Treatment of multiphase hydrocarbon-containing fluid in oil and/or gas production

An apparatus for treating a multiphase hydrocarbon-containing fluid in an oil and/or gas production facility, the apparatus comprising:

• (a) an inlet for a multiphase hydrocarbon-containing fluid comprising oil, water, gas and solid particles to be separated into its constituent oil, water, gas and solid phases, wherein the inlet is connected to a first pipe network configured to be connectable to a plurality of oil well heads in an oil field;
• (b) a separation system comprising:
• (i) a solids separator in fluid communication with the inlet, the solids separator being configured to separate solid particles from the multiphase hydrocarbon-containing fluid to provide separated solid particles and a remaining multiphase hydrocarbon-containing fluid;
• (ii) a solids outlet connected to the solids separator such that the solid particles separated by the solids separator from the multiphase hydrocarbon-containing fluid can be removed from the separation system through the solids outlet;
• (iii) a fluid separator in fluid communication with the solids separator and arranged to receive the remaining multiphase hydrocarbon-containing fluid, the fluid separator being configured to separate the remaining multiphase hydrocarbon-containing fluid into an oil phase, a water phase and a gas phase;
• (iv) an oil outlet connected to the fluid separator such that the oil phase can be removed from the separation system through the oil outlet;
• (v) a gas outlet connected to the fluid separator such that the gas phase can be removed from the separation system through the gas outlet;
• and
• (vi) a water outlet connected to the fluid separator such that the water phase can be removed from the separation system through the water outlet;
• (c) a solids cleaning system connected to the solids outlet, wherein the solids cleaning system is configured to clean deposits of residual oil from the solid particles separated by the solids separator to provide cleaned solid particles and first residual oil, the solids cleaning system having a first output for outputting the cleaned solid particles and a second output configured to output the first residual oil, wherein the second output is configured to recycle the first residual oil to the fluid separator;
• and
• (d) a water cleaning and recycling system connected to the water outlet, wherein the water cleaning and recycling system is configured to clean residual oil from the water phase separated by the fluid separator, the water cleaning and recycling system comprising an oil separator for separating the residual oil from the water phase to provide cleaned water and second residual oil, the oil separator having a third output for recycling the cleaned water to at least one water injection well head of the oil field, wherein the third output comprises a second pipe network configured to be connectable to the at least one water injection well head of the oil field, and a fourth output configured to output the second residual oil, wherein the fourth output is configured to recycle the second residual oil to the fluid separator.