Separating sand from fluids produced by a well
AssigneeOccidental Oil and Gas Holding Corporation
InventorsVerlin Frazier, Joel R. Lehman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A settling system may be used to separate and/or remove solid particles, such as sand, from fluids produced by wells. The container of the settling system may be cleaned without need for manned-entry.
Claims23
A settling system for intercepting solid particles within a stream of fluids flowing from a well head line and to a flow line, comprising:
- a container comprising:
- an inlet having a cross sectional area less than a cross sectional area of the container such that a velocity of fluid flowing from the inlet decreases, and wherein decreasing the velocity of fluid flowing the inlet allows solid particles in the fluid to settle to a lower region of the container;
- an outlet;
- and
- a plurality of access ports located on a top surface of the container;
- wherein the container has a length such that during use less than about 25% of the solid particles in the fluid pass through the outlet;
- and
- a bypass line coupled to the container such that fluid may be inhibited from flowing into the container.
A settling system for intercepting solid particles within a stream of fluids flowing from a well head line and to a flow line, comprising:
- a container comprising:
- an inlet having a cross sectional area less than a cross sectional area of the container such that a velocity of fluid flowing from the inlet decreases, and wherein decreasing the velocity of fluid flowing the inlet allows solid particles in the fluid to settle to a lower region of the container;
- an outlet;
- and
- an inner surface that does not substantially protrude into a cavity of the container;
- wherein the container has a length such that during use less than about 25% of the solid particles in the fluid pass through the outlet;
- and wherein the container is configured to allow fluid to flow through the container substantially uninhibited.
A method for intercepting solid particles within a stream of fluids flowing from a wellhead, through an interconnecting wellhead line and to a flowline, comprising the steps of:
- disposing an elongated container in a conduit between and in fluid communication with the interconnecting wellhead line and the flowline,
- said container having a cross-sectional area greater than the cross-sectional area of the conduit near the inlet to the accumulator, and a plurality of access ports located on a top surface of the container,
- wherein said elongated container intercepts and prevents a portion of said solid particles from entering said flowline by impeding the lateral momentum of said solid particles such that less than about 25% of said solid particles exit the container and flow towards the flowline.
A method for intercepting solid particles within a stream of fluids flowing from a wellhead, comprising the steps of:
- disposing a plurality of elongated containers in a conduit in series between and in fluid communication with the interconnecting wellhead line and the flowline,
- one or more of said containers having a cross-sectional area greater than the cross-sectional area of the conduit near the inlet to the container, and a plurality of access ports located on a top surface of one or more of the containers,
- wherein one or more of said elongated containers intercepts and prevents a portion of said solid particles from entering said flowline by impeding the lateral momentum of said solid particles such that less than about 25% of said solid particles exit the container and flow towards the flowline.
A method for intercepting solid particles within a stream of fluids flowing from a wellhead, comprising the steps of:
- disposing a plurality of elongated containers in a conduit in parallel between and in fluid communication with the interconnecting wellhead line and the flowline,
- one or more of said containers having a cross-sectional area greater than the cross-sectional area of the conduit near the inlet to the container, and a plurality of access ports located on a top surface of one or more of the containers,
- wherein one or more of said elongated containers intercepts and prevents a portion of said solid particles from entering said flowline by impeding the lateral momentum of said solid particles such that less than about 25% of said solid particles exit the container and flow towards the flowline.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.