Alba Field Three Phase Separator Performance

The performance of a particular type of horizontal three phase separator (bucket & weir) was evaluated on the Alba Field, situated offshore of the coast of Equatorial Guinea, by coding a set of equations for the design of the separators. Output parameters such as the oil and water residence times, liquid droplet settling/rising times, minimum lengths for gas-liquid disengagement, and holdup and surge times for the oil bucket and the water compartment, were checked regularly against max/min values for good operation. Thus it was possible to assess the likely behavior of the four Alba field separators to changes in operating variables while also comparing the results obtained from the equations with real field data for performance. The performance of the separators was fairly consistent, even though oils of varying viscosity and temperature were processed. The values of parameters at which performance deteriorated was somewhat different from those usually quoted in the literature for good operation.