Abstract:Gravity separators are one of the most common unit operations in upstream oil and gas processing, typically in two or three phase duty. This presentation is part of the ongoing learning and experience sharing initiative by SPE Separations Technology Technical Section and goes into the aspect of level design and control.
Level control failure is by far the most common failure mode for gravity separators. The presentation will cover design aspects, instrumentation principles, and some typical failures/lessons learned.
Bio:Richard Arntzen worked for a contractor for 12 years prior to joining Shell in 2008 as a senior process engineer. He has worked with R&D as well as project engineering and was seconded to Statoil for the Ormen Lange subsea compression pilot from 2009 to 2013. He was appointed Principal Technical Expert for Separations in Shell in 2014. He is a member of SPE’s technical section on Separations technology and the program committee of the Tekna separations conference.