Oil and gas process (4) Final

Let's continue where we stopped last time.

After the Completion stage:

1- Christmas Tree/ Wellhead:

• The top of the well is outfitted with a collection of valves called a 'Christmas tree' or Production tree.
• Valves help regulate pressures, control flows and allows access to the wellbore during a 'workover'.
• "Workover" refers to various technologies for maintaining the well and improving its production capacity

What are the uses of the outlet valve of the production tree?

The flow can be connected to a distribution network of pipelines and tanks to supply the product to refineries, natural gas compressor stations, or oil export terminals.

2- Manifolds:

"It is simply a pipe that connects the various inlet pipes from the wells to the separators, using valves for control".

The purpose/uses of the manifolds:

This allows the set-up of production "well sets" so that the best use of the reservoir and well flow compositions, such as (gas, oil, water) etc., can be selected from the available wells.

The types of manifolds are:

1. 'Production'
2. 'test'

3- Gravity Separator

How does the gravity separator work?

Firstly, the well flow is fed into a horizontal vessel, which is retained for around 5 minutes; this allows the gas in the mixture to bubble out and separate, the water will settle at the bottom, and the oil will be taken out in the middle.

• The sudden pressure reduction can allow flash vaporization leading to instability and safety hazards.

4- Gas Compression

The use of gas compressors:

Used to recompress the lost pressure if it needs to be transported through pipelines

• The turbine compressors gain energy by using up a small proportion of their natural gas.

The type of turbine compression...

-Doesn’t require natural gas from the pipe

-Requires a reliable source of electricity nearby

Compression includes a large section of associated equipment...

1- Scrubbers

2- Heat exchangers

5- Storage of oil and gas:

(some common questions)

What the offshore production facilities without a direct pipeline connection generally rely on?

Crude storage in the base, allowing shuttles tanker to offload once a week

Where can oil be stored?

At sites in Storage tanks, before being transported

What does the crude oil transport in ships called?

Crude carriers

• Both fixed and floating roof tanks can be used for crude oil storage
• Special arrangements must provide on tanks depending on the quality of the crude.

Transportation:

The types of crude oil transportation are:

-?????????Pipeline

-?????????Ship tankers

-?????????Railway

Transportation by Pipeline:

Crude oil gathered from its source at wellheads can be moved to processing plants, tankers, and refineries via pipelines.

Transportation by Ship tankers:

• Move fuel from one location to another by ship or barge.
• The oil may be loaded onto a vessel from the source, such as a shuttle tanker taking the oil to a larger tanker terminal or a crude carrier.

Transportation by Railway:

Moving crude from its source to the refineries around the nation efficiently by rail