Crude Oil Desalting Plant

The Plant This plant is utilized to wash salt from crude oil. In cases where crude oil is highly contaminated with salt deposits in order to upgrade the market value of the crude the salt must be washed and removed. There are different types of technology to use for this application, the principle one being the injection and mixing of fresh water into the crude so that the salt is transferred from the crude into the water phase and then the water phase (containing the salt) is separated from the crude oil. Separating the salt water from the crude is the critical step especially where treated material specifications are involved. Simple 1-g API Separators can be used for this or so can high g-force centrifuges. In the case of G-force we apply 6000-g centrifuges to separate the salt water from the crude for the purpose of achieving the highest quality crude oil in the smallest operational footprint. The plants are designed under the new EU ATEX 2 norm for explosion proof equipment (Class 1 Div 2) for compliance involving Oilfield operations. A special design feature is the interconnecting pipe rack where all plant components centrally flange thereby minimizing space requirements, making installation and commissioning a quick, simple and easy task and providing excellent operations logic for all crude oil materials and wash water being fed into and processed through the various plant operational phases.

Drilling Mud Decanters

Of primary detriment to drilling fluids are ultra fine and colloidal size drill cutting particles. These particles, if not removed create havoc in a variety of ways. They slow the rate of penetration compounding rig days and cost. They disrupt the drilling fluid rheology, especially gels strengths, thereby upsetting the ECD risking mud losses and worse creating potential blow out situations. They cause for excessive dilutions to control fluid density thus escalating mud cost and worse contributing to environmental disposal problems by excessive mud buildup. Ultra fine particles (5μ to 30 μ) and colloidal particles (0.1 μ to 5 μ) cannot be removed by shale shakers, de-sanders, de-silters, or mud cleaners. Simply stated this equipment cannot provide enough particle acceleration, namely G-force to remove these minute particles from the fluid phase. For example in this group, the de-silter, which is the highest “g” producer generates only ~800-g capable of making a particle size cut down to ~25 μ. So at their optimum performance this group of equipment can remove only the largest of the ultra fine particles. Whereas the decanter, by producing up to 3000-g particle acceleration can remove all the ultra fines and make a cut down into the colloidal size range. Drilling fluids made up of expensive polymers and oil base synthetics demand high performance decanters to control excessive mud cost. Also as the drilling parameter become more and more complex, involving high temperature additives, etc., the need to remove ultra fine and colloidal particles from the mud is paramount. This is the importance of high performance decanters. Principle of Operation Bowl Speed - Depending on the model specification, decanters are equipped with either fixed or variable speed arrangement on the main drive enabling the operator to adjust the bowl speed between 1200 and 3850 rpm within a few seconds. This option, combined with variable conveyor speed, gives a unique dimension to the use of decanters for drilling fluids treatment. The optimum speed for solids removal for a specific cut point depends on the composition of the drilling fluid and the nature of the drill cuttings. Scrolling Speed Decanters are equipped with either fixed or variable back drive. The scrolling speed -(relative conveyor speed) can be changed in a matter of seconds by operations of a simple control switch. The optimum scowling speed is selected in each case according to solids load, required separation efficiency and required underflow density.

Fuel Cleaning Systems for Onshore Drilling Operations

The module Onshore drilling operations frequently encounter problems with polluted fuel to power both the rig and accomodation camps. Water and sediment are often present in unacceptable quantities and create operational problems such as frequently clogged fuel filters and high temperature corrosion problems on engine injectors. To ensure smooth and trouble free engine operation the fuel must be properly cleaned before being fed to the engines. Disc stack centrifuge systems are the only systems on the market today that can handle a wide range of fuels and input characteristics. Large quantities of both water and sediment are efficiently removed. G-force makes two standard units (1000 ltr/hr or 2000 ltr/hr) for use on onshore rigs, the units are executed in Eexd (Class 1 Div. 1 0) so they can be placed any where on the rig even within the hazardous zone and operate with either diesel oil or crude oil. The units are completely self-contained and are delivered as a plug in module. Principle of operation Below a cross section of the rotating bowl explains the flow of the fuel through the separator bowl. Fuel is pumped into the bowl with a build on feed pump, through the feed pipe into the distributor, where the oil is distributed into the disc stack so that the solids and water are separated from the oil. Sediment is collected on the bowl wall and water leaves the separator by gravity and flows into the separated water tank from where it is automatically pumped out each time the high level indicator is triggered. Oil is pumped out by a built in pump to the clients fuel day tank. Periodically the bowl needs to be opened so that the sediment can be removed. Removing sediments takes less than 30 minutes

The MKJ Plant

The MKJ Plant This plant is G-force’s latest design for oily waste treatment. It fits into that niche of technology where a variety of applications are required. These applications usually involve odd and difficult to treat oily waste materials that are minor, yet common, and encountered in most all waste treatment or clean-up operations. The MKJ is an LRC pre-process system that is specific for upstream treatment of our MK Series plants or complementary whereby it is used to wash, stabilize, solidify and/or neutralize dry or wet polluted solids. The MKJ primary applications fall into the following 6 categories: 1. Pre-treatment using the MKJ as a self-cleaning header box to the screen separator on the MKIII Plant. In this application the waste from pits, lagoons and lakes are pumped directly into the MKJ Bulk Hopper allowing the coarse & heavy particles to sediment onto the “L” positioned inclined conveyor and are continuously discharged through the “R” conveyor. This eliminates the accumulation of solids in process tanks and the requirement of frequent tank cleaning followed by having to deal with the disposal of these tank sludge sediments. In this mode the screen separator is installed to receive the MKJ Bulk Hopper de-sedimented liquid collected in the liquid “overflow” chamber where it is pumped to the screen deck. In this application all floating debris and fine solids are removed by the screen deck and are discharged into the MKJ “L” conveyor at the high-level point. This application allows for very fine mesh screens to be installed on the Screen Separator without fear of liquid overflow with the solids discharge. If there is liquid overflow they enter the “L” conveyor at the high-level entry port where the liquids flow back through the open center channel in the conveyor to the bulk hopper for safe containment and solids are again picked up by “L” conveyor and deposited into the waste skip or are pumped back over the screen deck with the Bulk Hopper overflow liquids. Treatment in this process is usually on a continuous feed. 2. Wet oily waste solids and wet drill cuttings. These are wastes that are a majority of solids with liquids that seep, ooze and run-off. Examples of these can be waste from oil spills (soil and oil), excavated pit bottoms of thick oily sludge with high soil content, or drill cuttings that were collected with excessive mud overflowing from the shaker screens. These high solids waste can be treated in one of two ways in the MKJ. Waste is deposited (fed) into the Bulk Hopper by drum or front end loader where it can be left static while heating (with installed heating coils) is applied to lower the sludge viscosity allowing the larger, coarse heavier soil and sand particles to sediment onto the “L” conveyor where they are removed from the free liquids. Once the bulk of coarse heavy sediments are removed, the remaining liquids can be treated with a flocculent to separate the medium size particles so they too sediment onto the “L” conveyor and are discharged. Treatment for this process is usually done on a batch basis. Each batch volume is added to the Bulk Hopper, de-sedimented and the liquid pumped from the Bulk Hopper to the screen separator for fine solids removal after which the screened effluent is ready for final process in the MK Series Plants and the Bulk Hopper is ready to receive the next batch oily waste and so forth and so on as required to handle these type waste. 3. Oily Solids Washing. Any coarse solids, sand, gravel, rocks, etc., that are coated with oil can be washed in the MKJ Plant. These solids can be loaded into the Bulk Hopper via the hydraulic drum elevator or dumped directly into the Hopper via the open hatch located on the end of the skid. Washing can be done to remove excessive oil from solids using diesel or a light crude where the solids (after washing and discharge from the MKJ) are sent for final decommissioning in a another process

Treatment of Slop Oils and Oily Sludges

The module Waste streams in oil refining and production facilities contaminated with excessive sediments are easy to separate from the liquid (oil & water) in a G-force decanter so that the liquid effluent portion can be returned to the refinery oil-water separators. If however after sediments are removed by the 2-phase decanter and the effluent phase (oil & water) need to be separated then the decanter module is to be installed in combination with the G-force MKII or MKIII or MKX Series Plants. The MKD module (pictured left) is built as a plug in module ready to operate, complete with feed pump, effluent pump and sediment conveyor as part of the delivery. The unit is designed to handle a maximum flow rate of 10 m³/hr depending upon the feed characteristics and the required result. The unit is designed with the new EU ATEX 2 norm for explosion proof equipment so that it meets compliance regulations for all types Oilfield operations. Hook-up is made easy by having all flanges terminate on one side of the module. Principle of operation The decanter features a slender cylindrical/ conical bowl with a relatively large length/ diameter ratio. A characteristic is the screw conveyor fitted inside the bowl for continuous removal of solids as they are plastered and scraped from the inter bowl wall to the discharge ports. Typical bowl speeds are in the 1000-4000 rpm range where particle “G” force acceleration is up to 3000. Process liquid is fed into the cylindrical section, where it forms a layer consisting of solids to the outer bowl and liquid effluent towards the inter section of the bowl. The thickness of this layer is established by a series of discharge weirs at the end of the cylindrical section, and through which the clarified liquid effluent (oil & water) is decanted. Solids being heavier are plastered against the bowl wall, from where they are continuously removed by the screw conveyor and transported “up” the conical section, referred to as the ”beach”, and exit through the discharge ports opposite the liquid. At this point the discharged sediment falls into a screw conveyor that conveys the solids to a dedicated skip for collection and disposal. Clarified liquid is collected in the tank below and transferred by the effluent transfer pump to the clients’ product tank. Serviceability The unit is constructed as a plug in portable oilfield module that can withstand rough handling. All required equipment is included and no additional purchases other than hook-up material need to be made. Dimensions and utilities The module is 6.0 m long x 3.6 m wide (including walkways) x 4.0 m high and a total dry weight of 7.0 mt. Wet weight is 18.0 mt. Utilities required are electrical power 60 kW. For transportation the walkways, sludge conveyor and decanter are removed so that the module can be shipped in a standard ISO 40’ HC sea container. Voltage and CPS when ordering.