Advantages and disadvantages of

different separators
 Vertical separator
• Advantages:
1. Easier to clean and can handle large quantities.
2. Save space (occupies lesser ground area)
3. Provides better surge control
4. Liquid level control is not critical
5. Less tendency for reevaporization of liquid
into the gas phase due to the relatively greater
vertical distance between liquid level and the gas
outlet
 Vertical separator
• Disadvantages:
1.It takes a longer-diameter separator for a
given gas capacity as compared to a horizontal
separator
2.More expensive to fabricate
3.Difficult and more expensive to ship
(transport)
 Vertical separators
• Ideal use:

• Low to intermediate GORs and where

• relatively large slugs of liquid are expected
 Horizontal separators
• Advantages :
1. Can handle much higher GOR well- streams because
the design permits much higher gas velocities
2. Cheaper than the vertical separator
3.Easier and cheaper to ship and assemble
4.Requires less piping €or field connections
5. Reduces turbulence and reduces foaming (thus, it
can handle foaming crudes)
6. Several separators may be stacked, minimizing space
requirements
 Horizontal separators
• Disadvantages :
• Greater space requirements generally
• Liquid level control more critical
• Surge space is somewhat limited
• Much harder to clean (hence a bad choice in
any sand-producing area)
 Horizontal separators
• Ideal use:
• High GOR crudes, foaming crudes, or for
liquid-liquid separation. Good for a diverse
range of situations.
 Spherical separators
• Advantages:
• Very inexpensive
• Good for low or intermediate GORs
• Very compact and easy to ship and
• install
• Better clean-out
 Spherical separators
• Disadvantages :
• Very limited liquid settling section and rather
difficult to use for three phase separation.
• Liquid level control is very critical
• Very limited surge space
 Spherical separators
• Ideal use:
• Intermediate or low GOR; preferably 2 phase
separator
 Vessel internals
• Inlet diverters
• Wave breakers
• Defoaming plates.
• Vortex breakers
• Stilling well
• Sand jets and drains
• Mist extractors
•
 Types of inlet diverters.
• Two main types of inlet separators
• 1. baffle plates
• 2. centrifugal diverters
• A baffle plate can be a spherical dish, flat
plate, angle iron, cone, which will accomplish
a rapid change in direction and velocity of the
fluids and thus disengage the gas and liquid.
 Wave breaker
• Long horizontal vessels
• Created because from the surges of liquid
entering the vessel
• Wave breaker are perforated /vertical baffles
spanning the gas-liquid interface and that are
placed perpendicular to the flow.
• located at liquid collection section
• Centrifugal inlet diverters use centrifugal force,
rather than mechanical agitation, to disengage
the oil and gas.
• These devices can have a cyclonic chimney or
may use a tangential fluid race around the walls.
• Centrifugal inlet diverters are proprietary but
generally use an inlet nozzle sufficient to create a
fluid velocity of about 20 fps.
• Centrifugal diverters work well in initial gas
separation and help to prevent foaming in crudes.
 Defoaming Plates
• Foam at the interface may occur when gas
bubbles are liberated from the liquid.
• This foam can be stabilized with the addition
of chemicals at the inlet.
• force the foam to pass through a series of
inclined parallel plates or tubes
• Creates additional surface area which breaks
the foam .
 Vortex breaker
• Liquid leaving a separator form vortices or
whirlpool which pull the gas in to the liquid.
• Vortex breaker is a cylinder with radially
directed flat plates
 Stilling well
• It is a slotted pipe fitting surrounding an
internal level control displacer, protects the
displacer from the currents, waves, that could
cause the displacer to sense an incorrect level
measurement
 Sand jets and drains
• In horizontal separators, there an
accumulation of sand and solids at the
bottom of the vessel
• To remove this, sand drains are opened in a
controlled manner and high pressure
produced water is pumped through the jets to
agitated the solids and flush them down the
drains.