Technology from Europe:
Norway/Finland

Dynamic cyclone improves solids separation

In cooperation with Clean-Up AS, Prosafe offers a new-generation cyclone for particle separation in liquid flows. This is a dynamic cyclone with a large range of applications. The cyclone can be installed as part of the production flow (process separation) or the drilling fluid flow (fluid separation).

It can handle large amounts of sand and irregular flows during a range of well activities, including coiled tubing, snubbing and underbalanced operations. This will increase well production and utilization.

The dynamic cyclone is a combination of a passive cyclone and a centrifuge, housed in a pressure vessel (25-bar to 350-bar, up to 4,500 l/min.). Particle separation is achieved by leading the liquid flow through this two-stage separation:

• Stage separation, where large particles are separated by the passive cyclone
• Stage separation, where smaller particles are separated by the centrifuge.

The dynamic cyclone has proven to remove sand effectively without showing loss of pressure. A test performed at the BP Miller platform on the UK Continental Shelf as part of a well intervention resulted in 10,000 bbl of increased production per day.