Separation system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12521649-B2
Application number	US-202217951767-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 23, 2022
Priority date	Jun 23, 2017
Publication date	Jan 13, 2026
Grant date	Jan 13, 2026

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to a separation system having a first inlet line through which a multiphase fluid is directed; a first separator connected to the first inlet line, the first separator being configured to separate the fluid into a heavy fraction primarily comprising solids and a light fraction primarily comprising gas, oil and water, the first separator comprising a heavy fraction outlet for discharge of the heavy fraction and a light fraction outlet for discharge of the light fraction; a heavy fraction outlet line connected to the heavy fraction outlet; a light fraction outlet line connected to the light fraction outlet; a second inlet line connected to the light fraction outlet line; a second separator connected to the second inlet line, the second separator being configured to separate the light fraction into separate gas, oil and water fractions, and the second separator comprising a gas outlet for discharge of the gas fraction, an oil outlet for discharge of the oil fraction, and a water outlet for discharge of the water fraction; a gas line connected to the gas outlet, an oil line connected to the oil outlet and a water line connected to the water outlet; a plurality of electrically operated valves for controlling fluid flow through respective ones of said lines; a plurality of sensors for measuring respective characteristics of the fluid; and a system controller configured to operate the valves based on inputs from the sensors to thereby control fluid flow through said lines.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A separation system comprising:
a first inlet line through which a multiphase fluid is directed; a first separator connected to the first inlet line, the first separator being configured to separate the fluid into a heavy fraction primarily comprising solids and a light fraction primarily comprising gas, oil and water, the first separator comprising a heavy fraction outlet for discharge of the heavy fraction and a light fraction outlet for discharge of the light fraction; a heavy fraction outlet line connected to the heavy fraction outlet; a light fraction outlet line connected to the light fraction outlet; a second inlet line connected to the light fraction outlet line; a second separator connected to the second inlet line, the second separator being configured to separate the light fraction into separate gas, oil and water fractions, and the second separator comprising a gas outlet for discharge of the gas fraction, an oil outlet for discharge of the oil fraction, and a water outlet for discharge of the water fraction; a gas line connected to the gas outlet, an oil line connected to the oil outlet and a water line connected to the water outlet; a plurality of electrically operated valves for controlling fluid flow through respective ones of said lines; a plurality of sensors for measuring respective characteristics of the fluid; and a system controller configured to operate the valves based on inputs from the sensors to thereby control fluid flow through said lines; wherein said plurality of valves includes a first valve positioned in the first inlet line, wherein said plurality of sensors includes a first pressure sensor positioned in the first inlet line, and wherein the system controller is configured to determine a pressure of the fluid in the first inlet line based on inputs from the first pressure sensor and, if said pressure reaches a predetermined value, to generate an alarm and/or close the first valve.

2 . The separation system of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of sensors includes a second pressure sensor positioned in the light fraction outlet line, and wherein the system controller is configured to determine a differential pressure across the first separator based on inputs from the first and second pressure sensors and, if the differential pressure across the first separator reaches a predetermined value, to generate an alarm and/or close the first valve.

3 . The separation system of claim 2 , further comprising a choke manifold connected between the light fraction outlet line and the second inlet line, wherein said plurality of sensors includes a third pressure sensor positioned in the second inlet line, and wherein the system controller is configured to determine a differential pressure across the choke manifold based on inputs from the second and third pressure sensors and, if the differential pressure across the choke manifold reaches a predetermined high value or drops to a predetermined low value, to generate an alarm and/or close the first valve.

4 . The separation system of claim 2 , wherein said plurality of valves includes a second valve positioned in the second inlet line, wherein said plurality of sensors includes a third pressure sensor positioned in the second inlet line, and wherein the system controller is configured to determine a pressure of the fluid in the second inlet line based on inputs from the third pressure sensor and to operate the second valve to thereby adjust said pressure.

5 . The separation system of claim 4 , wherein the system controller is configured to close the second valve if the pressure of the fluid in the second inlet line reaches a predetermined value.

6 . The separation system of claim 1 , wherein:
the second separator is configured to separate the light fraction into a first fraction primarily comprising the gas fraction and a second fraction primarily comprising the oil and water fractions; the second separator is configured to separate the second fraction into a third fraction primarily comprising the oil fraction and a fourth fraction primarily comprising the water fraction; the second separator comprises an oil/water chamber configured to receive the second fraction and an oil chamber configured to receive the third fraction; and said plurality of sensors comprises at least one of a first level sensor for indicating when a level of the fluid in the oil/water chamber has reached a predetermined high value, a second level sensor for indicating when the level of the fluid in the oil/water chamber has reached a predetermined low value, a third level sensor for measuring the level of the fluid in the oil/water chamber, a fourth level sensor for measuring a level of an oil/water interface of the fluid in the oil/water chamber, a fifth level sensor for indicating when a level of the fluid in the oil chamber has reached a predetermined high value, a sixth level sensor for indicating when the level of the fluid in the oil chamber has reached a predetermined low value, and a seventh level sensor for measuring the level of the fluid in the oil chamber.

7 . The separation system of claim 6 , wherein the system controller is configured to close the first valve if the system controller determines from said level sensors that the level of the fluid in the oil/water chamber has reached a predetermined high level, or the level of the oil/water interface of the fluid in the oil/water chamber has dropped to a predetermined low level, or the level of the fluid in the oil chamber has reached a predetermined low level.

8 . The separation system of claim 6 , wherein said plurality of valves includes a second valve positioned in the second inlet line, a third valve positioned in the gas line, a fourth valve positioned in the oil line and a fifth valve positioned in the water line, and wherein the system controller is configured to position the third, fourth and fifth valves to respective predetermined percent open/closed values based on measurements obtained from said level sensors.

9 . The separation system of claim 8 , wherein the system controller is configured such that, if the system controller determines from said level sensors that the level of the oil/water interface of the fluid in the oil/water chamber has reached a predetermined high level, the system controller will open the fifth valve a further amount to thereby increase the flow of water from the oil/water chamber.

10 . The separation system of claim 8 , wherein the system controller is configured such that, if the system controller determines from said level sensors that the level of the fluid in the oil/water chamber has reached a predetermined high level, the system controller will close the third valve and open the fifth valve a further amount to increase the flow of water from the oil/water chamber.

11 . The separation system of claim 8 , wherein said plurality of sensors includes a fourth pressure sensor for measuring a pressure of the fluid in the second separator, and wherein the system controller is configured such that, if the system controller determines from said fourth pressure sensor that the pressure of the fluid in the second separator has reached a predetermined high value, the system controller will close the third valve to thereby force the oil and water fractions out of their respective oil and water outlets and then, once the pressure of the fluid in the second separator has fallen to within a predetermined range, the system controller will open the third valve.

12 . The separation system of claim 8 , wherein said plurality of sensors includes a fourth pressure sensor for measuring a pressure of the flui

Assignees

• Fmc Tech Inc

Inventors

• Malone Ryan
• Rasmussen Eric Joseph
• Chan Isabel
• Van Asperen Victor
• Baaren Sander Guido

Classifications

• E21B43/34

  Arrangements for separating materials produced by the well · CPC title

• E21B43/35

  specially adapted for separating solids (down-hole drilling fluid separation systems E21B21/002; separating solids from drilling fluids E21B21/065) · CPC title

• B01D19/0042

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

• B01D2221/04

  Separation devices for treating liquids from earth drilling, mining · CPC title

• B01D21/30

  Control equipment · CPC title