Pipe separator for the separation of fluids, particularly oil, gas and water

• US 7,516,794 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2003
• Issued: 04/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Statoil Petroleum As (Asa Equinor)
• Original Assignee: Norsk Hydro Asa (Norsk Hydro)
• Inventors: Gramme, Per Eivind, Haukom, Ivar
• Primary Examiner(s): Beach; Thomas A
• Application Number:
  US10/522,984
• Publication Number:
  US 20060124313A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,083 Days
• Field of Search: 166/357, 166/267, 166/351, 166/366, 166/368, 96/55, 210/734
• US Class Current: 166/357
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 17/00 Separation of liquids, not provided for elsewhere, e.g. by thermal diffusion devices for separating or removing fatty or oily substances or similar floating material from water, waste water, or sewage C02F1/40; cleaning or keeping clear the surface of open water from oil or like materials E02B15/04; arrangements for separating lubricants from refrigerants F25B43/02
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 17/0208 by sedimentation
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 17/0214 with removal of one of the phases
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 17/045 with coalescers
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 17/06 Separation of liquids from each other by electricity
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 19/0057 the centrifugal movement being caused by a vortex, e.g. using a cyclone, or by a tangential inlet
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/36 Underwater separating arrangements E21B43/38 takes precedence

Abstract

A pipe separator for the separation of fluids, for example the separation of oil, gas and water in connection with the extraction and production of oil and gas from formations beneath the sea bed. The pipe separator includes a pipe-shaped separator body (1) with an inlet and outlet that principally corresponds to a transport pipe (4, 7) to which the pipe separator is connected. The pipe separator further includes a pipe bend or loop (2) arranged in the pipe separator or in connection with its outlet to form a downstream fluid seal in relation to the pipe separator body (1), which is designed to maintain a fluid level in the pipe separator, but which also allows the pipe separator (1) and the loop (2) to be pigged.

Claims

1. A fluid separator for the separation of fluids comprising oil and water in connection with the extraction and production of oil and gas from formations beneath the sea bed, the separator comprising:

a pipe separator for separating the oil and the water, the pipe separator having an inlet and an outlet;

a first transport pipe connected to the inlet of the pipe separator;

a pipe bend, connected to the outlet of the pipe separator, for forming a downstream fluid seal in relation to the pipe separator and maintaining a fluid level in the pipe separator, wherein the pipe separator and the pipe bend are arranged to permit the pipe separator and the pipe bend to be pigged;

a drainage pipe for draining the separated water from the separator; and

a second transport pipe, connected to a downstream end of the pipe bend, for transporting the separated oil.

2. A fluid separator in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a well head disposed upstream of the pipe separator, a cyclone connected to the well head for the separation of gas, and a pipe connected to the second transport pipe for conducting the gas back to the second transport pipe downstream of the pipe separator.

3. A fluid separator in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a gas bypass pipe for conducting gas around the pipe bend, wherein an inlet of the gas bypass pipe is connected upstream of the pipe separator, and an outlet of the gas bypass is connected to the second transport pipe disposed downstream of the pipe separator.

4. A fluid separator in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a compact electrostatic coalescer, and an additional separator disposed downstream of the compact electrostatic coalescer, wherein separated fluid from the additional separator can be conducted to a nearby well.

5. A fluid separator in accordance with claim 2, further comprising a compact electrostatic coalescer and an additional separator disposed downstream of the compact electrostatic coalescer, wherein gas from the cyclone can be conducted to the second transport pipe downstream of the additional separator, and separated fluid from the additional separator can be conducted to a nearby well.

6. A fluid separator in accordance with claim 1, wherein the pipe bend includes a first section extending upwardly from the pipe separator, a second portion extending downwardly to the second transport pipe.