Separation Systems

Production
Improvements

Production Improvements
Our capabilities in troubleshooting and debottlenecking
separation systems can help
you maximize the throughput
and efficiency of existing
production trains and reduce
the size of new separation
equipment. This typically
results in problem-free operation, a reduction in capital and
operational expenditure and
in many cases an increase
in profits.

Benefits

Maximize gas production

Maximize oil production
Minimize operational issues
Minimize production problems
Reduce impact of solids
Minimize use of chemicals

Separation Systems
The separation company major oil companies go
to with their most challenging projects.
Maximum return on investment through extensive
experience and know-how.
The only separation company with a proven track
record with inline separation equipment.
The leading company in subsea separation.
Develops out-of-the-box solutions for the separation
challenges of tomorrow.

The need for production

improvements the
challenges
You can unlock the potential of your existing facility using
Separation technologies if you want to:
handle decreasing wellhead pressure and increased
water production
tie back subsea production to existing facilities
handle space and weight restrictions in existing
facilities
overcome production loss due to lack of efficiency of
existing equipment
enhance oil recovery by using new modes of operation
changing gas/oil ratio for late-life operations
need for improved water quality.

Unlock the potential

of existing facilities

Increase in production capacity of

existing installations
Our patented inline and internal separation technologies resolve these challenges.

Retrofit internals

Integrated InLine Systems

Subsea separation

InLine Solutions

Retrofit internals: our state-of-the-art internals provide

maximum separation efficiency. Our internals are custommade for each application, fabricated according to the
highest quality standards, updated to the latest state of
technology and can always be installed without hot work
at the pressure vessel.

We were the first company worldwide to install a subsea

separation unit. This opens up unlimited opportunities for
increasing oil recovery from brown fields. Today all the
projects worldwide that include subsea processing use
FMC technology.

For new-build applications our technologies can be combined in highly efficient, very compact separation systems.
These systems can be installed topsides and subsea.

With our inline equipment the efficiency of facilities

can be improved even if there is no space for additional
separators or when vessel entry is not possible or not
permitted.

Our approach
We first identify the needs and options for production
improvement and undertake trouble-shooting and the
required analyses and CFD studies. The resulting report
contains recommendations and a proposal for the
technology needed, including costs and expected
installation time.

If the proposed solution is based on new technology,

we can test it at the customers request, using our in-house
test system. In most cases we can run a full-scale test at
high pressures and with real liquids.

High efficiency internals

Case Study:
Increased Gas Throughput
We succeeded in tripling production, simply by selecting
the appropriate internals. The improvements paid for
themselves in less than a day.

Inlet section
CDS Inlet Cyclone (95% liquid removal at the inlet)
CDS Evenflow HE (discharges bulk liquids and gives
good gas flow distribution)
Gravity separation section
Drained agglomerator
Distribution baffles
Anti-sloshing baffles for FPSOs
Plate pack coalescer
Sand jetting system
Mist elimination section
Wire mesh mist eliminator
Vane-type mist eliminator
Spiraflow mist eliminator

Increased production:
 Compressor vibration causing major maintenance
shutdowns and costs
 Platform design flow rate 180 MMSCFD

Pre-retrofit production limited to 80 - 90 MMSCFD:
only with leaner wells

Post-retrofit production in excess of 270 MMSCFD:
richer wells can also be used
Increased revenue:

(270 - 90) MMSCFD x USD 3,000

= USD 540,000 per day

Limited shutdown time

No hot work required
Cost of the internals: approximately USD 300,000

Typical CFD Analysis of

Increased Gas Throughput
Existing situation

High efficiency inline

devices
Our inline separation equipment is based on compact
cyclonic technology. The following inline equipment is
currently available:
Solution
Gas-liquid

InLine DeGasser
InLine DeLiquidiser
InLine DeMister
InLine PhaseSplitter

Liquid-liquid

InLine DeWaterer
InLine ElectroCoalescer
Inline HydroCyclone

Solids

InLine Desander

Controls

InLine Controls

Case study:
Separation System
Production Increase BG India

Case study:
Vesselfrikk InLine
production improvement

BG India Platform Capacity increase

Add additional Stage of compression
Revamp Production Separator
1st and 2nd Compressor Suction Scrubbers

Photo: BG Group, Giles Barnard


Nett increase 50% in production

Vessel Internal Revamp

Quick installation during Platform shutdown

No Welding

Using Inline for flow assurance to improve the oil recovery

from a well. In the existing situation oil was produced on the
A platform and transported to the B platform. Due to the mixed
phase flow regime in hoses between platforms the flow pressure
drop was 6 bar.

Before
VFA

VFB

INLET SEP @10 barg

Prod Header
@16 barg

After
VFA

VFB

INLET SEP @10 barg

Prod Header
@14 barg

A Flowsplitter was added and half the hoses are used for liquid and half are used for gas,
allowing the pressure drop to be reduced, which in turn allows more oil to be recovered.
The pressure drop across the interconnecting hoses was reduced by 2bar.

Case studies subsea:

Production Improvement Subsea Separation
Tordis
Brownfield
Gas/Oil/Water/Sand Separation
Boosting/Water Injection
Installed Q4 2007

Perdido
Greenfield
Gas/Liquid Separation
Boosting
Installed Q1 2010

Pazflor
Greenfield
Gas/Liquid Separation
Boosting
First Oil 2011

Marlim
Brownfield
Gas/Oil/Water/Sand Separation
Water Injection
Installed Q4 2011

BC-10
Greenfield
Gas/Liquid Separation
Boosting
Installed Q3 2009

Tordis
Tordis is recognized as one of the most important breakthrough technology milestones for subsea in recent years.

Process overview of Tordis subsea separation boosting and injection

On stream since 1994

Well head pressure decreasing and water cut increasing
Tordis IOR (Increased Oil Recovery) investment is
approximately US$200 million including SSS (Subsea
Separation Station) and GullFaks C modification.
Increased recovery anticipated to be from 49% to
55% that is equivalent to 35 million barrels of oil.
60% increase generated by the SSS
Approximately US$950 million increased revenue
@50 USD/barrel
10 km tie-back to Gullfaks C

Other solutions by
Separation Systems
Compact Total Separation Systems
Heavy Oil production
Efficiency Improvement and Troubleshooting
Solids Handling
Produced Water

The InLine- DeGasser, DeSander, PhaseSplitter, DeWaterer and DeLiquidiser are patented by Statoil and FMC have exclusive worldwide
license to sell this technology.

 Copyright February 2011 | FMC Technologies

www.fmctechnologies.com/separation

FMC Technologies
1777 Gears Road
Houston TX 77067
USA
Phone: +1 281 591 4000

FMC Technologies
Separation Systems
Delta 101
6825 MN Arnhem
The Netherlands
Phone: +31 (0)26 7999100