Apparatus and method for gravity separation and contained oil and natural gas production systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10639563-B2
Application number	US-201615755559-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 26, 2016
Priority date	Aug 27, 2015
Publication date	May 5, 2020
Grant date	May 5, 2020

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an apparatus for gravity separation, which comprises a plurality of gravity separation modules. Each of the gravity separation modules comprises an inlet, a first outlet, a first conduit connecting the inlet and the first outlet, a second outlet located vertically different from the first outlet, a second conduit in communication with the second outlet, and a plurality of third conduits connecting the first conduits and the second conduits. The present disclosure also relates to a corresponding method for gravity separation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for gravity separation, the apparatus comprising:
a plurality of gravity separation modules, each gravity separation module comprising:
an inlet,
a first outlet,
a first conduit connecting the inlet and the first outlet,
a second outlet located vertically different from the first outlet,
a second conduit in communication with the second outlet, and
a plurality of third conduits connecting the first conduit and the second conduit,
wherein the first conduit of one of two adjacent gravity separation modules extends from the corresponding inlet in a first direction, and the first conduit of the other of two adjacent gravity separation modules extends from the corresponding inlet in a second direction that is different from the first direction.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein all of the first conduits extend in parallel from the corresponding inlets.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the inlets of the plurality of gravity separation modules are in communication with each other and the corresponding first conduits.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the second outlets of the plurality of gravity separation modules are in communication with each other and the corresponding second conduits.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the second outlets of the plurality of gravity separation module are in communication with each other and the corresponding inlets.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first product outlet, and
a fourth conduit in communication with the first outlets and the first product outlet.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the first product outlet is in communication with all of the first outlets.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 , further comprising a separation inlet in communication with the second outlet of the last of the gravity separation modules, and a first separation outlet in communication with the separation inlet and the first product outlet.

9. The apparatus of claim 6 , further comprising a second product outlet in communication with the second outlet of the last of the gravity separation modules.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the second product outlet is in communication with at least one of the first outlets.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising a separation inlet in communication with the second outlet of the last of the gravity separation modules, and a second separation outlet in communication with the separation inlet and the second product outlet.

12. An oil and gas production system comprising the apparatus of claim 1 .

13. An apparatus for gravity separation, the apparatus comprising:
a plurality of gravity separation modules, each gravity separation module comprising:
an inlet,
a first outlet,
a first conduit connecting the inlet and the first outlet,
a second outlet located vertically different from the first outlet,
a second conduit in communication with the second outlet, and
a plurality of third conduits connecting the first conduit and the second conduit,
wherein the first conduits of some adjacent gravity separation modules extend in parallel from corresponding inlets along a first direction and the first conduits of some adjacent gravity separation modules extend in parallel from corresponding inlets along a second direction that is different from the first direction.

Assignees

• Gen Electric
• Vetco Gray Scandinavia As

Inventors

• Xiong Rihua
• Xia Jiyang
• Zhang Chenqian
• Zhou Ying
• Lei Ming

Classifications

• B01D21/02

  Settling tanks {with single outlets for the separated liquid} · CPC title

• B01D19/0042

  modifying the liquid flow (B01D19/0021 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B01D21/0051 Primary

  Plurality of tube like channels · CPC title

• B01D17/0208 Primary

  by sedimentation · CPC title

• B01D17/0214

  with removal of one of the phases · CPC title