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US 8,025,806 B2Granted
Separating sand from fluids produced by a well
AssigneeOccidental Oil and Gas Holding Corporation
InventorsJoel R. Lehman, Verlin Frazier
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.
Claims15
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 elongated container having a cross-sectional area greater than the cross-sectional area of the conduit near the inlet to the elongated container, said elongated container having an outer surface comprising an upper portion above a horizontal axis of a cross-section of the elongated container and a lower portion below the horizontal axis of the elongated container, said elongated container further including a plurality of access ports located in the upper portion of the container,
- said access ports having a predetermined size that prevents substantial human entry into each of the access ports;
- passing the stream of fluids flowing from the wellhead and interconnecting wellhead line through said conduit and into the elongated container, wherein the container allows substantially unidirectional and unobstructed fluid flow between the inlet and the outlet;
- wherein the velocity of the fluid flowing in the elongated container is reduced when the fluid enters the elongated container and the decreasing velocity of the fluid flowing in the elongated container allows solid particles in the fluid to settle into the lower portion of the container, thereby intercepting and preventing a portion of said solid particles from entering said flowline.
2 more elements
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, said elongated container having an outer surface comprising an upper portion above a horizontal axis of a cross-section of the elongated container and a lower portion below the horizontal axis of the elongated container, said elongated container further including a plurality of access ports located in the upper portion of the container, said access ports having a predetermined size that prevents substantial human entry into each of the access ports,
- passing the stream of fluids flowing from the wellhead and interconnecting wellhead line through said conduit and into the elongated container, wherein the container allows substantially unidirectional and unobstructed fluid flow between the inlet and the outlet;
- 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.
1 more element
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, said elongated container having an outer surface comprising an upper portion above a horizontal axis of a cross-section of the elongated container and a lower portion below the horizontal axis of the elongated container, said elongated container further including a plurality of access ports located in the upper portion of the container, said access ports having a predetermined size that prevents substantial human entry into each of the access ports,
- passing the stream of fluids flowing from the wellhead and interconnecting wellhead line through said conduit and into the elongated container, wherein the container allows substantially unidirectional and unobstructed fluid flow between the inlet and the outlet;
- 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.
1 more element
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 elongated container having a cross-sectional area greater than the cross-sectional area of the conduit near the inlet to the elongated container,
- said elongated container having an outer surface comprising an upper portion above a horizontal axis of a cross-section of the elongated container and a lower portion below the horizontal axis of the elongated container,
- said elongated container further including a plurality of access ports located in the upper portion of the container,
- said access ports having a predetermined size that prevents substantial human entry into each of the access ports,
- said elongated container having an inner surface without any substantial protrusions into an interior cavity comprising the interior of the elongated container;
- passing the stream of fluids flowing from the wellhead and interconnecting wellhead line through said conduit and into the elongated container, wherein the fluid flow through the interior cavity of the elongated container is substantially unidirectional and unobstructed allowing solid particles in the fluid to settle into the lower portion of the container, thereby intercepting and preventing a portion of said solid particles from entering said flowline.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.