Separator (oil production)
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A separator for petroleum production is a large drum designed to separate production fluids into their constituent components of oil, gas and water. It works on the principle that the three components have different densities, which allows them to stratify when moving slowly with gas on top, water on the bottom and oil in the middle. Any solids such as sand will also settle in the bottom of the separator.
Gas can be removed from the top of the drum by virtue of being gas. Oil and water are separated by a baffle at the end of the separator, which is set at a height close to the oil-water contact, allowing oil to spill over onto the other side, while trapping water on the near side. The two fluids can then be piped out of the separator from their respective sides of the baffle.
The Separator will only achieve bulk separation. The smaller droplets of water will not settle by gravity and will remain in the oil stream. Normally the oil from the Separator is routed to a Coalescer to further reduce the water content.
[edit] See also
- Natural gas condensate
- Oil production plant
- Demister ( wiremesh type & vanepack type )
- Schoepentoetoer
- Cyclone separator
- Plate pack coalescer
- Vapor-liquid separator
- Stokes' law
