How does a separator work in oil and gas?
In the Oilfield, separators work on the principle that the three components moving through the separator all have different densities. As the fluid passes through the unit, the design creates an internal cyclone which allows these components to stratify with gas on top, water on the bottom and oil in the middle. Any solids such as sand will also settle in the bottom of the separator.
Conventional vs Cyclonic: What’s the difference?
Conventional (aka Standard) Gravity fed sand traps are the most common sand separator in the oilfield, and do a great job of catching sand and other pieces of plug materials that you don’t want getting into your equipment upstream.
Cyclonic sand traps rely on a vortex to increase the efficiency of sand separation within the unit and can do a better job of removing the finer 100 mesh sand commonly used in the oilfield today. Depending on several factors, our cyclonic sand separators can achieve a sand capture rate of between 94-97%.
5K vs 10K: What’s the difference?
5K Sand Traps are designed to handle up to 5.8K working pressure. These are the workhorses of the oilfield, and do a great job of catching sand and other pieces of plug materials that you don’t want getting into your equipment upstream.
10K Sand Traps can handle up to 10K of working pressure. Functionally, they do the same job of removing sand and other material from the well, if they have the same dimensions. Their main advantage is the ability to handle increased pressure from the well.