Field Separation of Oil From Gas

 Introduction to Separator

 Function of Separator/s

 Type of Separators

 Sizing of Separators

 Oil Absorption

 Low Temperature Separation

 Introduction to Separator
• A pressure vessel used for separating a well stream into
gaseous and liquid components.
• Stabilizing these components into saleable products.
• Installed either in an onshore processing station or on an
offshore platform.
• Based on the vessel configurations, the oil/gas separators can
be divided into horizontal, vertical, or spherical separators.
• In teams of fluids to be separated, the oil/gas separators can
be grouped into gas/liquid two-phase separator or
oil/gas/water three-phase separator.
• Based on separation function, the oil/gas separators can also
classified into primary phase separator, high-pressure
separator, low-pressure separator .
 Function Of Oil/Gas Separator
A properly designed well stream separator must
perform the following functions:
Primary phase separation

 Refine the primary separation

 removing entrained gas from liquid

 removing entrained liquid mist from gas

 Discharge of separated gas and liquid streams and

ensure no re-entrainment.
 Types Of Separators

• Gravity Separators
– Cylindrical (Vertical or Horizontal)
– Spherical

• Centrifugal Separators
– use multiple cyclones in parallel (used for
constant flow rate and pressure)
 Vertical Separators
Vertical separators are most
commonly used when the Gas-
Oil Ratio (GOR) is low to
intermediate.

They occupy less platform area

(preferred offshore).

Vertical separators are bigger

and thus, more costly than
horizontal separators.
 HORIZONTAL SEPARATORS
Horizontal separators are
favored for high GOR &
foaming well streams.

Lower gas flow rates and

increased residence times
offer better liquid
dropout.
The larger surface area provides better degassing and
more stable liquid level as well.
 SPHERICAL SEPARATORS
• Low to intermediate GOR
• Very compact, offer better cleanout features
• Limited internal space, difficult to use for three phase
separation
For low to intermediate For low to intermediate
Gas-Oil ratio Gas-Oil ratio
GAS - LIQUID SEPARATORS
Types of separation:
• Primary separation/ Impingement

• Gravity settling

• Coalescing
PRIMARY SEPARATION
 PRIMARY SEPARATION
• Primary separation is accomplished by utilizing
the difference in momentum between gas and
liquid.
• Larger liquid droplets fail to make the sharp
turn and impinge on the inlet wall.
• Most separators use this approach to knock out
a major portion of the incoming liquid.
 GRAVITY SETTLING
• Gravity settling requires low gas velocities with
minimal turbulence to permit droplet fallout.
• The settling calculations assume the droplets to be
rigid spheres.

• The terminal-settling velocity, VT , for a sphere

falling through a stagnant fluid is governed by
particle diameter, density differences, gas
viscosity and a drag coefficient.
• drag coefficient that is a function of both droplet
shape and Reynolds number.
 Gravity Settling
• Let a liquid droplet of diameter dp suspended
in a gas stream flowing at a rate q
• Force Fg due to gravity
Fg =
• Force Fg due to friction
Fd =
Fd =
 Gravity Settling
• At equilibrium Fg = Fd
v=
v=K (Souders –Brown Equation)
K is the separation coefficient and depends on
the diameter of the liquid droplet and the drag
coefficient.
 Gravity Settling

• The residence time for the droplet in a circular

separation chamber
t=
• The velocity () at which the droplet fall in the
vertical section
 Gravity Settling
•On integration with assumption is constant
Gravity settling is efficient
in removing liquid droplet
Combining above two equations: of size greater than 80
microns, removing particle
of lesser diameter is not
practically possible.
Substituting
q=

Maximize the height and length to allow the smaller

droplets to settle
 Centrifuge Settling
• Drag force Fd
Fg =
• Force Fa due to
acceleration
Fa =
• At equilibrium Fg = Fa
 Centrifuge Settling
• =
Again,
Combination of above equation on integration
gives
t=
 Centrifuge Settling
The
• residence time t for the fluid in the centrifuge
t
t
Equating residence time from both of the above equation
=
• Centrifuge is efficient in
In order to remove smallest droplet – removing liquid droplet of
• Decrease q , not feasible size down to 2 microns.
• Works efficiently for
• Increase height constant flow rate and
pressure at which
• Increase rotational speed equipment designed.
 COALESCING
• The coalescing section contains an insert that forces the
gas through a torturous path to bring small mist particles
together as they collect on the insert.
• These inserts can be mesh pads, vane packs or cyclonic
devices.
• Mesh pads are either wire or knitted mesh, usually about
6 in. (15 cm) thick, and preferably, are mounted
horizontally with upward gas flow, but they can be
vertical.
Wire Mesh Mist Eliminator
VANE PACK MIST EXTRACTOR ELEMENT
VANE MIST EXTRACTOR (Angle Iron)
 SEPARATOR SIZING
• The general model for sizing gas liquid separator is given
by
0 .5
 L  g 
v  KS  
  
 g 
where, v = allowable gas velocity
Ks = an empirical constant referred as sizing
coefficient or separation coefficient
• The value of Ks depends on all factors that affect
separation – particle size, types of internals, vortex action,
foaming, pulsating flow, presence of solids, separation
length and gas-liquid ratio.
 SIZING COEFFICIENT (KS)
Separator Height or KS
Type length (m)

Vertical 3.0 or taller 0.055 - 0.107

Horizontal 3.0 0.122 - 0.152

other K3(L/3)0.56
These values were obtained on separators with L/D ratio
of about 5:1.
 SIZING COEFFICIENT (KS)
Separator Height or KS
Type length (ft)

Vertical 10 or taller 0.18-0.35

Horizontal 10 0.40-0.50

other K3(L/3)0.56
These values were obtained on separators with L/D ratio
of about 5:1.
 SIZING COEFFICIENT (KS)

• For vertical separators, with standard wire mesh or

vane type mist extractors Ks values vary from about
0.07 – 0.105 m/sec.
• For horizontal separators, with standard wire mesh or
vane type mist extractors Ks values vary from about
0.07 – 0.15 m/sec.
 Values of Fg
• The fraction of the total area available for the gas flow is
shown in following table:

• This table can be extrapolated beyond 0.55.

• The value for h/d = 0.60 would be one minus the fg
value at h/d = 0.40
 LIQUID RETENTION TIME
• Retention time is the indirect way of fixing the volume
of the separator necessary to handle the liquid flow rate.
• Separator liquid volume equals the liquid flow rate times
retention time.
 LIQUID RETENTION TIME
• The required separator liquid volume can be calculated
from
VL = (qL t) /1440
where VL = required separator liquid volume , m3
qL = liquid throughput, m3/d
t = Retention time , min
• Typical retention time for natural gas-oil separation is 1-3
minutes.
• Retention time is affected by oil relative density, foaming,
presence of solids and emulsions.
 Liquid Settling Volume, VL
For Vertical Separators
VL = 0.1399d2h
For Horizontal Separators (Single Tube)
VL = 0.1399d2(L/2)
For Horizontal Separators (Double Tube)
VL = 0.1399d2L

Vessel Design Considerations:

 L/d should be kept between 3-8.
 Minimum height of vertical separator is 6 ft
 Minimum diameter of horizontal separator is 26 in.
 DEGASSING SECTION
• A second issue in sizing the liquid section is providing
sufficient cross-sectional area to degas the liquid.
• For low viscosity liquids, this is not the limiting criterion
in separator design, but for viscous liquids particularly in
systems where the liquid loading is high, degassing may
be limited.
• If the bubbles larger than 200-300μm are allowed to
escape to vapor phase, carryunder should be minimal.
• Stoke’s law may be used to estimate the bubble rising
velocity
g D 2p (  L - g )
v 
18 mL
 FLASH CALCULATIONS
• The amount of hydrocarbon fluid that exists in the
gaseous phase or the liquid phase at any point in the
process is determined by a flash calculation.
• For a given pressure and temperature, each component of
the hydrocarbon mixture will be in equilibrium and is
expressed in terms of an equilibrium ‘K’ value to each
component.
• The K value is a strong function of temperature, pressure
and composition of the vapor and liquid phase. It is
defined as:
Vi / V
Ki 
Li / L
where Ki = constant for component i at a given temp. and
pressure
Ki Values
Ki Values
 Ki Values
If Ki for each component and the ratio of total moles of
vapor to total moles of liquid (V/L) are known, then the
moles of component i in the vapor phase (Vi) and the
moles in the liquid phase (Li) can be calculated from:
K i Fi Fi
Vi  and L i 
1 K i  V/L   1
 Ki
(V/L)

where Fi is the total moles of component i in the fluid.

 GAS FLOW RATE
If the flow rate of the inlet stream is known in moles per
day then the number of moles per day of gas flow can be
determined from:
F
V
1
1
(V/L)

Once the mole flow rate of gas is known, then the flow
rate in standard cubic feet can be determined by recalling
that one mole of gas occupies 380 cubic feet at standard
conditions. Therefore:
380 V
Qg 
10 6
where Qg is gas flow rate, MMscfd.
 LIQUID FLOW RATE
The liquid flow rate in barrels per day can be derived
from
L MW
Ql 
350 SG
where Ql = liquid flow rate, bpd
SG = specific gravity of liquid (water = 1)
There are 350 pounds per barrel of water and 350 (SG)
pounds per barrel of liquid.
 LEAN OIL ABSORPTION
• Lean oil is usually a mixture of paraffinic compounds
having a molecular weight between 100 and 200.

• The lean oil process requires large processing equipment

with excessive energy requirements.

• A refrigerated system enhances the recovery of lighter

hydrocarbon products such as ethane and propane.
REFRIGERATED LEAN OIL ABSORPTION
• Raw gas enters the plant inlet separator upstream of the
main process where inlet liquids are separated.

• The gas then enters a series of heat exchangers where

cold process gas and the refrigerant reduce the feed gas
temperature.

• This reduction in temperature results in condensation of

the heavier hydrocarbons in the inlet gas.
REFRIGERATED LEAN OIL ABSORPTION
REFRIGERATED LEAN OIL ABSORPTION
• Countercurrent flow of gas & lean oil in the absorber.
• The lean oil has also been chilled to aid in NGL
absorption.
• This column has trays or packing which increase the
contact of the gas and lean oil.
• The lean oil physically absorbs the heavier hydrocarbons
from the gas.
• The lighter components stay in the gas and leave the top of
the absorber.
• The oil and absorbed hydrocarbons leave the bottom of the
absorber as “rich oil.”
REFRIGERATED LEAN OIL ABSORPTION
• The rich oil flows to the Rich Oil Demethanizer (ROD)
where heat is applied to the rich oil stream to drive out
the lighter hydrocarbons which were absorbed.
• Some of the cold lean oil is also fed to the top of the
ROD to prevent loss of desirable NGLs from the rich oil.
• The rich oil from the ROD is then fed to a fractionation
tower or “still.”
• The still is operated at a low pressure and the NGLs are
released from the rich oil by the combination of pressure
reduction and heat addition in the still.
REFRIGERATED LEAN OIL ABSORPTION
• The operation of the still is critical to the overall plant
operation as this is not only the point where the desired
product is produced, but the lean oil quality from the
bottom of the column is important in the absorption of
NGLs in the absorber.
• The refrigeration required for the oil and gas chilling and
the heat inputs to the ROD and still are the key parameters
which must be controlled to operate a lean oil plant
efficiently.
 REDUCTION OF HYDROCARBON
DEW POINT

Two methods can be used to reduce the

hydrocarbon dew point:
 Expansion refrigeration in an LTS
 Mechanical refrigeration system
 LOW TEMPERATURE SEPARATION
• If sufficient pressure is available, the removal
can be accomplished by expansion refrigeration
in an LTS (Low Temperature Separation) unit.
• The expansion refrigeration system uses the
Joule-Thomson effect to reduce the gas
temperature upon expansion.
• This temperature reduction results in not only
hydrocarbon liquid condensation but also water
condensation.
 LOW TEMPERATURE SEPARATION
• The water is generally removed as hydrates in this
process, melted and removed.
• Thus, the process can actually accomplish dew point
control of both water and hydrocarbon in a single unit.
• The hydrocarbon and water dew points achievable with
this process are limited by the pressure differential
available as well as the composition of the feed gas.
• It is an attractive process step if sufficient liquid
removal can be achieved at the available operating
conditions.
LOW TEMPERATURE SEPARATION
• A further modification to this process is to add glycol
injection to the high pressure gas to allow the
achievement of lower water dew points when
available pressure is limited.
• The use of the glycol eliminates the need to heat the
LTS liquid phase and helps to ensure that no hydrate
formation will block the process equipment upstream
of the LTS separator.
 LOW-TEMPERATURE SEPARATION SYSTEM WITH
GLYCOL INJECTION AND CONDENSATE STABILIZATION
STRAIGHT REFRIGERATION PROCESS
• Often excess pressure is not available to operate an
LTS system.
• An alternative to the expansion refrigeration system
is to utilize a mechanical refrigeration system to
remove heavy hydrocarbon components and reduce
the gas dew point.
• The schematic for a refrigeration dew point control
unit is shown in Fig.
STRAIGHT REFRIGERATION PROCESS
STRAIGHT REFRIGERATION PROCESS
• The gas pressure is generally maintained through the
process allowing for equipment pressure drops.
• The gas is heat exchanged and then cooled by the
refrigeration chiller to a specified temperature.
• Liquid is separated in the cold separator. The
temperature of the separator is set to provide the desired
dew point margin for sales gas operations.
• This temperature specification must take into account the
gas which is recombined from the liquid stabilization
step as well as potential variations in the feed gas
pressure.
STRAIGHT REFRIGERATION PROCESS
• Provision must be made in this process for hydrate
prevention.
• This can be accomplished by either dehydration upstream
of the unit or by integrating the dehydration with the
refrigeration unit.
• Use of glycol injection is usually the most cost effective
means of controlling water dew points.
• The only drawback is that the refrigeration must be in
operation to accomplish the dehydration. If it is desired to
operate the dehydration at times independent of the
refrigeration, then separate units are used.
STRAIGHT REFRIGERATION PROCESS
• The process can be used for high propane recovery
(-40 0F) and in the case of rich gases, for reasonable
quantities of ethane recovery.
• The recovery level is a strong function of the feed gas
pressure, gas composition and temperature level in the
refrigeration chiller.