Skip to main content
European Commission logo print header
Content archived on 2022-12-27

OIL FIELD TESTING OF A NEW COMPACT SEPARATOR OF 25,000 BBL/DAY CAPACITY

Objective

Test a new separator concept for off-shore oil production, incorporating novel features for improved gas, oil and water separation, resulting in reduced weight for both vessel and structure.
The testing of the BERTIN three-phase compact separator on the OBAGI oilfield (ELF NIGERIA) occured according to the programme laid down. The tests made it possible to set the figure for the separator practical operating capacity in its present state at 15,000 bbl/d. This figure corresponds to that of separators currently used in off-shore production.
Under such conditions, the gain in volume and in ground surface area in relation to a conventional horizontal separator with equivalent performance is very considerable.
The BERTIN separator has a tank volume of 11 m3 as against 26 m3 for an equivalent classical horizontal separator and a ground surface area of 2 m2 as against 18 m2.
Naturally, these advantages are slightly attenuated if one considers the entire skidmounted separator rather than the tank, but they are still highly appreciable when considered from the point of view of a policy of price reduction involving a reduction of the load at the head of the structures.
Also, all the improvements proposed should make it possible to increase the separator capacity from 15 to 20 or 25,000 bbl/d (which is the practical capacity limit found on a platform) and, by a long-duration campaign on an off-shore production platform, to prepare the marketing of the apparatus.
Even now, it is already possible to anticipate the following off-shore applications for the BERTIN three-phase compact separator :
. 1st stage HP separator
. 2nd stage MP separator
. test separator
The current project is the test of a 25 000 BBL/day separator under true oil field operating conditions. The program is comprised of the following phases :
1. Preparation of a 25 000 BBL/day compact separator for the tests. Design, procurement and setting of the necessary control and safety devices.
2. Shipment of the skid and erection of same on the Obagi Site.
3. Test of performance under various flow rate and GOR configurations : oil in gas, gas in oil, water in oil, oil in water.

Call for proposal

Data not available

Coordinator

Bertin & Cie
EU contribution
No data
Address
59 rue Pierre Curie Zone Industrielle des Gatines
78373 Plaisir
France

See on map

Total cost
No data