An assembly for diffusing gas from a first slurry having an open-bottomed housing having an opening for conveying a second slurry from inside of the housing to outside of the housing. The assembly includes one or more intake conduits extending through an upper mid-portion of the housing for receiving the first slurry, and a gas diffusing channel formed in the housing for conveying diffused gas from the liquid from inside of the housing to outside of the housing. The assembly includes a dumping assembly having a dump valve used to convey fluid from an upper layer of fluid located inside of the housing to outside of the housing. The assembly may include a recirculation pump and a suction conduit coupled to the pump for pumping fluid (dyed fluid) from inside of the housing. The assembly is configured to be partially submerged in liquid, such as in a tank.

A system for automatically discharging sand from a sand separator. The system includes a first and second valves and a choke valve disposed in a discharge line from a sand separator. A pressure transducer measures pressure in the line between the first and second valves. A control panel operates the valves to initiate and terminate the discharge sequence. An emergency shutdown valve is positioned upstream of the sand separator and is operative to shut down the system if the pressure reading by the transducer exceeds a predetermined amount.

A fluid separation system for separating fluids within a container includes an inlet pipe arranged within the container to receive an incoming fluid stream including first, second, and third fluids. The fluid separation system further includes a fluid distribution device coupled to the inlet pipe and including first and second distribution components for respectively separating the incoming fluid stream into first internal fluid streams and second internal fluid streams within the container. The first and second internal fluid streams each include the first, second, and third fluids. The fluid separation system further includes one or more walls arranged to guide the first and second internal fluid streams towards an outlet of the container. The fluid distribution device and the one or more walls together cause the first, second, and third fluids of the first and second internal fluid streams to separate from one another other upstream of the outlet.

A system for removing sedimentary solids from a separator is provided. The separator is for separating components of well fluid produced by a well. The system includes an inlet for receiving motive fluid; a nozzle configured to introduce the motive fluid to the sedimentary solids in the separator, thereby fluidizing the sedimentary solids; and an outlet configured to allow the fluidized solids to exit the separator. The motive fluid includes well fluid produced from the well. A separator, method for removing sedimentary solids from a separator, and method of removing solids from well fluid produced by a well are also provided.

A sand bypass separator is provided for separating particulate matter from a fluid mixture in a production well and directing the separated particulate matter away from a pump intake. The separator includes an outer tube, an inner tube positioned within the outer tube. The outer tube has a plurality of slots to allow the fluid mixture to enter the separator between the outer tube and the inner tube. As the fluid mixture moves downward, the fluid mixture reaches a downward velocity sufficient to allow the particulate matter in the fluid mixture to continue downward as the fluid is drawn into the inner tube through the pump intake. A bypass that extends from above the pump intake to below the pump intake to collect and direct the separated particulate matter separated below the pump intake may also be included.

Hydrocarbon gas capture from a well stream can involve recovering light hydrocarbon gases from liquids and solids via a multiphase separator that is upstream of a sand removal system. Pressure is controlled in the multiphase separator to facilitate hydrocarbon gas capture. The light hydrocarbon gases can be recovered for sale or can be used on-site.

The present disclosure is directed to a separation system having a first inlet line through which a multiphase fluid is directed; a first separator connected to the first inlet line, the first separator being configured to separate the fluid into a heavy fraction primarily comprising solids and a light fraction primarily comprising gas, oil and water, the first separator comprising a heavy fraction outlet for discharge of the heavy fraction and a light fraction outlet for discharge of the light fraction; a heavy fraction outlet line connected to the heavy fraction outlet; a light fraction outlet line connected to the light fraction outlet; a second inlet line connected to the light fraction outlet line; a second separator connected to the second inlet line, the second separator being configured to separate the light fraction into separate gas, oil and water fractions, and the second separator comprising a gas outlet for discharge of the gas fraction, an oil outlet for discharge of the oil fraction, and a water outlet for discharge of the water fraction; a gas line connected to the gas outlet, an oil line connected to the oil outlet and a water line connected to the water outlet; a plurality of electrically operated valves for controlling fluid flow through respective ones of said lines; a plurality of sensors for measuring respective characteristics of the fluid; and a system controller configured to operate the valves based on inputs from the sensors to thereby control fluid flow through said lines.

A separator system and method may provide a four-way separator that may separate a material and remove a hazardous material. The hazardous material may include gas and sand that may he removed by the four-way separator. The separator system and method may further provide a main unit that may include three chambers or recirculation hoppers, an auger sand extractor, and a strap tank. The separator system and method may provide a faster rig-up time and may be exclusively driven by hydraulics.

A compact hydraulic particle separator apparatus is disclosed. The disclosed apparatus comprises an upper chamber and a lower chamber separated by a partition. A liquid fluid flow upwelling through the partition from the lower chamber is caused to mix with tangential jet of fluid flowing introduced above the partition in the upper chamber produces an upwardly-flowing cyclonic flow within the upper chamber. Particle mixtures containing low- and high-density particles and other solids are introduced into the upper chamber through a feed tube having a mouth that is offset from the center of the upper chamber. Low-density particles are immediately entrained in the cyclonic flow and swept upward and exit the apparatus.

A sand bypass separator is provided for separating particulate matter from a fluid mixture in a production well and directing the separated particulate matter away from a pump intake. The separator includes an outer tube, an inner tube positioned within the outer tube. The outer tube has a plurality of slots to allow the fluid mixture to enter the separator between the outer tube and the inner tube. As the fluid mixture moves downward, the fluid mixture reaches a downward velocity sufficient to allow the particulate matter in the fluid mixture to continue downward as the fluid is drawn into the inner tube through the pump intake. A bypass that extends from above the pump intake to below the pump intake to collect and direct the separated particulate matter separated below the pump intake may also be included.