Savvy Separator

This 17th article in the Savvy Separator Series addresses how process flow conditions can lead to incorrect or misinterpreted level readings. Poor process vessel design is often exacerbated by miscalibrated instrumentation, leading to suboptimal operation and poor efficiency of the separator. In some cases, the location of the instrumentation can also lead to erroneou…

Richard Arntzen, senior process engineer and principal technical expert with Shell, will be presenting an SPE Separations Technology Technical Section Webinar on 22 April.

The newly launched video series featuring speaker Bob Chin, the creator and editor of the OGF Savvy Separator Series of articles, provides a basic level of understanding of separator design and troubleshooting.

For as long as anyone can remember, the liquid carry-over separation efficiency of 0.1 gal/MMscf has been ubiquitously specified in separator design. This article provides the most likely scenario of its evolution.  

Process design of separation internals is just one step in improving the vessel performance. Just as important are the support design and installation steps. These lessons learned help to guide good off- and on-site planning to minimize separator turnaround.

Troubleshooting and solving separation problems takes a combination of analytical tools, experience, and a knack for investigation. These 5 lessons provide a starting point for assessment.

Oversizing a separator ensures meeting the life cycle needs of a facility, but are we setting ourselves up for failure in the long run? With peak rates typically being short-lived at best, or at worse, well beyond actual production rates, more weight needs to be given to the tail-end of production.

This article highlights some of the code and registration issues the Savvy Separator engineer encounters when retrofitting a vessel with internals to improve or restore the process performance of the separator.

By understanding the factors involved in oil droplet coalescence, the Savvy Separator engineer can assess the operational/chemical factors in the treatment system that are affecting droplet growth and make adjustments to enhance coalescence rates. 

In this tenth article of the series, the author focuses primarily on specific operational elements of troubleshooting rather than the mechanical design of the separator.