DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW FORMULATION FOR FINES AND SAND AGGLOMERATION AT SEPARATOR

Sand production is a traditional issue in the oil and gas industry and can be challenging if the amount is unexpected. “Solids production” is a term used to refer to all solid materials that exist with produced oil and gas. Typically, solids production may include the solid particles and debris from drilling and completion activities, fines, and sand. These solids can erode and promote corrosion on the surface and downhole equipment, requiring additional costs to rectify the problems. This occurrence is often known as fines carryover further downstream of the surface equipment, contributing to additional non-productive time. This research focuses on reducing sand and fines carryover in the surface facility, specifically the separator. Of particular interest, it is accomplished by encouraging sand/fines agglomeration in the separator, which results in larger particles and shorter solids settling time