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    Solids Handling

    Uploaded by

    Alberto darian
    subsea solid handling

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    Solids Handling

    Uploaded by

    Alberto darian
    150 views12 pages
    subsea solid handling

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

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    subsea solid handling

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    150 views12 pages

    Solids Handling

    Uploaded by

    Alberto darian
    subsea solid handling

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 12

    Separation Systems

    Solids Handling

    Solids Handling
    Solids in the production
    stream can lead to wear, poor
    performance and blockages
    in the production system.
    The challenge when removing
    solids from the production
    stream is do this with high
    efficiency, at a low pressure
    drop and while ensuring
    small particle removal.
    FMC Technologies Solids
    Handling Systems meet all
    of these criteria.

    Photo (Heidrun Platform): Statoil

    Benefits
    Increase production
    Avoid expensive shut-downs
    Minimize wear and damage to equipment reducing
    maintenance cost
    Compact systems: Highly efficient sand removal and
    handling with a small footprint

    Separation Systems
    The separation company major oil companies go
    to with their most challenging projects
    Maximum return on investment through extensive
    experience and know-how
    The only separation company with a proven track
    record with inline separation equipment
    The leading company in subsea separation
    Develops out-of-the-box solutions for the separation
    challenges of tomorrow
    The only supplier of sand removal and desanding
    technologies with experience based on challenging
    subsea applications

    Solids Handling Challenges


    Solids are undesirable when producing oil and gas.
    They can lead to problems like wear, which can affect
    choke valves, pumps, compressors, piping and hydrocyclones. Other problems caused by solids are blockages of
    instrument nozzles and a negative impact on separation
    equipment such as the clogging of filters, blocking of
    hydrocyclones and filling up of separators.
    Solids are not always expected but can occur for a v ariety
    of reasons. For example due to an increase in the gas-oil
    ratio (e.g. due to gas injection), low-pressure production,
    increased water production, well clean up or well/sand
    collapse.

    Solids, no problem
    anymore

    Solutions
    Well-stream
    desanding, bulk
    separation of larger
    sand particles
    (>~100 microns)
    1

    Sand removal
    system for separator
    vessels

    Fine solids
    separation from water
    streams (1-50microns)
    3

    Desanding from
    sand slurry streams
    (~5 microns)

    Sand cleaning
    system

    To gas processing

    To oil treatment
    3
    4

    Subsea
    oil
    gas
    water
    Sand

    5
    Sand handling
    system

    FMC Technologies design complete solutions for removing


    the sand from the production stream and for handling the
    sand for disposal. Our portfolio consists of highly efficient
    and compact sand handling systems for removing sand
    from single or multiphase streams, systems for removing
    sand from separator vessels, as well as sand cleaning
    solutions.
    We are the only supplier of sand removal and desanding
    technologies with experience of the challenging subsea
    applications.

    Clean sand

    Subsea Sand Handling Experience


    Marlim Subsea Separation System
    The Petrobras Marlim Project is the worlds first system for deepwater
    subsea separation of heavy oil and water that includes water reinjection to
    boost production in a mature field development.
    The Marlim system is the most complex subsea processing
    project carried out to date. The water is separated from the
    well-stream and re-injected back into the reservoir. This is the
    first application where the produced water is used for
    pressure maintenance of the reservoir as part of the subsea
    separation operation and also the first subsea heavy oil
    application.
    The system includes a PipeSeparator concept, separating the
    water from the well stream and a water treatment system
    using InLine HydroCyclones.

    equipment and to avoid sand accumulation. It also contains a


    dual redundant Sand Jetting System in the outlet section of
    the PipeSeparator, and an InLine DeSander for removing the
    smallest particles in the water stream from the separator to
    protect the re-injection well and reservoir. The separated sand
    is routed with the oil to the topside facility.
    All the separation and sand handling equipment has been
    tested as part of the technology qualification program started
    Q4 2009, and was completed Q2 2010. The Marlim system
    was successfully installed in Q4 2011.

    The sand handling system includes an InLine DeSander at the


    inlet of the separation system. This removes most of the sand,
    from the multiphase well stream, to protect the downstream

    First Subsea InLine Desander application

    Through the Sand Tolerance Qualification Project we


    have demonstrated our ability to develop wear-resistant
    hydrocyclones. In fact, this is the worlds first subsea
    hydrocyclone. The development focused on process
    design and material selection to ensure maximum
    sand tolerance, while accelerated erosion tests were
    conducted to create alternative solutions. The tests
    demonstrated excellent sand tolerance, and this
    successful technology is now being manufactured and
    will be integrated in the system.

    The system receives the production stream, a mixture of oil,


    gas, water and sand, and separates the gas from the liquids.
    Next, the heavy oil is separated from the water using a novel
    pipe separation design that was licensed and developed in
    cooperation with Statoil. The system also integrates
    Separation Systems proprietary water treatment and sand
    handling technologies as part of the subsea separation
    system. The separated gas is added back to the oil stream
    to provide gas lift to the FPU, while the separated water is
    injected back into the reservoir to further increase
    production.
    Sand Removal Application for:
    Multiphase / Heavy oil

    Enhance the Gas-Liquid and Liquid-Liquid Separation

    Reduce frequency of flushing of separators
    Produced Water

    Protection of downstream equipment and reinjection
    pump

    Tordis Subsea Separation Boosting and Injection


    Tordis is recognized as one of the most important breakthrough technology
    milestones for subsea in recent years.

    The Tordis system is a water and sand separation and re-injection system. The water and sand are separated from the wellstream in a semi-compact separator vessel, where the sand
    separates and accumulates at the bottom. The vessel includes
    a sand removal system which is operated by high-pressure
    water from the water injection pump. This system is a dual
    redundant system with two independent technologies:
    A Sand Jetting system as the primary sand removal
    system.
    A cyclonic sand removal system which can be
    operated as a back-up in case of a potential failure of
    the main sand removal system.

    The removed sand is conveyed in batches to a desander


    and sand accumulator vessel. The accumulated sand is pressurized and goes to the discharge side of the water injection
    pump. All the separated sand is injected with the water. The
    sand handling system ensures that the water injection pump
    does not need to handle significant amounts of sand.
    The Tordis sand handling system was qualified through a
    Subsea Separation and Sand Handling System Qualification
    Program at FMCs facilities in The Netherlands during 2003
    and 2004. The InLine DeSander/sand accumulator was
    qualified as part of the Technology Qualification Program
    of the Tordis project in 2005.

    As the first deepwater subsea processing system in West Africa which includes
    subsea gas/liquid separation Pazflor is another of FMCs milestone projects.

    Pazflor Subsea Separation System


    The Pazflor system is a subsea gas-liquid separation and
    liquid boosting system. The separator removes the gas
    from the liquid, so that the liquid can be pumped while
    gas flows freely to the surface. The Pazflor project includes
    three subsea separation stations, each including one separator and two hybrid boosting pumps.

    The separator is designed to prevent sand accumulation.


    In addition, a sand handling system including a proprietary
    sand-flushing arrangement is installed as a back-up
    solution to remove any build-up of sand during operation.
    The sand handling was qualified as part of the Technology
    Qualification Program during an extensive separation and
    sand handling qualification program in 2008.

    Operating principle of the InLine DeSander


    Upon entering the cyclone, the fluids are given a swirling
    motion by a specially designed swirl element. Light phases
    (water, oil and gas) leave the separation section through
    the centre opening. The solids collect on the outside of the
    middle pipe section. This pipe section is tapered and thus
    guides the solids into a concentrated stream, which is taken
    to the solid outlet. The multiphase (gas-liquid) stream that
    was separated into the inner pipe is passed to the outer
    pipe through openings in the swirl element blades.

    Features
    InLine design (easily incorporated in existing pipe
    routing, low weight and space requirement)
    0-50% gas-liquid ratio
    Minimal reject-flow required
    Low dependency between efficiency and sand load
    Good turndown
    Can be installed horizontally or vertically
    Unit length 5-10 x ID

    Swirl element to impart swirl flow and G-forces for separation.


    
    Separation section: the sand is pushed out to the side wall
    while the liquid or multiphase flow leaves the separation
    section through centre openings.

    Performance of the InLine DeSander


    For a given flow a single unit, a few large units, or multiple
    smaller units can be used. Benefits of using multiple smaller units
    is that the G-force will be higher and thus smaller size particles
    can be separated. The advantage of the larger units is that these
    are more robust when separating larger particles and are better
    at handling large amounts of sand.

    Swirl element &


    Separation chamber

    Diameter

    Design Flow Rate


    m3/h

    Max. Inlet Sand


    Load kg/h

    1"

    100

    6"

    120

    6400

    12"

    600

    32000

    From: 1 - 100 microns

    100 %

    Sand extraction

    96 %

    Liquid/gas stream
    with sand particles

    500 Kg.

    Sand stream

    499 Kg.

    Sand free
    liquid/gas

    1 Kg.

    Separating smaller particles efficiently

    Case study: Hassi Messaoud


    Performance
    The guaranteed performance for the unit is to achieve a
    solid content of less than 30 ppm (wt) based on an inlet
    condition of less than 500 ppm (vol) of solids. The oil
    content is approximately 400 ppm (vol) of oil in water.
    The collection vessel is equipped with a Sandwash System
    for automated disposal of the sand.
    Layout of an InLine DeSander for Hassi Messaoud in Algeria,
    used to remove sand from the produced water stream before it is
    routed to the produced water system. The unit used a bundle of
    three smaller 3" units to separate smaller particles efficiently.

    Sand Removal Efficiency

    92 %

    88 %

    84 %

    0%

    1"
    Diameter

    4"

    6"

    10"

    12"

    Case study: the Heidrun platform


    The stream being handled here is the sand-wash outlet
    stream from a separator, which contains not only sand but
    also a large amount of wash water from the separator. This
    water exceeds the handling capacity of the solids disposal
    system and thus the sand needs to be concentrated before
    disposal.

    Photo: Statoil/Kjetil Alsvi

    The Heidrun platform

    Performance
    Sand removal efficiency average
    100
    Sand removed / wt %

    90
    80
    70
    60
    50
    40

    10

    20
    Flow /

    30

    40

    50

    60

    m3/h

    270 micron
    200 micron
    150 micron
    HD Sand

    Separation efficiency achieved by the InLine DeSander installed


    on the Heidrun platform. Test sands with different mean particle
    sizes and the actual Heidrun (HD) sand were separated from the
    liquid stream at different flow rates. The shaded green area
    indicates the required performance and operating envelope.

    The schematic layout of the InLine DeSander shows the way the
    unit was installed on the Heidrun platform. The inlet pipe
    (purple) is connected to the InLine Desander (pink) from the top.
    The liquid outlet is on the side connected to the liquid outlet
    piping (red). The solids outlet is on the bottom of the InLine
    DeSander and connected to the solid collection vessel (yellow).

    Test skid
    Defining solutions for sand handling challenges requires
    predicting how the technologies will perform on actual
    facilities. An indication of the suitability of a certain technology can be obtained from laboratory tests. However,
    this is never a 100% guarantee that it will work at specific
    facilities.
    For that reason Separation Systems provides test skids
    that can be hooked up to a slipstream of the process
    stream. In this way an accurate indication can be obtained
    of the efficiency that our technical solution will have in
    your production facilities and you can be assured of
    success when the equipment is finally installed.

    We have the following test skids available:


    InLine DeWaterer
    InLine HydroCyclone

    Other solutions by
    Separation Systems
    Production Improvements
    Compact Total Separation Systems
    Heavy Oil production
    Efficiency Improvement and Troubleshooting
    Produced Water

    The InLine- DeGasser, DeSander, PhaseSplitter, DeWaterer and DeLiquidiser are patented by Statoil and FMC has exclusive worldwide
    license to sell this technology.

    Copyright August 2010 | FMC Technologies

    www.fmctechnologies.com/separation

    FMC Technologies
    1777 Gears Road
    Houston TX 77067
    USA
    Phone: +1 281 591 4000

    FMC Technologies
    Separation Systems
    Delta 101
    6825 MN Arnhem
    The Netherlands
    Phone: +31 (0)26 7999100

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