Field Production Handling

Wells produce mixed fluids under pressure. Production separators provide controlled environment where gas breaks out, oil accumulates, and water settles. Separated streams route to appropriate handling - gas to compression or sales, oil to storage tanks, water to disposal or treatment.

Horizontal Configuration

Horizontal vessels work best for oil production handling high liquid volumes. Length provides retention time for water settling. Gas section at inlet end disengages vapor. Oil collects in middle zone. Water settles to far end. Internal weirs control liquid depths maintaining phase boundaries.

Operating Pressure

Design pressure matches wellhead flowing pressure typically 100-1000 psig. Lower pressure increases gas liberation but may restrict well flow. Higher pressure keeps light ends in liquid but requires larger vessel. Pressure selection balances production rate versus separation efficiency.

Three-Phase Separation

Inlet diverter spreads flow preventing mixing. Gas bubbles out rising to vapor space. Oil layer floats on water due to density difference. Coalescing plates enhance oil-water separation. Retention time typically 5-20 minutes depending on crude properties and water content.

Material Selection

Carbon steel for sweet crude. NACE materials where H2S present. Internal coatings resist corrosion from produced water containing salts, CO2, and bacteria. Sand production requires erosion-resistant inlet components.

Level Control

Interface controller maintains oil-water boundary using capacitance or displacer instruments. Oil level control regulates total liquid height. Water and oil dump valves respond to level signals. Controllers prevent water in oil outlet or oil loss through water discharge.

Applications

Lease automatic custody transfer units, central tank batteries, satellite production facilities, enhanced recovery operations, and any crude production requiring field separation. Capacities range from 1000 to 100,000 barrels per day.

Water Quality

Target oil outlet contains under 1-3% water meeting pipeline or refinery specifications. Water outlet minimizes oil content typically under 1000 ppm before disposal treatment. Clean separation reduces downstream processing costs.

Performance Factors

Temperature affects viscosity and density difference. Chemical demulsifiers break tight emulsions. Gas content impacts level control. Varying production rates challenge separation. Design accommodates field conditions and fluid properties.

Construction Standards

Design per ASME Section VIII or API 12J for production equipment. Materials suitable for crude oil, gas, and produced water. Relief sizing per API 521. Complete documentation with separator calculations.

ERGIL production separators provide reliable field separation maximizing oil recovery while meeting water quality and gas handling requirements.