TORE® SEP: A new generation 4 phase separator for oil, water, gas and solids, and its future subsea

The use of Vortex flows within a new generation separator, namely TORE® SEP, will be described, with reference to laboratory work at Merpro's Pilot Plant Facility, Sheffield and Cardiff Universities, Norsk Hydro's Porsgrunn, multi-phase flow loop and live trials onshore Indonesia. Results of combining the TORE® SEP with de-oiling hydrocyclones and wellhead desanders, such as TORE® TRAP will be presented, with reference to full scale operational plant offshore the North Sea. Investigations into slug flows and shear history are also covered, utilising a ViPA particle size analyser to determine free oil content (ppm) and oil droplet migration probabilities. Effects of coalescing medias, including recent work on ultrasonic as a tool to grow oil droplet sizes with a non-intrusive device, in order to enhance de-oiling hydrocyclone efficiencies. The conclusions will review the potential of free water knock out and re-injection subsea with throughputs control by water quality and solids management, without any subsea intervention included.