Correlations for Optimum Separation Pressures for Sequential Field Separation System

ABSRACT A study has been done to find the optimum separators pressures of separation stations. Stage separation of oil and gas is accomplished with a series of separators operating at sequentially reduced pressures. Liquid discharged from a higher pressure separator into the lower pressure separator. The set of working separators pressures which yield maximum recovery of liquid hydrocarbon from the well fluid is the optimum set of pressures which is the target of this work. Computer model is used to find the optimum separators pressures. The model employs the Peng-Robinson equation of state for volatile oil. Application of this model shows good improvement of all objective functions for many oils(1). Mathematical correlations for estimating optimum set of pressures have been deduced from the model to provide simple and quick tool to find the optimum stages pressures. Many tests have been achieved with many volatile samples at different conditions to prove the validity of these correlations.