Solid particle separation in oil and/or gas production

A method of separating solid particles from a hydrocarbon-containing fluid produced from an oil and/or gas production facility, the method comprising the steps of:

• (i) passing a hydrocarbon-containing fluid containing solid particles from a wellhead into a conduit supported on and connected to the wellhead or a riser connected to the wellhead;
• (ii) passing the hydrocarbon-containing fluid containing solid particles from the conduit into a solids separator, mounted on the conduit, through an inlet of the solids separator;
• (iii) separating solid particles from the hydrocarbon-containing fluid in the solids separator;
• (iv) outputting separated solid particles through a solids outlet of the solids separator;
• and
• (v) outputting, through an output conduit into a production line attached to the wellhead, the output conduit being coupled to a fluid outlet of the solids separator, the hydrocarbon-containing fluid which has been separated from the solid particles by the solids separator,
• wherein a flow adaptor is installed in the wellhead, wherein the flow adaptor provides a first flow conduit for passage therethrough of a first flow comprising the hydrocarbon-containing fluid containing solid particles passing through the wellhead to the conduit and a second flow conduit, connected between the output conduit and the production line, for passage therethrough of a second flow comprising the hydrocarbon-containing fluid which has been separated from the solid particles, wherein the first and second flow conduits are configured to prevent mixing of the first and second flows, wherein the How adaptor comprises a tubular element having a pair of annular seats, each annular seal being located at a respective opposite end of the tubular element, the annular seals sealingly engaging an inner surface of the wellhead and the tubular element having a central part with a smaller cross-sectional area than the wellhead;
• and in step (i) the hydrocarbon-containing fluid containing solid particles passes through the first flow conduit and in step (v) the hydrocarbon-containing fluid which has been separated from the solid particles by the solids separator passes through the second flow conduit.

An apparatus for separating solid particles from a hydrocarbon-containing fluid produced from an oil and/or gas production facility, the apparatus being supported on a wellhead or a riser connected to a wellhead, the apparatus comprising:

• A. a conduit for conveying a hydrocarbon-containing fluid from a wellhead, the conduit being connected to the wellhead or a riser connected to the wellhead;
• B. a modular system for separating solid particles from the hydrocarbon-containing fluid, the modular system comprising at least two modules, each module of the modular system comprising:
• a solids separator in fluid communication with the conduit, the solids separator being adapted to separate solid particles from the hydrocarbon-containing fluid, the solids separator having an inlet, coupled to the conduit, for the hydrocarbon-containing fluid,
• a solids outlet for outputting solid particles separated by the solids separator from the hydrocarbon-containing fluid, and a fluid outlet for outputting hydrocarbon-containing fluid separated by the solids separator from the solid particles;
• wherein the modules are arranged in a parallel configuration, each solid separator having a respective inlet coupled to the conduit and a respective fluid outlet;
• and
• C. an output conduit, coupled to the fluid outlets, for conveying the hydrocarbon-containing fluid from the fluid outlets of the modular system into a production line attached to the wellhead;
• wherein the output conduit further comprises a flow collection component attached to the fluid outlet of each module to coiled and comingle hydrocarbon-containing fluid wherein the flow collection component comprises a manifold and the plurality of fluid outlets are connected to the manifold to which the output conduit is connected.