A three-phase separator a pressured vessel used in surface production facilities to separate the wellstream into its three main components:
- Oil.
- Produced water.
- Natural gas.
How it works
The mixed fluids enter the separator, where the separation occurs primarily by gravity due to differences in density:
- Gas, being the lightest phase, rises to the top and exits through the gas outlet.
- Oil forms the middle layer and flows to the oil outlet.
- Water, the heaviest phase, settles at the bottom and is discharged through the water outlet.
Internally, the separator contains devices such as:
- An inlet diverter to reduce the momentum of the incoming stream.
- Baffles to improve flow distribution.
- A mist extractor (demister) to remove liquid droplets from the gas before it leaves the vessel.
Main functions
- Separate oil, gas, and water efficiently.
- Protect downstream equipment from liquid carryover or gas entrainment.
- Improve crude oil quality before further processing (e.g., treating or storage).
- Reduce the load on downstream production facilities.