Hydrocyclones: A Solution to Produced Water Treatment

In light of the progression into deeper water and more hostile environments in the search for new oil and gas reserves, an increasing demand is being placed upon industry to develop lighter, more compact and more efficient process equipment to replace their traditional counterparts. A recent application of cyclone technology for liquid-liquid separation of oil from produced water has shown considerable promise during extensive field testing. This paper outlines the basic construction and principle of operation of the de-oiling hydroclone and discusses system design, early operational experiences and test results from the first fullscale commercial application of the 4 in 1 hydroclone concept on Conoco's Murchison Platform. In addition, and of perhaps more significance, early results from field tests of the larger 60mm cyclones on the Hutton TLP, where conventional equipment was adversely effected by platform motion are discussed.