Inline separator with gas flashing

Abstract

A system for improved water separation from oil and gas production is described. In one aspect, a system for improved water separation from oil and gas production is provided. The system includes a system for water separation from oil and gas production, comprising an inlet section configured to receive a production stream line, the inlet section comprising a gas disengagement system comprising a flow control vessel and a gas disengagement line coupled to the flow control vessel, a stratification section downstream of the inlet section, the stratification section comprising a mixing device coupled to the gas disengagement system and a stratification line disposed downstream of the mixing device, wherein the stratification line comprises at least one 180° turn, and a separator section, comprising a separator coupled to the stratification line and one or more recycle lines fluidly coupled to the separator.

Description

SLB Ref. No.: IS24.1148-WO-PCTINLINE SEPARATOR WITH GAS FLASHINGCROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 688,345, filed August 29, 2024, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.BACKGROUNDField of the Disclosure

[0002] The present disclosure is related to apparatuses and methods for separating wellhead components, in particular, related to apparatuses and method for separating components of a wellhead production stream.Background

[0003] This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure, which are described and / or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.

[0004] Fluid streams containing oil, gas and water are formed from the extraction and production of oil and gas from formations beneath the sea bed. The presence of free water during production may cause issues in production systems, such as the overloading and corroding of piping and equipment. The removal of such free water thus alleviates such issues.

[0005] A free water knockout (FWKO) is a production vessel for separating free water from oil and gas at a wellhead. Conventional FWKO designs use a pipe-shaped separator body with an inlet and outlet cross-section that principally corresponds to the transport pipe to which the pipe separator is connected. “Principally” means that the separator body may have a slightly larger diameter that is necessary to achieve stratified gas, oil and water flows in the separator. However, such conventional designs are inefficient in separating free water from oil and gas at a wellhead.SLB Ref. No.: IS24.1148-WO-PCT

[0006] There is a need to provide an improved solution in free water separation to improve the efficiency of such processes.SUMMARY

[0007] The present disclosure is related to apparatuses and methods for separating wellhead components. Embodiments described herein provide apparatuses and method related to separating oil, water, and gas.

[0008] In one aspect, a system for improved water separation from oil and gas production is provided. The system includes a system for water separation from oil and gas production, comprising an inlet section configured to receive a production stream line, the inlet section comprising a gas disengagement system comprising a flow control vessel and a gas disengagement line coupled to the flow control vessel, a stratification section downstream of the inlet section, the stratification section comprising a mixing device coupled to the gas disengagement system and a stratification line disposed downstream of the mixing device, wherein the stratification line comprises at least one 180° turn, and a separator section, comprising a separator coupled to the stratification line and one or more recycle lines fluidly coupled to the separator.

[0009] In another aspect a method for separating water from oil and gas production is provided. The method including providing a production stream comprising water, oil, and gas, providing a pressure drop for the production stream to form gas bubbles, stratifying the oil and gas from the water, and separating the water from the production stream.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0010] The appended figures illustrate only exemplary embodiments and are therefore not to be considered limiting of the scope of the disclosure, as the disclosure may admit to other equally effective embodiments.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a top schematic view of one embodiment of a system for water separation.

[0012] FIG. 2 is a side schematic view of one embodiment of a system for water separation.

[0013] FIG. 3 is another side schematic view of one embodiment of a system for water separation.SLB Ref. No.: IS24.1148-WO-PCT

[0014] FIG. 4 is a perspective schematic view of one embodiment of a system for water separation.

[0015] FIG. 5 is an isometric view of another embodiment of a system for water separation.

[0016] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a system for water separation, according to one or more examples of the disclosure.

[0017] FIG. 7 illustrates entrainment of oil from the production stream into bubbles.

[0018] FIG. 8 is a flow diagram of a process for water separation according to one or more embodiments of the disclosure.

[0019] FIG. 9 is a chart of outputs from production streams through an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0020] To facilitate understanding, identical reference numerals have been used, where possible, to designate identical elements that are common to the figures. It is contemplated that elements and features of one embodiment may be beneficially incorporated in other embodiments without further recitation.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] This patent application describes inventive apparatuses and methods, including embodiments thereof. As used herein, “embodiments” refers to non-limiting examples disclosed herein, whether claimed or not, which may be employed or present alone or in any combination or permutation with one or more other embodiments. Each embodiment disclosed herein should be regarded both as an added feature to be used with one or more other embodiments, as well as an alternative to being used separately or in lieu of one or more other embodiments. It should be understood that no limitation of the scope of the claimed subject matter is thereby intended, any alterations and further modifications in the illustrated embodiments, and any further applications of the principles of the application as illustrated therein would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the disclosure relates are contemplated herein.

[0022] In the following description, numerous details are set forth to provide an understanding of some embodiments of the present disclosure. It is to be understood that the following disclosure provides many different aspects, or examples, for implementing different features of various embodiments. Specific examples of components andSLB Ref. No.: IS24.1148-WO-PCT arrangements are described below to simplify the disclosure. These are, of course, merely examples and are not intended to be limiting. However, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the system and / or methodology may be practiced without these details and that numerous variations or modifications from the described aspects are possible. This description is not to be taken in a limiting sense but rather made merely for the purpose of describing general principles of the implementations. The scope of the implementations described should be ascertained with reference to the claims issued.

[0023] Illustrative examples of the subject matter claimed below will now be disclosed. In the interest of clarity, not all features of an actual implementation are described in this specification. It will be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, numerous implementation-specific decisions may be made to achieve the developers’ specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which will vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it will be appreciated that such a development effort, even if complex and timeconsuming, would be a routine undertaking for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure.

[0024] Aspects of the present disclosure provide systems and methods for improved water separation from oil and gas production using a separator.

[0025] In one or more embodiments, a system for water separation from oil and gas production including an inlet section comprising a gas disengagement system and the gas disengagement system comprises flow control vessel and a gas disengagement line coupled to the flow control vessel, a stratification section comprising a mixing device coupled to the gas disengagement system and a stratification line disposed downstream of the mixing device and comprises at least one 180° turn, and a separator section, comprising a separator coupled to the stratification line and one or more recycle lines coupled to the separator.

[0026] Referring to FIGS. 1-4, system 100 includes an inlet section 110, a stratification section 140, and a separator section 170. The production stream is provided to the inlet section 110 by a production stream inlet 105. The production stream inlet 105 is configured to receive a production stream from one or more production lines originating in a production facility.SLB Ref. No.: IS24.1148-WO-PCT

[0027] The inlet section 110 includes a gas disengagement system 120. The gas disengagement system 120 comprises flow control vessel 130 and a gas disengagement line 135 coupled to the flow control vessel 130. The flow control vessel 130 allows for gas in the production stream to disengage from the production stream and reside in the gas disengagement line 135 or be transferred for further processing. The disengaged gas may be provided to a device or line downstream, such as separator 180 for further processing. The flow control vessel may be configured to have a decline from about 2° to about 10° from horizontal to facilitate gas disengagement.

[0028] The flow control vessel 130 may also be configured and sized for controlling the flow of a production stream according to the needs of the producer. A flow control valve 132 may be disposed between the production stream inlet 105 and the flow control vessel 130, to control the downstream flow into the declining flow control vessel 130.

[0029] In one embodiment, the flow control vessel 130 in Fig. 1 may be used for a production stream up to 5000 barrels per day, such as between 3000 barrels per day and about 5000 barrels per day.

[0030] While FIGS 1-4 shows a single gas disengagement line 135, the inlet section may have two or more gas disengagement line based on the requirements of the system.

[0031] The stratification section includes a mixing device 150 fluidly coupled to the flow control vessel 130 and a stratification line 160 disposed downstream of the mixing device 150.

[0032] The mixing device 150 may be a mixing valve, an inline variable mixer, or a combination of both. In one embodiment, a mixing valve and an inline variable mixer are both used and sequentially disposed downstream of the flow control vessel 130. Preferred mixing devices create a pressure drop of less than 1 bar up to 10 bars, such as from about 0.1 bar to about 10 bar, for example about 0.5 bar. The operating pressure of the system may be from 10 bar to 200 bar.

[0033] The production stream comprises water, oil, and gas, with the water-based fluid stream saturated with oil and gas. In a saturated production stream, the oil is in the form of droplets that are dispersed in the water of the stream. It is believed that the pressure drop, such as a pressure drop of less than 1 bar, with the production stream results in the saturated fluid to flash into gas form, which helps the separation of oil and water due to flotation effect. The production stream may be gas saturated at the feed operatingSLB Ref. No.: IS24.1148-WO-PCT pressure of the inline separator. In some embodiments, the production stream comprises mixed components with water being in a free, non-emulsified, state. In some embodiments, the production stream comprises mixed components with water being in an emulsified, state

[0034] A variable mixer is an inline static mixer or an inline high shear mixer, both of which are used to mix fluids or materials continuously within a pipe or tube. It is believed that the variable mixer may generate more gas bubbles to induce flotation effect to enhance oil entrainment into the bubbles and thus improve oil separation from the water than a mixing valve. An example of a variable mixer is an Epcon variable mixer.

[0035] The stratification line 160 includes a post-mixer line portion 162, a turn line portion 164, and a separator feed line portion 166. Stratification line 160 is used to separate, or stratify, the oil from the water based on density differences. The post-mixer line portion 162 also provides for the initial flashing effects of the saturated gas to form bubbles in the production stream.

[0036] In stratification line 160, it is believed that oil droplets will become entrained in the gas bubbles, allowing for increased separation from the water due to gas flotation processes. It is further believed that the fluid dynamics occurring in the turn line portion 164 increases the rate of oil entrainment in the gas bubbles.

[0037] The turn line portion 164 may have one or more 180° turns, and optionally, include one or more additional turns less than 180°. In an embodiment have two or more 180° turns, the 180° turns may have different radii, are separated by straight (or curved) line portion, and may be disposed is a general coiled pattern or spiral pattern. An example of a system having turn line portion 164 may have one or more 180° turns is shown in FIG. 5.

[0038] In another embodiment, the turn line portion 164 may split into two or more sub-lines with each line having a 180° turn. In such an embodiment, the sub-lines may be recombined before entering a separator 180 or each line may be individually fluidly coupled with a separator.

[0039] In an alternative embodiment, the turn line portion 164 may have one or more turns that are more or less than 180° in order to achieve the desired stratification of the production stream as described herein. For example, one or more 90° turns may be used, such as one, two, or even three 90° turns in series.SLB Ref. No.: IS24.1148-WO-PCT

[0040] Additionally, the turn line portion 164 may have one or more line sections of the turn line portion 164 disposed at an angle above or below the plane of the initial turn line portion 164 (as shown in the Figures) in order to meet the design needs of the system based on the requirements need to process the production stream and its components. For example, in embodiments having two or more turns, some turns may be vertically displaced one another or even vertically stacked if the two or more turns are adjacent to one another. For example, an embodiment may have the turn line portion 164 in a vertical spiral pattern as compared to a horizontal like pattern as shown in FIG. 5.

[0041] Additionally, additives that increase bubble formation may be injected into the production stream to increase bubble formation, and thus, increase oil entrainment into the gas bubbles. In one embodiment, the additive may be an injector disposed adjacent to and in fluid communication with the flow control vessel 130 or with the post-mixer line portion 162, or both.

[0042] Referring to FIG. 7, an internal view of the post-mixer line portion 162 fluidly coupled to the mixing device 150 and further illustrating the gas bubble and oil entrainment separation process. The water-based production stream when it is upstream of the mixing device 150 is saturated with gas, and thus the pressure let down after the mixing device 150 may result in flashing out of some of the gas within to form bubbles. In addition, there may be gas flashing in the water where dissolved hydrocarbons may break out from the water. Gas may also be flashed from oil droplets. Small bubbles in the water are efficient for lifting small oil droplets that typically will be the oil that represent the carry under, and the effect of the pressure let down should give additional oil removal, where the concentration of oil in water may be reduced about 100-500 ppm and down to less than 500 ppm, such as less than 200 ppm, and preferably, to less than 100 ppm.

[0043] Referring back to FIGS. 1-4, the post-turn separator feed line portion 166 provides the stratified production stream to the separator section 170, and in particular to the separator 180. The separator section includes the separator 180 and one or more recycling lines coupled to the separator. Only one recycling line 190 is shown in FIGS. 1-4.

[0044] The separator 180 utilizes Stokes law principle of separation, which in turn determines the diameter and length of the water / oil separation section. Thus, the separatorSLB Ref. No.: IS24.1148-WO-PCT180 size and length can potentially be extended into the high teens of meters. It is believed that the use of a variable mixer that generates more gas bubbles to induce flotation effect to enhance oil entrainment into the bubbles will allow a reduction of size and length of the separator 180 for the same degree or amount of material separation.

[0045] The separator 180 includes an upstream end 182 and a downstream end 183, a stratification line inlet 184 coupling the upstream end 182 of the separatorl80 and separator feed line portion 166 of the stratification line 160, a gas disengagement coupling 185 fluidly coupled with the flow control vessel 130, a water outlet line 186 coupled to the separator 180 and an oil and gas outlet line 188 coupled to the downstream end 183 of the separator 180.

[0046] In the separator 180, the water is drawn off through water outlet line 186, and is recycled for additional use, further processed, or is disposed. The water in the water outlet line has a concentration of oil in water of less than 500 ppm, such as less than 200 ppm, and preferably, to less than 100 ppm.

[0047] The oil and gas rich production stream from the removal of water leaves the separator at the oil and gas outlet line 188. The oil and gas rich production stream which can then leave for additional processing through system outlet 195, or may be recycled partially or in whole, back into the production stream after the production stream inlet 105 and before the flow control vessel 130.

[0048] In one or more embodiments, the system may further comprise a control system for controlling the mixing device. FIG. 6 shows an example of the control system for controlling the mixing device.

[0049] In practice, the following method 800 for separating water from oil and gas production may be performed in system 100 according to the process of FIG. 8.

[0050] At Operation 810, the process begins by providing a production stream comprising water, oil, and gas. The production stream enters the system 100 through inlet 105 and enters flow control vessel 130 disposed in the gas disengagement system 120 of the inlet section 110. The process is performed at a pressure from about 10 bar to 200 bar. The providing the production stream comprises providing a continuous production stream at a flow rate from about 3000 to 5000 barrels per day. Gas from the production stream may enter the gas engagement line 135 or lines. The gas may then be forwarded to the separator for additional processing.SLB Ref. No.: IS24.1148-WO-PCT

[0051] At Operation 820, the production stream leaves the inlet section 110 to the stratification section 140 passing through a mixing device 150. The providing the pressure drop comprises flowing the production stream through a mixing device 150 of a mixing valve, an inline variable mixer, or a combination of both. The pressure drop for the production stream is believed to form gas bubbles and may provide for a flash process. The pressure drop is described herein, and in some embodiments, the pressure drop comprises a pressure drop of about 1 bar or less, such as 1 bar or less, for example, about 0.5 bar.

[0052] Optionally, a bubble enhancement additive may be added to the production stream.

[0053] At Operation 830 in the stratification line 160, the production stream separates the components of the production stream by stratifying the oil and gas from the water in the production stream. The gas forms or flashes out as bubbles and the oil droplets in the production stream may become entrained into the bubbles. Further the oil and water are further stratified by their respective densities.

[0054] In one embodiment, stratifying the oil and gas from the water includes flowing the production stream in a stratification line 160 having at least one 180° turn downstream from the pressure drop and entraining the oil into the gas bubbles to separate the oil from the water. In another embodiment, stratifying the oil and gas from the water comprises using a stratification line 160 having two or more 180° turns downstream from the pressure drop. It is believed that there is no shearing on the production stream during stratification using the stratification process herein.

[0055] At Operation 840, the stratified production stream is provided to separator 180 of the separator section 170 where the production stream is processed by separating the water from the production stream. The remaining production stream then exits the separator 180 by line 188 for further processing. The remaining production stream may also include residual water from the processes described herein.

[0056] At optional Operation 850, the remaining production stream may be recycled partially or in whole back to the inlet section 110 for additional processing. Gas from the gas disengagement line 135 may also be provided to the separator 180 and leave the separator 180 with the production stream.SLB Ref. No.: IS24.1148-WO-PCT

[0057] Referring to FIG. 9, the graph shows the chart showing oil and water separation. A series of simulated production streams were processed in the present embodiment as shown in FIGS. 1-4. The simulated production streams were continuous water inlets (water cut inlets, WCInlet) of approximately from 70% to 90% by volume of water and the remainder oil and gas. The simulated production streams have different gas liquid ratios (Gas-Liquid Ratio, GLR) which is the ratio of the volume of gas produced to the volume of total liquid (oil and water) produced at a well site. The simulated production streams are referenced by the GLR, which includes gas liquid ratios of 0, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, and 4, as GLR=0, GLR=1, GLR=1.5, GLR=2, GLR=2.5, GLR=3, GLR=3.5, and GLR=4, respectfully. The x-axis discloses the simulated production streams liquid flow rate (Q liquid) in cubic meters per hour (m3 / hr). The y-axis discloses the oil in water (oil suspended in water, O / W) result for a production stream water (water phase) existing from separator 180 for the separated water that still contains some residual oil. An O / W outlet (water outlet line 186) is the exit point from a separator 180 for the separated water that still contains some residual oil. The O / W outlet percentage shown is a volume percent calculation of the oil in water, which can also be referred to as parts per million (ppm) for reference in the graph. As shown in FIG. 9, the water exiting the separator has significantly reduced amounts of oil in the water over the various gas liquid ratios, with the exception of some entries of GLR=0 and GLR=1, of having values below 200 ppm.

[0058] Advantageously, embodiments of the system described herein enable the removal and disposal of water from production fluids by the well head of a well production system. This may reduce the load exerted upon piping systems, as well as the water load exerted upon water gathering stations, which enables increased production, or alternatively produce high water cut wells longer before being shut down.

[0059] Further advantages are believed that the embodiments of the system described herein enable operators to remove the water at a wellhead and dispose of it by the well head. This is believed to unload pipe systems as well as the gathering station of the water load and allow the operator to produce more oil or alternatively produce the high water cut wells longer before being shut down.

[0060] Further, as the system is based on pipes and static equipment, the system can be free of a flare, or free of a vent, or free of both, and being a gravity based separator the pressure drop for the unit will be within acceptable processing parameters.SLB Ref. No.: IS24.1148-WO-PCT

[0061] It is also believed that the embodiments of the system will be useful as a subsea separator or other high external pressure environments.

[0062] The foregoing description, for purposes of explanation, used specific nomenclature to provide a thorough understanding of the disclosure. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the specific details are not required in order to practice the systems and methods described herein. The foregoing descriptions of specific examples are presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive of or to limit this disclosure to the precise forms described. Obviously, many modifications and variations are possible in view of the above teachings. The examples are shown and described in order to best explain the principles of this disclosure and practical applications, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize this disclosure and various examples with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of this disclosure be defined by the claims and their equivalents below.Example Aspects

[0063] Implementation examples are described in the following numbered Aspects:

[0064] Aspect 1 : A system for improved water separation from oil and gas production comprising an inlet section configured to receive a production stream line, the inlet section comprising a gas disengagement system comprising a flow control vessel and a gas disengagement line coupled to the flow control vessel, a stratification section downstream of the inlet section, the stratification section comprising a mixing device coupled to the gas disengagement system and a stratification line disposed downstream of the mixing device, wherein the stratification line comprises at least one 180° turn, and a separator section, comprising a separator coupled to the stratification line and one or more recycle lines fluidly coupled to the separator.

[0065] Aspect 2: The system of Aspect 1, further comprising an additive injector disposed in the inlet section or the stratification section.

[0066] Aspect 3: The system of any combination of Aspects 1-2, further comprising a recycle line fluidly coupling the oil and gas outlet line to the production stream line.SLB Ref. No.: IS24.1148-WO-PCT

[0067] Aspect 4: The system of any combination of Aspects 1-3, wherein the mixing device is a mixing valve, an inline variable mixer, or a combination of both.

[0068] Aspect 5: The system of any combination of Aspects 1-4, wherein the separator comprises a fluid processing portion having an upstream end and a downstream end, a stratification line inlet coupling the upstream end of the fluid processing portion and the stratification line, a gas disengagement coupling fluidly coupled to the flow control vessel by the gas disengagement line, a water outlet line coupled to the fluid processing portion, and an oil and gas outlet line coupled to the downstream end of the fluid processing portion.

[0069] Aspect 6: The system of any combination of Aspects 1-5, wherein the gas disengagement line forms a vertical pipe extending from the flow control vessel and the flow control vessel comprises a horizontal pipe section.

[0070] Aspect 7: The system of any combination of Aspects 1-6, wherein the separator is fluidly coupled to the mixing device by the stratification line.

[0071] Aspect 8: The system of any combination of Aspects 1-7, wherein the stratification line comprises two or more 180° turns.

[0072] Aspect 9: The system of any combination of Aspects 1-8, wherein the stratification line comprises one or more additional turns of less than 180°.

[0073] Aspect 10: A method for separating water from oil and gas production comprising providing a production stream comprising water, oil, and gas, providing a pressure drop for the production stream to form gas bubbles, stratifying the oil and gas from the water, and separating the water from the production stream.

[0074] Aspect 11 : The method of Aspect 10, wherein the method is performed at a pressure from about 10 bar to 200 bar, and the pressure drop comprises a drop of 1 bar or less.

[0075] Aspect 12: The method of any combination of Aspects 10-11, wherein the providing the production stream comprises providing a continuous production stream at a flow rate from about 3000 to 5000 barrels per day.

[0076] Aspect 13: The method of any combination of Aspects 10-12, wherein providing the pressure drop comprises flowing the production stream through a mixing valve, an inline variable mixer, or a combination thereof.SLB Ref. No.: IS24.1148-WO-PCT

[0077] Aspect 14: The method of any combination of Aspects 10-13, wherein stratifying the oil and gas from the water comprises flowing the production stream in a stratification line having at least one 180° turn downstream from the pressure drop; and entraining the oil into the gas bubbles to separate the oil from the water.

[0078] Aspect 15: The method of Aspect 14, wherein stratifying the oil and gas from the water comprises using a stratification line having two or more 180° turns downstream from the pressure drop.

[0079] Aspect 16: The method of Aspect 14, wherein there is no shearing on the production stream during stratification.

[0080] Aspect 17: The method of any combination of Aspects 10-16, further comprising injecting an entrainment enhancing additive.

[0081] Aspect 18: The method of any combination of Aspects 10-17, wherein the separating the water from the production stream occurs in a separator having a water outlet line, a production stream outlet line, and a gas disengagement line.

[0082] Aspect 19: The method of any combination of Aspects 10-18, further comprising disengaging a gas from the flow control vessel and introducing the gas into the separator.

[0083] Aspect 20: The method of any combination of Aspects 10-19, further comprising recycling at least a portion of the production stream from the production stream outlet line.Additional Considerations

[0084] The preceding description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the various aspects described herein. The examples discussed herein are not limiting the scope, applicability, or aspects set forth in the claims. Various modifications to these aspects will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other aspects. For example, changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements discussed without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Various examples may omit, substitute, or add various procedures or components as appropriate. For instance, the methods described may be performed in an order different from that described, and various actions may be added, omitted, or combined. Also, features described with respect to some examples may be combined inSLB Ref. No.: IS24.1148-WO-PCT some other examples. For example, an apparatus may be implemented, or a method may be practiced using any number of the aspects set forth herein. In addition, the scope of the disclosure is intended to cover such an apparatus or method that is practiced using other structure, functionality, structure and functionality in addition to, or other than, the various aspects of the disclosure set forth herein. It should be understood that any aspect of the disclosure disclosed herein may be embodied by one or more elements of a claim.

[0085] As used herein, a phrase referring to “at least one of’ a list of items refers to any combination of those items, including single members. As an example, “at least one of: a, b, or c” is intended to cover a, b, c, a-b, a-c, b-c, and a-b-c, as well as any combination with multiples of the same element (e.g., a-a, a-a-a, a-a-b, a-a-c, a-b-b, a-c-c, b-b, b-b-b, b-b-c, c-c, and c-c-c or any other ordering of a, b, and c).

[0086] The methods disclosed herein comprise one or more actions for achieving the methods. The method actions may be interchanged with one another without departing from the scope of the claims. In other words, unless a specific order of actions is specified, the order and / or use of specific actions may be modified without departing from the scope of the claims. Further, the various operations of methods described above may be performed by any suitable means capable of performing the corresponding functions. The means may include various hardware and / or software component(s) and / or module(s), including, but not limited to a circuit, an ASIC, or processor.

[0087] The following claims are not intended to be limited to the aspects shown herein but are to be accorded the full scope consistent with the language of the claims. Within a claim, reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless specifically so stated, but rather “one or more.” Unless specifically stated otherwise, the term “some” refers to one or more. No claim element is to be construed under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. §112(f) unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “means for”. All structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the various aspects described throughout this disclosure that are known or later come to be known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be encompassed by the claims. Moreover, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether such disclosure is explicitly recited in the claims.

Claims

SLB Ref. No.: IS24.1148-WO-PCTWHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A system for water separation from oil and gas production, comprising: an inlet section configured to receive a production stream line, the inlet section comprising a gas disengagement system comprising: a flow control vessel; and a gas disengagement line coupled to the flow control vessel; a stratification section downstream of the inlet section, the stratification section comprising: a mixing device coupled to the gas disengagement system; and a stratification line disposed downstream of the mixing device, wherein the stratification line comprises at least one 180° turn; and a separator section, comprising: a separator coupled to the stratification line; and one or more recycle lines fluidly coupled to the separator.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising an additive injector disposed in the inlet section or the stratification section.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a recycle line fluidly coupling the oil and gas outlet line to the production stream line.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the mixing device comprises a mixing valve, an inline variable mixer, or a combination thereof.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the separator comprises: a fluid processing portion having an upstream end and a downstream end; a stratification line inlet coupling the upstream end of the fluid processing portion and the stratification line; a gas disengagement coupling fluidly coupled to the flow control vessel by the gas disengagement line; a water outlet line coupled to the fluid processing portion; andSLB Ref. No.: IS24.1148-WO-PCT an oil and gas outlet line coupled to the downstream end of the fluid processing portion.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the gas disengagement line forms a vertical pipe extending from the flow control vessel and the flow control vessel comprises a horizontal pipe section.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the separator is fluidly coupled to the mixing device by the stratification line.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the stratification line comprises two or more 180° turns.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the stratification line comprises one or more additional turns of less than 180°.

10. A method for separating water from oil and gas production, comprising: providing a production stream comprising water, oil, and gas; providing a pressure drop for the production stream to form gas bubbles; stratifying the oil and gas from the water; and separating the water from the production stream.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the method is performed at a pressure from about 10 bar to 200 bar, and the pressure drop comprises a drop of 1 bar or less.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the providing the production stream comprises providing a continuous production stream at a flow rate from about 3000 to about 5000 barrels per day.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein providing the pressure drop comprises flowing the production stream through a mixing valve, an inline variable mixer, or a combination thereof.SLB Ref. No.: IS24.1148-WO-PCT14. The method of claim 10, wherein stratifying the oil and gas from the water comprises: flowing the production stream in a stratification line having at least one 180° turn downstream from the pressure drop; and entraining the oil into the gas bubbles to separate the oil from the water.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein stratifying the oil and gas from the water comprises utilizing a stratification line having two or more 180° turns downstream from the pressure drop.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein there is no shearing on the production stream during stratification.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising injecting an entrainment enhancing additive.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the separating the water from the production stream occurs in a separator having a water outlet line, a production stream outlet line, and a gas disengagement line.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising disengaging a gas from the production stream and introducing the gas into the separator.

20. The method of claim 10, further comprising recycling at least a portion of the production stream after the separating the water from the production stream.

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