural gas from the natural
gas production well to the customers via pipeline.
• Gas compression is the action of taking a volume of gas at low
pressure and reducing the volume while the pressure is increased.

Example
1st Stage suction Pressure: 50 psi
1st stage discharge pressure: 180 psi
2nd Stage suction Pressure: 170 psi
2nd Stage discharge Pressure: 500 psi.
 SALES AREA

• After 2nd stage suction the gas directly goes to common

sales header .
• This common header is connected to 6 or 7 small headers .
• A sample of gas is collected in every 15 minutes.
• Moisture analyzer is also connected to detect the level of
dew point.
 OIL BATTERY

Oil battery involves the various stages of oil processing starting from the separators
then to the line heater , then again to the LP separator and then to the storage tanks.
And finally it is pumped to the loading tankers.

MAIN SECTIONS OF OIL

BATTERY

SEPARATORS OIL STORAGE

(HP AND LP) LINE HEATER TANKS
 Heater Treater
• A vessel that uses heat to break oil-water emulsions so the oil
can be accepted by the pipeline or transport.

• There are vertical and horizontal treaters.

• Heat lowers the viscosity of the oil making it easier for the
water to settle.
 Heater Treater

Direct Heater

Indirect Heater
 STORAGE TANKS
 Crude Oil Storage Tanks are used for safe handling and storage of processed
crude oil so as to minimize the loss of valuable products in the form of vapor to
the atmosphere.
 The tanks are used to store the oil till it is dispatch to the refineries. Small
capacity tanks used if testing required and then finally send to the main storage
tank. A crude oil storage tank has a bottom inlet and a bottom outlet Storage
tanks containing organic liquids, non organic liquids, vapors and can be found
in many industries.
 Most storage tanks are designed and built to the American Petroleum Institute
API-650 specification.
 Storage Tank Placement inside a Tank Farm Area is done in accordance with
OISD- STANDARD-118 (Layouts for Oil and Gas Installations)
• Fixed-roof tanks
• External floating roof tanks
• Internal floating roof tanks
• Domed external floating roof tanks
• Horizontal tanks
• Pressure tanks
• Variable vapour space tanks
• LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) tanks
TANK LOADING
 Procedure For Tank Loading

Transportation, loading, unloading and storage should be carried out

using suitable equipment and with the participation of trained staff
with appropriate qualifications.
After tanker arrival, leak survey is done.
Ensure Tanker condition is OK
A Potential ignition sources such as flare, pilot lights, engines or tools
should be identified
Portable fire extinguishers should be available .
Perform gas testing
Park tanker properly, remove keys, put master switch in off mode.
Ensure that the tanker is properly earthed.
 Sealing the compartments after loading.
 Effluent Treatment Plant
 Effluent Treatment Plant or ETP is one type of waste water treatment method which is
particularly designed to purify industrial waste water for its reuse and it’s aim is to
release safe water to environment from the harmful effect caused by the effluent.
 Industrial effluents contain various materials, depending on the industry. Some effluents
contain oils and grease, and some contain toxic materials (e.g., cyanide). Since industrial
waste water contains a diversity of impurities and therefore specific treatment technology
called ETP is required.
 The ETP Plant works at various levels and involves various physical, chemical,
biological and membrane processes to treat waste water from different industrial sectors
like chemicals, drugs, pharmaceutical, refineries, dairy, ready mix plants & textile etc.
 Benefits of ETP:

1. To clean industry effluent and recycle it for further use

2. To reduce the usage of fresh water in industries
3. To preserve natural environment against pollution
4. To meet the standards for emission of pollutants set by the Government & avoid heavy penalty
5. To reduce expenditure on water acquisition
 FLARE AREA
• Flare area consists of the FKOD, the blower fans, the ignition control
panel, automatically operated pumps.

A gas flare, alternatively known as a flare stack, is a gas

combustion device used in industrial plants such as
petroleum refineries, chemical plants, natural gas processing
plants as well as at oil or gas production sites having oil
wells, gas wells, offshore oil and gas rigs and landfills.

In industrial plants, flare stacks are primarily used for

burning off flammable gas released by pressure relief
valves during unplanned over-pressuring of plant
equipment.
Gas flaring at many oil and gas production sites protects
against the dangers of over-pressuring industrial plant
equipment. When industrial plant equipment items are
over-pressured, the pressure relief valve is an essential
safety device that automatically release gases and
sometimes liquids.
ESDV(Emergency shut down valve) BDV(Blow Down Valve)
 SCADA

Most of the companies utilize a SCADA

(Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition)
system for online monitoring of production,
injection, storage-cum-flow back and distribution of
natural gas.
It has the expertise to design, install and commission
gas compressor stations and gas collection and
distribution networks.
Why water needs to be separated from oil?

Too high a level of produced water in the exported oil would severely reduce
pumping and other transport capacity. Even a small percentage of emulsified
water in crude oil increases the cost of pumping due to the larger volume and
the higher viscosity of the oil. In addition, the high salinity of the water causes
corrosion and scaling in downstream operations. It is therefore necessary to
remove the water and associated salts from the crude oil.
 Need for gas dehydration
• Natural, associated, or tail gas usually contains water, in liquid and
vapour form, at source and /or as a result of sweetening with an
aqueous solution. Operating experience and through engineering
have proved that it is necessary to reduce and control the water
content of gas to ensure safe processing and transmission.
The major reasons for removing the water from natural gas are as
follows:
• 1. Natural gas in the right condition can combine with liquid or free
water form solid hydrates that can plug valves fittings or even
pipelines.
• 2. Water can condense in the pipeline causing slug flow and possible
erosion and corrosion.
• 3. Water vapour increases the volume and decreases the heating
value of the gas.
GENERAL FUNCTIONS OF GGS
• Collection of oil/gas from the different wells in the area. They are collected through
the Headers.
• Separation of oil, water and gas in the separators such as Bath Heater and Heater-
Treater by maintaining a temperature and pressure depending on the
requirements. Bath Heaters are generally used for the removal of dissolved gas.
• In Separators gas is separated. Separators may be two-phase or three-phase. It may
be vertical, horizontal or spherical.
• The oil from separators is treated with chemical demulsifier. These demulsifiers
may be water soluble or oil soluble. Demulsifiers are used to break oil-water
emulsions.
• The gas separated in separators is compressed in gas compressor. Sending oil to
storage tanks for the storage of oil.
• The effluents produced during treatment are either flared in the evaporation pit,
where gas is flared or are sent to Master Pit for treatment and separation of oil and
water. In Master Pit siphoning system is used to separate oil and water. Oil is
unloaded through tankers and pumped into the storage tanks. Water is disposed
off.
• Proper temperature is maintained for unstrained oil flow by heating the oil with
heaters.
THANK YOU