degasser stages are:

1,500 psig for HP

700 psig for IP
250 psig for IP
50 psig for FWKO
Metering
Protection of pumps and compressors
Booster compressor unit
Fig. 2 shows the associated booster compressor unit
Fig. 2 Typical three-stage compressor train (courtesy of CDS Separation Technologi
es Inc.).
Dehydration unit
Fig. 3 the glycol dehydration unit. Both systems make use of separators as a maj
or component in their design.
Fig. 3 Typical Glycol dehydration system courtesy of CDS Separation Technologies I
nc.).
Separator orientation
Table 2 compares the advantages and disadvantages of vertical and horizontal sep
arators. This table should be used as a guideline in selection.
Table 2
Design Consideration
The oil/gas separators are typically sized by the settling theory or retention t
ime for the liquid phase. To handle the liquid surges or production fluctuation
frequenctly encountered during oil/gas production, it is a common practice to si
ze the oil/gas separators with a sufficient margin. The separator is generally d
ivided into the following functional zones,
Inlet zone
Flow distribution zone
Gravity separation/coalescing zone
Outlet zone
Each zone has to be carefully designed to achieve the designated overall separat
ion performance. More details show on the separator sizing page.
Inlet zone
Appropriate inlet device is needed to obtain an initial bulk separation of liqui
d/gas. In most cases, gas will have already come out of solution in the pipeline
, leading to the separator (because of pressure drop across an upstream choke or
a control valve). Hence, the majority of the gas is separated from the liquid i
n the inlet zone. Because of foaming issues and the need for higher capacities,
cyclonic inlets are now becoming increasingly popular. For applications with inl
et momentum saying less than 9 kPa, a vane inlet can be used.
Typical inlets include:

Flat impact plates

Dished-head plates
Half-open pipes
Vane-type inlet
Cyclone-cluster inlet
These inlets, although inexpensive, may have the shortcoming of negatively affec
ting separation performance. However, for higher-momentum fluids, these inlets c
an cause problems. The flat or dished-head plates can result in small drops and
foam. The open-pipe designs can lead to fluid short-circuiting or channeling. Al
though inlet momentum is a good starting guideline for selection, the process co
nditions, as well as the demister choice, should also be considered. For example
, if the liquid loading is low enough that a demister can handle all the liquid,
then inlet devices can be applied beyond their typical momentum ranges.
Flow distribution Zone
Regardless of the size of the vessel, short-circuiting can result in poor separa
tion efficiency. Integral to any inlet device is a flow straightener such as a s
ingle perforated baffle plate. A full-diameter plate allows the gas/liquid to fl
ow more uniformly after leaving the vane-type inlet, inlet cyclones, or even the
impact plates. The plate also acts as an impingement demister and foam breaker
as well. Typical net-free area (NFA) ranges in the 10 to 50% range. As the NFA l
owers, the shear of the fluids gets higher, so the NFA should be matched to the
particular application. One concern of these plates is solids buildup on the ups
tream side. Generally, the velocities are high enough in the inlet zone to carry
the solids through the perforations. In any case, a flush nozzle should be inst
alled in the inlet zone. Other designs include flow straightening vanes. However
, the open area is generally too high to be effective.
Gravity/coalescing zone