Question

1)

a. What is a production, or high-pressure (HP), separator?

b. In produced-water treatment, what are hydrocyclones used for? Where are hydrocyclones usually placed?

c. Why is a high water content not desirable in oil?

d. How does a water skimmer work? Where is it usually placed with respect to the hydrocyclone or separator?

Answer 1

A) The separators are used in commercial and industrial applications. Separators are vessels used to separate fluid produced from gas and oil wells into liquid and gaseous components. Separators helps in the reduction of environmental pollution by efficiently removing grease and hydrocarbons from waste water. The equipment treats oil and ensures that waste water complies with discharge standards. High-pressure separators operate as high as 2,000 psi. 9.9 m3 (245°F)

B) Hydrocyclones is a technology used by High-pressure separators used below-the-ground operations. These devices used to treat produced water in the petroleum industry and employed especially at offshore fields, due to restrictions of charge and space. A hydrocyclone will normally have a cylindrical section at the top where liquid is being fed tangentially, and a conical base. The angle, and hence length of the conical section, plays a role in determining operating characteristics. Determining the appropriate technology to use depends on the site-specific requirements, and the intensity and quality of the generated waste.

Several factors may affect the performance of the oil/water separation by hydrocyclones. Among these factors are the geometry and processing capacity of the hydrocyclones, oil droplet size, density difference between the phases, pressure drops, and temperature fluctuation.

c) When extracted from an oil reservoir, the crude oil will contain some amount of water. Water affects oil. It promotes oxidation of the oil and washes out some additives which are attracted to water. It will typically separate to the bottom. It hydrolyzes and reacts with petroleum components and dissolved elements. Also produces highly corrosive by-products. Infact, water reacts with walls of the container and which mixes as the oxidized product in oil.

d) Water skimmers are equipments used in treating water during water treating facilities before the water can be disposed of. The amount of oil left in the water from a separator is normally between 100 and 2,000 ppm by mass. Hydrocyclones require a pressure drop in excess of 100 psi to work well and would usually be placed between a separator and its water-level control valve. In addition to removing oil from the water, hydrocyclones have a tendency to coalesce the remaining oil droplets in the water streams, making the droplets easier to separate with the downstream equipment. Water skimmers use gravity separation to remove the remaining oil from produced water and are usually placed downstream of separators or hydrocyclones.