A sand separation system and method for operating a sand separation system, in which the method includes separating sand from a fluid using a separator. The method includes, signaling for a blowdown unit to blowdown the separator, opening one or more blowdown valves of the blowdown unit coupled to the separator in response to the signaling, so as to blowdown the separator, and receiving the sand from the separator into a sand disposal unit. The sand passes through the one or more blowdown valves that are opened. The method includes measuring a weight of at least some of the sand that was separated in the separator using a load cell of the separator, a load cell of the sand disposal unit, or both, and determining a blowdown interval for subsequent blowdown operations of the separator based in part on the weight of the sand.

An apparatus for treating a multiphase hydrocarbon-containing fluid in an oil and/or gas production facility, the apparatus comprising: (a) an inlet for a multiphase hydrocarbon-containing fluid, wherein the inlet comprises a first pipe network configured to be connectable to a plurality of oil well heads in an oil field; (b) a separation system comprising: (i) a solids separator in fluid communication with the inlet; (ii) a solids outlet connected to the solids separator; (iii) a fluid separator in fluid communication with the solids separator, the fluid separator being configured to separate the remaining multiphase hydrocarbon-containing fluid into an oil phase, a water phase and a gas phase; (iv) an oil outlet connected to the fluid separator; (v) a gas outlet connected to the fluid separator; and (vi) a water outlet connected to the fluid separator; (c) a solids cleaning system connected to the solids outlet, wherein the solids cleaning system is configured to clean deposits of residual oil from the solid particles separated by the solids separator to provide cleaned solid particles and first residual oil, the solids cleaning system having a first output for outputting the cleaned solid particles and a second output configured to output the first residual oil; and (d) a water cleaning and recycling system connected to the water outlet, wherein the water cleaning and recycling system is configured to clean residual oil from the water phase separated by the fluid separator, the water cleaning and recycling system comprising an oil filter for separating the residual oil from the water phase to provide cleaned water and second residual oil, the oil filter having a third output for recycling the cleaned water to at least one well head of the oil field, wherein the third output comprises a second pipe network configured to be connectable to the at least one well head of the oil field, and a fourth output configured to output the second residual oil. Also disclosed is a corresponding method.

An automated sand separator discharge system includes a sand separator disposed downstream of a wellhead, an inlet conduit for transporting a process stream to the sand separator, a fluid outlet conduit for transporting a liquid and gas stream from the sand separator, a sand discharge conduit for removing sand from the sand separator, first, second, and third valves disposed along the sand discharge conduit, a first transducer connected between the first and second valves and operative to measure pressure in a portion of the sand discharge conduit and to produce a pressure reading, and a control panel operatively connected to the first, second, and third valves and the first transducer, the control panel being programmed to initiate and terminate discharge of sand from the sand separator, and to determine if the first and second valves are sealing completely when closed.

A frac sand separator system includes a sand separator having an inlet fluidly connected to a well for receiving a fracking return mixture from the well. The sand separator is configured to separate water of the fracking return mixture from particulate matter of the fracking return mixture. The sand separator includes an outlet. The frac sand separator system includes a collection container fluidly connected to the outlet of the sand separator for receiving the particulate matter from the sand separator. At least one outlet valve is fluidly connected between the outlet of the sand separator and the collection container. The frac sand separator system includes a computing device operatively connected to the at least one outlet valve. The computing device includes a processor configured to automatically open the at least one outlet valve such that the particulate matter is released from the sand separator into the collection container.

Removable trap stations for hydrocarbon flowlines can be implemented as an apparatus. The apparatus includes a multi-phase fluid receiver body and a tank defining an interior volume. The fluid receiver body is configured to couple to a flowline carrying a multi-phase fluid including solids and liquids. The fluid receiver body includes an inlet portion configured to receive a portion of the multi-phase fluid including a portion of the solids flowing through the flowline into the receiver body. The fluid receiver body includes an outlet portion fluidically coupled to the inlet portion. The portion of the multi-phase fluid is configured to flow from the inlet portion to the outlet portion. The tank is fluidically and detachably coupled to the outlet and is configured to receive and retain the portion of the multi-phase fluid received through the inlet portion.

A sand handling system having, for example, one to three sand separators are configured to be operatively connected to a well and an inlet of a common dumping vessel. Advantageously, the dumping vessel has a sensor to measure an amount of sand in the dumping vessel and provide a signal to a programmable controller which is arranged to dump the dumping vessel when a specified amount of sand is in the dumping vessel. The system automates the sand handling process and also measures and records data associated with a number of flowback parameters. The data can then be used in well design to improve oil and/or gas production, lessen sand production, reduce well damage and/or equipment corrosion due to, for example, sand.

The invention relates to a tailings settling-dewatering-solidifying device and an experimental method thereof, which falls into the technical field of mine engineering and mine geotechnical engineering, comprising a tailings settling device including a water tank, charging barrels I and II, and a reaction tank made of a transparent material, a dewatering device including an intelligent type controller, a circular base, a gas cylinder, a permeable stone, a piston, a metal rod and a water return barrel, a solidifying device including a charging barrel III and a tailings barrel, a stirring system including a stirrer, a rotary shaft and an electric motor, a dynamic real-time monitoring system including a high-definition electronic camera and a computer, and a three-layer framework. Through integration of tailings settling-dewatering-solidifying, the device can effectively improve tailings treatment efficiency, facilitate data collection and analysis, adjust medicament concentration in real time, meet enterprises' requirements, and reduce enterprise cost.

A system and method for determining when a sand separator should be purged to remove solids from the sand separator. The system can include an acoustic sensor which detects the frequency of audible sound coming from the inner chamber of the vessel and generate a signature signal representative of the frequency of audible sound. There is a processor connected to the acoustic sensor and configured to compare the signature signal with a set frequency range of audible sound which in turn generates a signal indicating when the signature frequency and the set frequency are in overlapping relationship.

An apparatus and method for optimizing hydro-cyclone separation in a filtering system is disclosed. The apparatus includes a first, second and third storage tanks, a pump, a motor, a variable speed drive, and a hydro-cyclone. The pump pulls fluid from the third storage tank and routes it to the hydro-cyclone where particles are separated out. The filtered fluid is then routed onto a mechanism, such as a car wash, where the clean fluid is utilized. Since the car wash cannot always use all of the filtered fluid, a controller monitor flow rate and fluid pressure, and operates a proportional fluid control valve to bypass some or all of the fluid routed to the car wash and redirect it back to the second storage tank. This process allows the hydro-cyclone to operate at maximum efficiency while flow to the carwash may vary. The dirty particles separated out by the hydro-cyclone are routed to the first storage tank.

A solar powered sediment capture system is disclosed for collecting sediment at environment sites such as lakes and rivers. A mechanical pump directs water from a containment basin to an upper tank and an antistatic pressure tank, both which are elevated. Gravity flow from the upper tank generates vacuum to establish a syphon for drawing a flowable sediment slurry from an environmental borrow site to a filter. Effluent from the filter passes down to the containment basin, which has water level at a lower elevation than that of the borrow site. Anti-static and driller conduits permit gravity flow from the anti-static tank to suspend the sediment and to maintain the slurry at the syphon inlet in a flowable state.