Technical Definition and Description - Assignment Example

The main purpose of production in any petrochemical industry remains the separation of oil, gas and water, which is present in the well stream. While two-phase separators do the job of separating oil and gas, the three components are separated in three phase separators. While two-phase separators are used for separating the liquid content from gas, the three phase ones also separate the water content of the crude from gas and liquid. However, different types of separators used for the phase separation are briefly detailed below.

After hitting an inlet diverter, the fluid faces a sudden momentum change that ensures separation of liquid and vapor at this point, in such separators. The liquid droplets fall into the bottom of the vessel due to gravity. A level controller regulates the liquid dump valve, after sensing the change in the level of liquid. While a two-phase separator breaks the fluids of well into gas and liquids, a three-phase one separates incoming oil stream into gas, water and oil. Both processes use horizontal or vertical separators for this purpose.

(Oil Field, nd) The reasons for following the separation process include relatively cheaper methods of separating oil and gas, by two-phase separators. As water produced in the process can corrode the piping and equipment, downstream, the third phase, involving water separation, saves such equipment from damage and cost towards replacing it. The well production increases due to reduction in back pressure, which is possible after phase separation. This in-turn reduces the required energy consumption.

Phase separators are used to separate gas, oil and water as these components form part of the crude stream coming directly from a well. While the two-phase separators are responsible for separating gas/vapor and liquid, three-phase ones remove free water from such crude oil, along with separation of other two