Case Study

Three Phase Separator

Niobrara Basin

Colorado & Wyoming

Company Size:

3.6 tcfe

Total Proven Reserves

Oil & Gas Infrastructure

Upstream

The Challenge:

This experienced customer came to Halker Consulting with a need to design and engineer a three phase separator for multiple wellheads in the Rocky Mountain region. The specific needs around this project were based on the need to use a centralized processing facility rather than process at the well site.

The Solution:

To better manage the well network feeding the central processing unit, the captured fluids would be separated at the wellhead.

The separate fluid components could then be measured and recombined for transport to the central processing facility. The data captured at the wellhead could be considered in managing process and operational variables across individual wellheads as well as over the entire network. This allowed for optimized use of the central processing facility. Once recombined, the liquids were sent to the central process facility with the exception of some gas, which could be used to fuel gas-powered conveyance equipment and heat the storage vessel to Rocky Mountain temperature specifications.

By separating, measuring and recombining for transport, separate transport systems were avoided, yet production metrics for each well could be monitored and managed in a centralized manner.

From a technical perspective, the project required Halker Consulting to develop a full fabrication package. The project included developing in-house drawings and models to be reviewed in a cyclic process with the client and operators to improve the design through a number of iterations.

Starting with a vendor P&ID, a vendor drawing of the vessel, and a selection of photographs, the team was then able to develop an in-house P&ID as well as a 3D model of the skid using AutoCAD and CADWorx. In review meetings using CADWorx as well as Navisworks, Halker Consulting demonstrated an accurate representation of the final product before construction, as well as provided on the spot support to the customer engineers and operators.

The Result:

This final design was the result of over eight revisions of locating conduit, altering the design of the skid steel and fine-adjusting the placement of valves. A full set of drawings was produced when the design was finalized, which included a P&ID; steel drawings; piping plan, section and detail drawings; as well as a full set of piping isometrics.

Ultimately, this design was used as an as-built template for other customer systems using this centralized processing strategy. By understanding the component mix from each well, but only using a single conveyance line for each, significant material costs could be avoided yet well intelligence remained high.