Is there a better way?

[MortenA]

I have a field line from a well pad to a gas treatment facility a couple of km away. The fluid is gas with a very low level of condensate/water. The line slopes constantly up towards the plant.

I would like to have an opportunity to drain liquids out of the line and would therefore like a drain vessel at the well site. The vessel shall have a design pressure=well shut-in pressure. My though is then to empty the local vessel using a truck. This is, however, a high risk operation in my view - and i have proposed an interlock system and a local vent.

My question is now: Is there a better way (apart from a dedicated full shut-in pressure return line)?

One suggestion is to pump the liquids back into the field line under operation - but this may not always be possible - and then you would still need the connection to a truck.

Any ideas?

Best regards

Morten

 

[dcasto]

Are you taking the opportunity to remove the liquids because you can? Or do you have an operational issue with a two phase flow line?

If you have issues you can:

have a small vessel automatically dump the liquids through a level control valve to an atmospheric tank. Then just empty that tank into a truck.

You could install a blowcase system that would either go to a truck or blow case the liquids into a new smaller line that parrallels the existing line.

 

[MortenA]

Yes as a hydrate mitigation tactics we want to drain of liquids if the field line is shut in (all wells closed). We believe the line can be made we very few pockets so that the entirere volume will drain backwards into the vessel.

I see your point about two vessel - the LP vessel could be fitted with PSV's for gas blow-by.

Best regards

Morten