Petroleum Development Oman L.L.C.

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April 2006

Document ID: GU-504

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Guideline for Gas Flotation Tank Systems

Keywords: GFT, MGS, MBF, GLR, microbubble, micro-bubble, IGF, floatation

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Guideline for Gas Flotation Tanks

Version 2.0

Authorised for Issue:

Signed:
Mohammed Mughairy, UEP
CFDH Process Engineering

The following is a brief summary of the most recent revisions to this document.
Version No.
Draft B
1.0
2.0

April 2006

Date
March
2005
October
2005
April 2006

Author
G. Young
UEC81
R. Weiter
UEC8
R. Weiter
UEC8

Scope/Remarks
Issued as Gas Flotation Tank Selection And
Sizing Guidelines report UEC/8-03-03-2005
Fully Updated and Changed from Report to
Guideline Format
Updated post-Fahud Design Review

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Guideline for Gas Flotation Tanks

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Content
1.

INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................................4
1.1.
1.2.
1.3.
1.4.

2.

GENERAL................................................................................................................................................................7
2.1.
2.2.
2.3.
2.4.
2.5.
2.6.
2.7.
2.8.
2.9.
2.10.

3.

BASIC PRINCIPLES ..................................................................................................................................................7

SELECTION OF GFT VS. OTHER DE-OILING METHODS............................................................................................8
PERFORMANCE GUARANTEE ..................................................................................................................................9
LAYOUT ...............................................................................................................................................................10
PROJECT MANAGEMENT .......................................................................................................................................10
REJECT HANDLING ...............................................................................................................................................11
CHEMICAL INJECTION ...........................................................................................................................................16
SAMPLING POINTS ................................................................................................................................................16
ISOLATIONS ..........................................................................................................................................................17
SKID TYPE SELECTION .....................................................................................................................................17
TANK ......................................................................................................................................................................18

3.1.
3.2.
3.3.
3.4.
3.5.
3.6.
3.7.
3.8.
3.9.
3.10.
4.

CONSIDERATIONS .................................................................................................................................................18
MODELLING .........................................................................................................................................................18
SIZING ..................................................................................................................................................................19
LEVELS .................................................................................................................................................................19
INLET AND OUTLET NOZZLES ...............................................................................................................................21
SINGLE CHAMBER ................................................................................................................................................21
DUAL CHAMBER...................................................................................................................................................21
SKIMMERS ............................................................................................................................................................22
BLANKET GAS SYSTEM ........................................................................................................................................23
TANK COST ......................................................................................................................................................23
GLR-TYPE SKIDS ...............................................................................................................................................24

4.1.
4.2.
4.3.
5.

GENERAL..............................................................................................................................................................24
PUMPS ..................................................................................................................................................................24
CONTROL .............................................................................................................................................................25
MULTIPHASE PUMP-TYPE SKIDS.................................................................................................................26

5.1.
5.2.
5.3.
6.

PURPOSE AND SCOPE ..............................................................................................................................................4

COMPLIANCE ..........................................................................................................................................................4
BACKGROUND ........................................................................................................................................................4
FURTHER INFORMATION .........................................................................................................................................6

GENERAL..............................................................................................................................................................26
PUMPS ..................................................................................................................................................................26
CONTROL .............................................................................................................................................................27
REFERENCES......................................................................................................................................................29

APPENDIX A: GLOSSARY OF ABBREVIATIONS ..................................................................................................30

APPENDIX B: MBF VENDOR .......................................................................................................................................31
APPENDIX C: GAS FLOTATION THEORY ...............................................................................................................32
APPENDIX D: EXAMPLE PEFS OF A REACTOR TYPE SKID ..............................................................................33
APPENDIX E: EXAMPLE PEFS OF A MULTIPHASE PUMP-TYPE SKID...........................................................34
APPENDIX F: EXAMPLE GA OF A DUAL CHAMBER TANK DESIGN ...............................................................35
APPENDIX G: EXAMPLE OF REJECT HANDLING SYSTEM (SLUDGE POND TYPE) ..................................36
APPENDIX H: EXAMPLE OF REJECT HANDLING SYSTEM (OIL EXPORT TYPE)........................................37

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Guideline for Gas Flotation Tanks

1.

Introduction

1.1.

Purpose and Scope

Version 2.0

This document gives requirements and recommendations for the selection and design of gas
flotation tanks for new facilities and for retrofits to existing tanks. Its main purpose is to direct the
PDO staff and the FED, EMC or EPC contractor (users) executing the project.

1.2.

Compliance
The use of this guideline is mandatory for users where required by the convention. The following
convention is used in this document.

The word shall indicates a requirement.

The word should indicates a recommendation.

Other expressions is, will be, could etc. are informative.

The use of this guideline is not mandatory for the MBF vendor (vendor); as it is this vendor who
supplied much of the requirements information in this document. See Appendix B for further
details.
This guideline does not preclude alternative designs. However users shall obtain written approval
from the Corporate Function Discipline Head (CFDH) for Process Engineering for any variance
from requirements (indicated by shall) in this guideline, see procedure PR-1247.
Any discrepancies between vendor design and Shell or PDO standards (the standards) or this
guideline shall be queried with the vendor and, if unresolved, be addressed by consulting the
Process Engineering CFDH. Vendor design shall be compliant with the standards.

1.3.

Background
PDO is by far the largest water producer in the Shell Group accounting for half of the total water
production and 5 times more water than any other single Operating Unit. The Shell group has
extensive experience in treating water to low oil-in-water (OIW) levels for disposal to the surface,
typically in relatively smaller amounts from offshore facilities. Typically total suspended solids
(TSS) in produced water are not of interest and get disposed of in the sea.
Outside of PDO there is little Group experience in handling large volumes of water and solids in an
onshore environment. Technology development and reporting has traditionally focused on reducing
space, weight and total offshore installed cost which have significant cost savings or operational
benefits in an offshore environment, but are irrelevant to PDOs operations. The Gas Flotation
Tank (GFT) is one solution to PDOs unique challenges.
Since early 2004, the GFT technology has been matured by the PDO Water Management Team as
an economic way to treat large volumes of water containing very fine oil droplets, fine solid
particles and combinations of the two present as oil coated solids. The operating principle of the
GFT technology is based on the existing technologies of induced gas flotation (IGF) and dissolved
gas flotation (DGF).
Over the past few years it has been adopted by a number of operating companies, mostly in Canada
where the Micro-Bubble-Flotation (MBF) technology has been developed and where there are a
number of large onshore water producers investing in produced water reuse for both water and
steam floods.

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Flotation systems have been widely used in the upstream E&P industry for decades. These have
been recently (since year 2001) further developed to minimise space, weight and the effects of
vessel motions for the offshore market, resulting in the recent development of the single cell
compact flotation units.
IGF systems such as the one in Figure 1.1 are typically able to generate a gas bubble size in the
100-400 m range. This is not effective in removing very fine oil droplets or solid particles as only
fine bubbles remove fine droplets and particles.

Figure 1.1: Typical Hydraulic Induced Gas Flotation System

DGF systems (Figure 1.2) have also been used in the E&P industry, although not to the same
extent as IGF, primarily due to the higher cost and requirement for a pressurised gas source with
continuous gas venting. The smaller bubble size of these units typically in the 40-70 m range
generally improves the separation of fine oil droplets and particularly the fine solid particles.

Figure 1.2: Typical Dissolved Gas Flotation System

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MBF technology makes use of both induced gas bubbles and dissolved gas, hence combining IGF
and DGF. However, the microbubble generation skid (MGS) generates smaller gas bubbles than
either IGF or DGF, in the range of 5-50 m. This technology has become available since year
2002.
MBF systems also have the advantage over IGF systems of being able to adjust the bubble size
during commissioning to optimise the system performance by trading off bubble size vs. induced
gas volume.
Further reading on gas flotation is in Appendix C.

1.4.

Further Information
For further general reading on de-oiling, waterflooding and solids management see the references
in section 6.
Reference 1 is a PDO guideline for selecting evaluating and monitoring waterfloods. Its use is
mandatory for PDO concept engineers.
Reference 2 has background reading on the oilfield technologies involved in de-oiling of water.
Reference 3 discusses treatment facilities more superficially, it is mostly focussed on the reservoir
aspects of waterflooding.
Reference 4 discusses all aspects of solids management, but is focussed to offshore purposes.

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2.

Version 2.0

General
This section discusses general requirements for gas flotation tank systems. The tanks themselves
are discussed in Section 3. The two different types of MGSs and their requirements are discussed
in Sections 4 and 5.

2.1.

Basic Principles
MBF is a technology of saturating the produced water with both dissolved and mechanically
created micro-bubbles of gas, which enhance the separation of oil and solids from water.
The MBF equipment consists of two main elements: Gas Flotation Tank (GFT) and Microbubble
Generation Skid (MGS).
Figure 2.1 shows the basic process flow scheme for the system. The process of flotation consists of
three basic steps: bubble generation in the MGS, attachment of the contaminants to the gas bubble,
and rising of the gas/oil/solids combination to the water surface where contaminants are removed
by skimming off the reject. A reject tank and pumps are also required; see Section 2.6 and
Appendix G.
Blanket/Flotation
Gas Supply

To Flare/Vapour
Recovery/Vent

Flow=1.25*Q

Flow=Q

Flow=0.038*Q (batch skim, 3%)

Flow=0.060*Q (continuous, 5%) Reject

Pressure
Letdown
Valve

Gas Flotation Tank

(GFT)

Clean Water
Produced
Water
De-oiler
Injection
(optional)

Deposited Coarse Solids

Static Mixer
or Pump or
Control Valve
to ensure
de-oiler is
mixed in and
effective

Option 2:
Option 1:
Blanket Gas Fuel gas
(induced by
pump vacuum)

Microbubble
Generation
Skid (MGS)

25% Recycle

Blue: scope of vendor

equipment supply
Red: scope of vendor
performance guarantee

Flow=0.25*Q

Figure 2.1: Gas Flotation Tank Flow Scheme

The bubble generation occurs in a vendor supplied skid which is installed adjacent to the tank.
The feed to the skid is taken from the clean water outlet, at a rate equal to approximately 25% of
the net water throughput. The value of 25% is typical, but it can vary between 20 and 30%,
depending on the specific application. The vendor should be contacted for advice.
Gas is then introduced to the skid from the tank or from fuel gas systems. There are two methods
for generating the micro-bubbles by the skid i.e. two fundamentally different MGS types.

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Gas Liquid Reactor (GLR) a pressure vessel that uses flow, shear, impact and pressure to
create micro bubbles of gas.

Multiphase Microbubble Flotation (MBF) pump that can accept up to 20% gas (typical use is
10-12% gas) entering the suction and where the hydraulics within the pump create the micro
bubbles.

Selection between these methods is illustrated in Figure 2.2 and discussed in sections referred to
within that figure.
The net result in all cases is a stream saturated with micro gas bubbles which creates a rising cloud
of bubbles (termed white water) inside the GFT.
These systems also allow the gas bubble size and rate to be adjusted during commissioning and
subsequent operation to optimise the system performance. This feature allows different bubble
sizes and flows to be tested to find the most effective combination for a given application.
The recycle stream saturated with hydrocarbon gas is introduced into the main feed stream before it
enters the tank. This allows for better mutual dispersion of gas bubbles and oil droplets suspended
in the water in the inlet piping and in the turbulent area at the inlet nozzles.
The use of deoiler chemicals is dictated by desired de-oiling performance and laboratory trials,
same as for any form of flotation.

2.2.

Selection of GFT vs. Other De-oiling Methods

The selection of the GFT for a specific application is driven by required separation performance,
availability of existing skim tanks, operating pressures, requirement for handling of upsets and
available layout space.
Separation Performance
Typical performance achieved using the GFT is removal of 80-98% of oil and removal of 30-75%
of solids, which is same or better than performance of traditional flotation techniques and compact
flotation.
Performance of any flotation based system cannot be predicted from physical properties of the oil,
water and solids. To determine whether any flotation technology is applicable, bench air flotation
and deoiler bottle tests shall be carried out. See Appendix C for further discussion.
The bench flotation tests shall be carried out using a WEMCO bench flotation test cell in which
a 4 lt. sample of produced water is aerated for a period of 1 to 5 min. This process is then repeated
with a range of deoiler chemicals to determine their effect on performance. These results correlate
well against conventional IGF systems. The tests are carried out by a specialist company and
managed by PDOs Production Chemistry dept. who hold ongoing contracts for this type of work.
Both tests give an indication of how much deoiler chemical will be required.
For the GFT the vendor shall then be given the following information to allow for GFT flotation to
be predicted:

Results of bench flotation tests and bottle tests

General arrangement drawings of any skim tanks to be retrofitted

Process equipment data sheet for the GFT package

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Any non-compliance with this guideline that would affect the skid performance

Existing Skim Tanks

In production stations where skim tanks are installed MBF technology can be retrofitted to the
existing tank either with or without internals modifications to optimise performance. This provides
a large cost saving over a stand alone IGF system. If internals modifications are required the
operations impact of having the skim tank out of service for a period of time should be considered.
Operating Pressure
The GFT can only operate at close to atmospheric pressure and is therefore not applicable to
service in pressurised treatment systems. In such cases hydrocyclones, vessel-type IGF units or inline separator (e.g. as at Musallim) should be considered.
Upsets
Like a skim tank, the GFT has a considerable hold-up volume of approx. 1 hour, and hence can be
designed to provide buffer and control volumes in the system allowing the FWKO tanks to be
operated more steadily, which should in turn improve water and oil quality. A conventional IGF
has a 4 minute hold-up volume and hence is neither a buffer against serious oil-in-water process
upsets, nor a means of steadying the level in FWKO tanks.
Cost and Delivery
UEC8 shall be consulted for this information.
Site
The space available on site may restrict the possible locations for a GFT due to the larger foot print
compared to a conventional IGF or hydrocyclone system.
A skid mounted traditional IGF system may provide advantages in terms of project execution and
schedule because of minimal onsite construction and commissioning activities.

2.3.

Performance Guarantee
The vendor performance must be directly negotiated by each individual project. The following
should be considered:

Any guarantee is an overhanging liability against the vendor. It can have any number of
potential actions that would be required, from rectifying actions, repair, replacement, partial
financial penalties to full financial penalties. Hence what guarantee a vendor can provide is a
function of what the potential liability is and how close that guaranteed performance is to the
predicted performance. Although this statement is very general, it is included here to give a
reminder of how guarantees work in practice.

In principle, any GFT system, retrofit or new, utilising a single or dual-chamber tank can be
guaranteed for oil removal efficiency.

Solids removal efficiency may or may not be possible to be guaranteed, same as for IGF or
DGF. This is not readily quantifiable for flotation systems as it depends on the nature and size
of the solids, the degree of their coating with oil and adherence to gas bubbles. This
information is generally not available up front. A typical efficiency figure is 50%, with a 3075% range.

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In general, the finer and lighter the solids are and the more coated with oil, the better they will
be removed by flotation. Hence the GFT should be highly effective for removal of schmoo.
Coarse sand will settle out on the bottom of the tank, providing that it is cleaned regularly and
the sand settling voidage is thus available. However coarse sand should normally not enter the
GFT, as the FWKO upstream should remove it. It is recommended that 50% solids removal
efficiency should be assumed where there is no schmoo and 70% where most of the solids are
schmoo. The figures are based on previous Shell experience and laboratory tests at Marmul
(Ref.5).

2.4.

GFT performance can be broadly predicted as discussed in Section 2.2, but this prediction is
not highly accurate for single chamber GFTs. This is due to significant flow distribution
issues, which is unlike IGFs, and due to wall coalescence effects.

In case of either high performance efficiency being required (typically >90%) or the retrofitted
tank being unable to be modified sufficiently, or the guarantee conditions being very severe,
the vendor may insist on performing their own tests, using their own test skid for a field pilot.
The vendor has a test skid of 120m3/d capacity, footprint 4.5 x 4.5m. It consists only of micro
bubble generation package, with a 4 cell rectangular tank. This is an open system and therefore
cannot be used on waters containing hazardous levels of H2S.

Under all cases, the vendor shall guarantee the bubble size at the MGS outlet. The initial rise
rate of the white water clear water interface shall be 1mm/s, as measured at a sample point
by observation of an open beaker at atmospheric pressure. This corresponds to the rise rate of a
40 m bubble in water at atmospheric pressure. It shall be noted that this rise rate accelerates
as bubbles coalesce; hence measured over 1 minute the corresponding average rise rate is
10cm/min (equivalent to 50 m bubble in water).

Layout
The following requirements shall be taken into account when preparing the site layout. All of these
requirements are aimed at minimising the coalescence of gas bubbles in the tank inlet piping

2.5.

The MGS shall be located immediately adjacent to the GFT. For bunded (bermed) tanks this
means that the MGS shall be located inside the bund. If locating the multiphase pumps inside
the bund is not acceptable, the GLR-type skid shall be used, as for this the feed pumps can be
located outside of the bund.

The pressure letdown valve shall be located immediately adjacent to the tie in of the recycle
line into the main oily water line. This means that a ladder or steps and platform will need to
be provided as this valve will be high above the ground.

The tie in of the recycle line into the main oily water line shall be located immediately
adjacent to the tank inlet nozzle.

The number of tees and 90 bends between the MGS and the tank inlet nozzle shall be
minimised as they promote turbulent coalescence of the gas micro bubbles. Long radius bends
shall be used wherever elbows cannot be avoided.

Project Management
The MGS vendor is normally directly responsible for:

design and fabrication of the MGS;

sizing of the tank and design of internals for new purpose built GFTs;

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design of the tank modifications (troughs, divisions, inlet spreader, outlet collector, nozzle
relocations) of retrofitted skim tanks;

computer modelling, this is normally required for retrofitted tanks but not for new built GFTs;

sizing guidelines for piping between MGS and GFS;

provision of MGS skid utility requirements; and

review of layouts and isometrics of relevant connecting piping and general arrangements of the
tank and skid, hence these shall be sent to the vendor.

The vendor should be engaged for commissioning, training, troubleshooting and ongoing support.
The vendor does not manufacture the GFT or any connecting piping between the GFT and MGS.
The vendor needs not be present at HAZOP and HAZID studies and in design reviews, this is at the
project groups discretion.
The pressure letdown valve (Fig.2.1) needs not be supplied by the vendor and should be supplied
by PDO. The valve type is not important. It is the pressure drop that creates additional micro
bubbles, not the geometry or design of the valve. It may be either manual or automatic.
For the GLR-type skid, the feed centrifugal pumps need not be supplied by the vendor and can be
supplied by PDO. Only the flow and discharge pressure specifications are required to be met, there
are no other implications on the performance of the skid.
The vendor has no specific PLC requirements, seal monitoring system requirements, or minimum
flow recycle requirements.

2.6.

Reject Handling
The following requirements apply to design of the reject (GFT skimmings) system, see example in
Appendices G and H:

The reject stream routing shall be designed so as to prevent closed-loop recycling of the fine
solids removed in the flotation process. Unless these solids are removed they will build up in
the loop until eventually resulting in a zero solids removal efficiency, and can cause very
stable emulsions. Since solids will follow the oil path out of the reject tank, full recycle of the
oil separated in the reject tank is not allowed.

The reject handling system shall not add any oxygen to the recycled water, using blanketing.
Oxygen scavenging by chemical is not reliable enough to be used here. This is due to the
history of mal-operation of such systems in PDO and due to the GFT reject rate, which is
much higher than any long term average of drainage into any open pit/API separator.

Centrifugal pumps shall not be used to handle the oil stream from the reject tank, the total
reject stream from the GFT (if any pump is required there) or the recovered oil from sludge
ponds/pits. Due to the high solids content these pumps are considered unsuitable for such
service. Only the following pump types are acceptable: diaphragm or screw pumps, and
ejectors.

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Centrifugal pumps may be used to handle the water stream from the reject tank, as the solids
loading here should be lower than in the oil stream. Use of centrifugal pump depends on the
size, load and abrasiveness (sharp edges) of these solids. Also it must be ensured that the reject
tank does not overfill with coarse solids which then slug through the pump, as this would
rapidly wear it out. Any centrifugal pump for this service shall be designed in keeping with the
guidelines in EP2003-5184, Section 12 (Ref.4)

If appropriate, the GFT reject treatment system design should be co-ordinated with other slops
and waste handling requirements at the site.

Unless direct routing of full reject stream to the oil line is possible (e.g. for satellite stations
such as Qaharir), the reject stream shall be routed into a blanketed reject tank, which shall
have minimum residence time either as determined from Figure 2.2 or from sludge hold-up
criteria, next bullet point and Table 2.1 (use the larger value). The basis for Figure 2.2 is
Stokes Law, with assumptions listed below:
o

150 micron particle (EP93-1315, Section 8.5.2);

All oil is locked in emulsion, hence settling out is not of pure oil but of emulsion with
60% entrained water as in Sect.4.3.2 of Dehydration Manual (Ref.6); and

Hindered Stokes Law settling as in Fig 4.1 of Dehydration Manual (Ref.6), Fs=0.7.
This is for 0-3% dispersed phase concentration and covers all PDO GFT reject tanks.

8
Water SG=1.00 (fresh water)

Effective Residence Time (hrs)

Water SG=1.10 (highly saline water)

6
5
4
3
2
1
0
0.75

0.77

0.79

0.81

0.83

0.85

0.87

0.89

0.91

0.93

Oil Standard Gravity (Water=1)

Figure 2.2: Reject Tank Required Liquid Residence Time

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As well as satisfying the residence time required for de-oiling, the reject tank shall provide
sufficient voidage in its bottom for sludge settling:
o

The reject water outlet line shall be at least 2m above the tank bottom to provide for
solids settling and at least 3m below the inlet line to provide for separation.

If no detergent is injected into the skimmings, it shall be assumed that 40% of solids
removed in the GFT settle out in the reject tank. In this case the settled sludge shall
be assumed to be 15vol% solids and rest oil. This is based on past Fahud sludge test
data.

If detergent is injected into the skimmings, it shall be assumed that 80% of solids
removed in the GFT settle out in the reject tank. In this case the settled sludge shall
be assumed to be 50vol% solids and rest oil.

Pure solids density of 3000 kg/m3 can be assumed. This need not be calculated
exactly, given the uncertainties in above two bullet points.

The required tank diameter can then be calculated as in the examples below:

Case
Detergent Injected Into GFT Reject Stream?

Field A
No

Field A
Yes

Field B
No

Field B
Yes

Produced Water Rate

m3/d

15000

15000

50000

50000

Inlet Solids Loading

Outlet Solids Loading

mg/L
mg/L

30
10

30
10

40
15

40
15

Reject Tank Height For Sludge

Volume Fraction Of Solids In Sludge

Fraction Of Removed Solids Which Settles

0.15
0.4

0.5
0.8

0.15
0.4

0.5
0.8

Solids Density

tonnes/m3

3.0

3.0

3.0

3.0

Oil Density
Tank Cleanout Frequency

tonnes/m3
years

0.87
1

0.87
1

0.93
1

0.93
1
365

Pure Solids Settled In Reject Tank

tonnes

44

88

183

Pure Solids Settled In Reject Tank

m3

15

29

61

122

Sludge Settled In Reject Tank

m3

97

58

406

243

Tank Diameter Required for Sludge

16

12

Table 2.1: Reject Tank Diameter Based on Sludge Deposition

o

It is readily apparent that using detergent will minimise the sludge volume, however
the degree to which detergent will work is not known, especially given the low level
of turbulence in the reject stream to mix this detergent in, and hence it will need to be
tested in practice. Hence it is best to size the reject tank assuming no detergent action.
If this is effective, it can be seen that it can have the effect of up to doubling the
period between tank cleanouts.

The above calculation is for the reject tank. Solids build-up rate in the GFT can be
calculated using same assumptions as above (no detergent case), and Fraction
Removed Which Settles = 0.2.

The reject tank inlet line shall be 1.5m below the oil-water interface. It was shown by CFD
modelling that lesser separation causes turbulence and re-entrainment.

Inlet nozzle velocity shall be 0.5m/s maximum (Ref.6, 4.6.2).

The inlet and outlet nozzles shall be on opposite sides of the tank. Inlet and outlet shall be
positioned so as to avoid short-circuiting.

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Outlet nozzle velocities shall be 1.0m/s maximum (Ref.6).

To prevent solids from dropping out in the GFT trough and in piping, velocity for solidsloaded liquids shall be 1.5m/s or above (EP 2003-5184, section 5.6). This applies to the
following: GFT skimming trough, reject line between the GFT and skim tank, and oil
skimmings line from the reject tank.

The down slope to horizontal of the GFT skimmings trough should be 5 or greater.

The reject piping between the GFT and the reject tank shall not contain any solids traps, and
any horizontal sections shall slope toward the reject tank with at least a 1:100 slope.

Cleaning should be manual. The reject tank design shall provide for fast and easy isolation and
cleaning. The tank shall be designed for easy isolation, opening, venting, and vacuum tanker
access. While the reject tank is cleaned, the emulsion pad in the GFT will be allowed to build
up. Reject tank cleaning time of 2 weeks should be allowed for.

The tank lining shall be highly wear-resistant so as to withstand frequent cleaning. Unless a
spare reject tank is provided, tank lining failure and repair is not acceptable. This would lead
to tank being out of service for several months.

Valve selection in the solids-contaminated reject system is critically important to avoid

jamming and erosion.

Reject from a GFT will average 5 vol% of the total GFT feed for continuous skimming and 3 vol%
of the total GFT feed for intermittent skimming. These are experience figures from existing
installations. For example, for 20,000m3/d of treated oily water the intermittent average reject rate
will be 20,000 x 1.25recycle x 0.03reject = 750m3/d.
It should be noted that the reject stream is often named oily reject or even oil, but this is
misleading. From a simple volume balance, if treated water stream has 200ppmv oil, for a 25%
recycle, and all oil removed in a 3% reject stream, the reject stream liquids will be actually
99.5vol% water and 0.5vol% (5000ppmv) oil.
Out of 100% of the reject stream, we can estimate that 97-99% of the liquid will be easily
separable free water and 1-3% may be initially tied up with oil in an estimated 60/40vol% water/oil
emulsion with solids entrained. This emulsion is settled out in tank sized as in Figure 2.2.
An emulsion (oil/water/gas) pad thickness of 0.15m should not be exceeded in the GFT under
normal operation, i.e. unless reject tank is being cleaned. A higher thickness may inhibit degassing
and cause foaming. However this is not a firm rule and the vendor shall be consulted if difficulty is
experienced in meeting it. This guideline can also be tested in practice, by allowing the pad to build
up further and checking for any adverse effects on water quality.
It should be noted that with intermittent skimming the instantaneous flow rates will be several
orders of magnitude higher than for continuous skimming and the reject piping shall be designed
accordingly. The actual rate is easily quantified from the interval and duration of skimming.
Skimming duration is typically 2-20 minutes. It depends on the exact amount of oil in the inlet
flow, the desired quality of the reject and is typically optimised after commissioning so as to
achieve the best overall system performance.
For intermittent skimming of the GFT, the reject tank oil and free water pump-out operations shall
be synchronised with the GFT skimming operation. Pump-out of water shall occur just before a
new batch of intermittent reject flow is dumped into the reject tank from the GFT, thus maximising
the separation time. The free water shall be separated out and recycled back to FWKO or GFT
inlet. The FWKO is the better option and should be preferentially used as this avoids a closed loop
for any solids contaminants.

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The reject tank skimmings will be contaminated with solids and some remaining emulsified
water. This layer in the reject tank shall be allowed to build up to a sufficient thickness before
overflowing (in the order of 1m) so as to eliminate overflowing free water with it.
Possible options for routing that should be considered are:

Into a sludge pond (Appendix G). From here the recovered liquids and solids can be removed
to land farm by vacuum tanker. This option is practical where space is available and the flow
rate is small as removal on a basis more frequent than once a week is likely to be impractical.

Into the oil export system (Appendix H); this is common practice in other installations. The
rationale is that the associated fine solids which did not gravity-settle in water will not settle
out in the much more viscous oil, but rather will keep moving along with it, and hence the oil
export system will not be fouled. This has the advantage of requiring no solids sludge storage
on site.

The solids should be removed by manual cleaning of the gas flotation tank, reject tank and sludge
pit, if any. Depending on the nature of solids, and use of continuous vs. batch skimming, it may
also be possible to on-line remove the solids from either the oil stream out of the reject tank or out
of the entire reject stream from the GFT. This can be achieved by the following methods:

Injecting surfactant to strip oil from the solids and letting the solids settle in the reject tank.
This will greatly increase the solids deposition rate in the reject tank but will also decrease the
sludge volume, as these solids will not be contaminated by oil, which for fine solids accounts
for most of the sludge volume. See Table 2.1

Injecting acid to alter the pH and dissolve the soluble solids (scales).

Mechanically removing the solids by centrifuge or desander cyclone.

The coarser solids from the reject will settle out in the reject tank but the fine solids will get carried
out with the oil or water. The reject tank shall be monitored for solids level. The tank shall be
designed for easy isolation, opening, venting, and vacuum tanker access. While the reject tank is
cleaned, the emulsion pad in the GFT will be allowed to build up. Reject tank cleaning time of 2
weeks should be allowed for.
Typical disposal of recovered solids is land farming, landfill, addition to asphalt, incineration and
slurry injection to slurry disposal wells. Land farming is ineffective in Oman, due to high ambient
temperatures. There are landfill facilities at several locations, contact the MSE department.
Treatment and disposal options may be affected by radioactivity of the solids, see Ref.4.
The flow schemes in Appendices G and H are examples of reject handling systems. However any
scheme shall take into consideration special requirements such as nature and quantity of solids,
presence of schmoo and existing treatment and disposal facilities. It is not possible to illustrate and
exhaustively debate all the applicable schemes, neither it is within the scope of this document, see
Ref.4.
Valve selection is critically important on all reject lines, to avoid jamming and erosion. The
designer shall apply Section 4 of Ref.4 to valve selection.
Instrument selection is critically important on all reject lines, plugging. The designer shall apply
Section 12 of Ref.4 to instrument selection.

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2.7.

Version 2.0

Chemical Injection
An injection point for deoiler chemical injection shall be provided upstream of the MBF skid tie-in
point to the water inlet line to the tank. The injection quill shall be designed to meet the
requirements of DEP 31.01.10.10-Gen. This injection point shall be installed whether it is
intended to use it or not, as it is a cheap provision for any future requirements.
For any additional chemical injection points in the system, Production Chemistry shall be
consulted. This requirement will not be driven by oil-water separation duty, but rather by sitespecific issues with corrosion, biological activity or fouling with schmoo.
To ensure effectiveness of the deoiler sufficient mixing must take place downstream of the
injection point. This can be achieved if either a pump, control valve of static mixer is in the
downstream flow path. The deoiler injection location shall therefore be selected upstream of a
pump or control valve where possible or alternatively a static mixer shall be included in the design.
The detrimental effect of any such mixing device to oil removal efficiency in the GFT (because of
oil particle shearing) is negligible. Low differential pressure devices such as these cause negligible
shearing of the already-small oil particles from the FWKO.

2.8.

Sampling Points
Pipe sample points shall be provided in these locations:
1.

Oily water to GFT (upstream of the deoiler chemical injection point)

2.

Immediately downstream of the Pressure Letdown Valve (see Fig.2.1)

3.

GFT clean water outlet

4.

reject tank inlet

5.

water outlet from the reject tank.

6.

oil outlet from the reject tank

The vendor shall provide a sample point at skid outlet, for measuring generated bubble size. No online instrumentation is required for this; testing is done by observing bubble rise rate in a beaker
(Section 2.3).
Pipe sample points at locations #1-6 are to be provided with sample quills extending to the pipe
centreline with a curved tip (not a 45 bevelled edge) facing the direction of flow. The wall
thickness of the quill should be as thin as possible and the tip of the quill should be bevelled to a
sharp edge. Sample points should be located in an accessible position and where possible in a
vertical section of piping with upwards flow.
At locations #4-6 there shall also be provided 2 nipples with isolation valves. This is because
quills may plug up with solids.
Tank sample points should be provided every 1m along GFT and reject tank height and routed to
ground level.

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2.9.

Version 2.0

Isolations
Isolations shall be as specified by SP-1125.
Wherever parallel items or trains of equipment are installed on the MGS and the MGS can operate
with one such train/item out of service, it shall be possible to isolate such train/item without
interrupting the operation of the rest of skid.
It shall be possible to carry out maintenance of the MGS or pressure letdown valve while
continuing the operation of the GFT as skim tank (without gas).

2.10.

Skid Type Selection

Selection of skid type depends on the availability of pressurised gas supply, layout constraints, skid
capacity and vendor advice/cost.
Figure 2.3 can be used for preliminary guidance; however the vendor shall be consulted in all
cases.

Start here
No

No

Is it possible to place
pumps immediately
adjacent to the GFT?
(Section 2.5)

Is pressurised flotation
gas available at
6 barg, (Section 4.1)

Yes

Neither type of skid is

suitable.

GLR reactor type skid

Yes

Yes

Is the oily water rate

more than approx.
20,000m3/d (Sect.5.2)

No

MBF pump-type skid

Figure 2.3: Skid-Type Selection Flowchart

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3.

Tank

3.1.

Considerations

Version 2.0

The design of the GFT nozzles and internals by vendor ensures that:

3.2.

Residence time is not widely distributed, as this would mean that the chance of success of
removing contaminants would depend on the chance path of the particle through the tank

Turbulence is minimised be ensuring even flow distribution. Excessive turbulence causes

surface re-entrainment and also high speed localised downdraughts dragging down oil
particles.

Sufficient space is allowed for on the bottom of the tank for accumulation of coarse solids, as
these will not be removed by flotation.

Fluid streams are not routed past tank walls and other surfaces. This leads to rapid coalescence
of the gas bubbles, hence taking them out of the liquid and rendering flotation less effective.
Hence imparting tangential motion of the liquid in the tank should be avoided.

Modelling
Historical problems with flow distribution in standard skim tanks can be overcome with the aid of
Computation Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modelling which will highlight potential problem areas for a
given design and allow optimisation of the design.
Hence CFD modelling is also a useful tool for doing retrofits of gas flotation to existing skim tanks
and should be carried out. However caution needs to be applied to using CFD modelling providers
who are not experienced with GFT technology. The requirements of GFTs can be the direct
opposite of the design requirements of skim tanks, for example see the last point of section 3.1.
While the modelling tool is software, analysis of the results is heavily dependent on previous
modelling and practical experience.
Only providers with demonstrable experience shall be used for CFD. It shall be noted that the GFT
vendor usually provides this service and may not be able to guarantee performance otherwise.
CFD modelling currently has the following capabilities and limitations:

gas, solids and oil particles can be modelled, this is done on basis of simple density and size.

the separated skimmings layer on top cannot be modelled - the model can currently only track
particles until they reach the surface at which point the model assumes the particles stay at the
surface.

oil-coated solids can be modelled but in a very simplistic way, by making adjustments to the
specific gravity of the solid without accounting for their affinity for bubble attachment and
surface release

saline water density and viscosity can be catered for, same for oil

particle size distributions for both oil droplets and solid particles can be utilised within the
model

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interactions between oil-gas, solids-gas and oil-solids are not catered for by the model.
Current approach is to either (a) assume gas/oil contact and use rise velocities of gas bubbles
of known size distributions coated with a thin layer of oil or (b) independently modelling the 3
phases. Neither is correct but (a) is closer to reality than (b).

No use is made of water composition chemistry (i.e. ions) in CFD work.

CFD modelling is not required for new-build tank designs provided as part of a guaranteed
package. This is because these designs had been tested in practice already.

3.3.

Sizing
Tank sizing for use with MBF should be always carried out by the supplier of the system. It is
based on downward velocity, which takes into account the coalescence of bubbles and location of
the bubbles/bubble-free interface as we do not want bubbles in the underflow.
As a rule of thumb, dual-chamber tanks will require a 60 minutes residence time whereas single
chamber tanks will require 90 minutes residence time, depending on flow patterns and performance
required.

3.4.

Levels
The tank height shall consider constraints of the facility into which the tank is to be installed in
addition to the requirements for flotation gas separation.
Control
A flow balance exists between the production system, consisting of facilities upstream of the
FWKO, and the oil export and water injection systems downstream of the FWKO. The systems are
not directly linked by control, i.e. there is no loop that measures and ensures that what is produced
can be always immediately disposed of.
The oil export system is limited by oil ullage available in the FWKO and oil tanks, pump capacity,
and by what is happening downstream in the pipeline (e.g. leaks) or in downstream plants (e.g.
stabilisation).
The water injection system is limited by pump capacity and availability, and by the setting of well
chokes. Under normal conditions the free water is dumped from the FWKO or skim tank under
control imposed by throttling the pumps with a level control valve. However for systems operating
near capacity this valve may be fully open at times, in which case the pump capacity limits as set
by the pump curves and backpressure determined by wellhead chokes.
This means that somewhere in the production system, most often there needs to be a tank that takes
the short-term swings. This can be the FWKO, skim tank/GFT, or another surge tank.
It is possible to operate the GFT in one of two configurations: fixed level or variable level.
For fixed level operation the tank (Figure 3.1) is operated nearly full. It is necessary that water
outflow capacity can at all times match the inflow. Hence the GFT must be able to dump as much
water as is put into it at any instant from the FWKO. If this is impractical because the
instantaneous inflows are too high and cannot be decreased by control, then another tank shall be
installed downstream of the GFT which shall serve as a surge tank/pump feed tank. This tank can
be much smaller.

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For variable level operation (Figure 3.2) the tank is normally operated at a level below the
overflow trough and the level oscillates around the set point there. The top of oscillation should
never reach the overflow trough, unless there is a shutoff valve in the reject line, else the reject tank
will have a lot of water dumped into it which is inefficient, and could in fact exceed the reject
pump-out capacity and overflow that tank, if it is lower.
Skimming shall be initiated automatically, by a timer restricting the outlet LCV by changing the
level set point to an elevation slightly above the weir. Skimming can then be terminated when the
reject tank is full or by timer.
Manual skimming of the GFT under operator control shall not be used as this is unreliable and
impractical, as it needs to be done every few hours.
Surface Layer Disturbance
CFD modelling shows significant surface disturbances when liquid level is less than 1.5m above
top of inlet nozzle or spreader. Hence this should be avoided by design and considered to be the
low alarm level, i.e. limit of good performance.
Gas Disengagement
The height required for separation of the flotation gas from the water will be dependant on the
geometry of the internals. A minimum height of approximately 3 m should be used, but the vendor
of the MBF package shall be consulted on this.
Figures 3.1 and 3.2 summarise the recommended minimum heights based on DEP
recommendations, past vendor experience and CFD modelling.

Top of Tank Wall

LZHH

0.2m (DEP 34.51.01.31-Gen.)

higher of 1.0m or 10minutes

LAH
NLL
LAL
Inlet Nozzle(s)

Overflow skimmer height

1.5m to prevent disturbance of

surface by inlet turbulence
>3.0m; to be determined for
individual facilities based on tank
diameter, internals selection and
MBF vendor recommendations.

Outlet Nozzle (bottom)

2.0 m to allow for sludge

accumulation

Tank Floor

Figure 3.1 Tank Level Settings (Fixed Level Design)

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Top of Tank Wall

LZHH
Overflow skimmer height
LAH
NLL
LAL
Inlet Nozzle(s)

0.2m (DEP 34.51.01.31-Gen.)

higher of 1.0m or 10minutes (variable
level batch skimming)
To be determined for individual
stations based on control
philosophy and expected process
operation.
1.5m to prevent disturbance of
surface by inlet turbulence
>3.0m; to be determined for
individual facilities based on tank
diameter, internals selection and
MBF vendor recommendations.

Outlet Nozzle (bottom)

2.0 m to allow for sludge

accumulation

Tank Floor

Figure 3.2 Tank Level Settings (Variable Level Design)

Solids Hold-up
A 2m space shall be provided at the bottom of the tank for solids accumulation. For 2 chamber
tanks this does not make the tank 2m higher, as the inter-chamber connection pipe is simply raised
2m of the floor and the tank height remains the same.
Pump Protection
The low level trip LZLL would be normally either at a level 3m above the top of the outlet nozzle
to provide for gas disengagement, or as set by pump NPSH, whichever is higher.

3.5.

Inlet and Outlet Nozzles

In all cases, whether new build or retrofit, these will be designed by the vendor, based on previous
experience and CFD modelling.

3.6.

Single Chamber
Traditional skim tanks are of single chamber design. The MBF technology was originally
conceived as an enhancement to such traditional skim tanks. Typical required conversions will be
addition of inlet distributor, water outlet collector and fixed overflow weirs.
The separation performance will depend among others on the residence time, where 1 hr would be
considered the minimum, and larger tanks are better. Separation of up to 90% removal efficiency is
typically achievable.

3.7.

Dual Chamber
If removal efficiencies exceeding 90% are required, it may be required to divide the existing tank
into 2 halves using internal dividers, see Appendix F. The flow is then routed from cell to cell in a
sequential manner, as in a traditional IGF. This gives better control of residence time distribution
and hence better performance than a single cell tank of equivalent size.

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Designs with more than 2 chambers are offered by the vendor but shall not be used in PDO. This is
because further dividing the tank decreases solids hold-up volume, which is critical for PDO
applications. Such design also complicates the operability of the tank.
New built GFTs should always be of dual-chamber design, for any performance requirement. This
is because for the same performance a new built dual chamber tank will always be smaller and thus
cheaper.
The tank is divided into equal chambers by dividing wall. In each chamber there is an inlet box,
which receives the produced water and the recycle flow containing the micro bubbles.
The inlet boxes in each chamber are positioned such that the outlet weir of the box is parallel to the
oil collection trough. The oil collection trough runs diametrically across the tank along the line of
one of the baffle walls and collects the skimmed oil from each chamber. For continuous skimming
systems, as the oily froth floating on top of the bubble layer flows over the inlet chamber weir it
continues across the surface and flows over the weir of the oil collection trough. For batch
skimming systems no continuous flow occurs on the surface.
The weir of the inlet box slopes back towards the tank wall and the bottom of the box is connected
to the tank wall. In the first chamber, which receives the water from the FWKO the inlet box weir
extends closer to the tank wall than those of the other boxes then extends vertically downwards for
about 3 meters. This box is open at the bottom to allow any solids in the water to be directed to the
bottom of the tank and not fill up the inlet box.
The produced water from the FWKO enters the inlet box in the first chamber where it meets a
recycle stream of cleaned water containing the micro bubbles. The oil extracted from the water by
the bubbles floats across the chamber and flows over the oil trough weir. The cleaner water leaves
the first chamber though an outlet pipe at the bottom of the baffle wall between the first and second
chambers. This pipe is connected to the bottom of the inlet box in the second chamber. This pipe is
internal to the tank.
The water from the first chamber is mixed with a second stream of recycle water containing micro
bubbles. The oily froth flows across to the oil collection trough.
The clean water flow leaving the tank from the second chamber splits into two streams; the recycle
stream for the MGS, and the clean water for disposal.
The oil skimming can be done in two ways; the first is to control the level such that the oil floating
on the surface just overflows the weirs, the second is to control the level below the elevation of the
skimming weir and periodically overflow as discussed in section 3.4.
The water flows by gravity through the tank and the interconnecting piping between each chamber
is sized to minimize the pressure drop through the system. This and the sloping collection trough
together ensure that all compartments can be skimmed despite the implied hydraulic imbalance.
Any such tank shall be designed by the vendor and hydraulics verified independently.
It is important to note that the tank design incorporates water flow patterns to ensure that even
heavy oil in the reject can be removed hydraulically with no requirement for mechanical skimming
devices.

3.8.

Skimmers
Floating skimmers shall not be used in GFTs. They suffer from the following problems:

April 2006

Limited skim area the skimmer only skims if there is oil around it, regardless of how much
oil has built up elsewhere in the tank. Excessive oil build-up results in re-entrainment and poor
degassing/frothing of the liquid.

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The floating skimmer arm provides surfaces for downdraughts high speed streams of
descending water which tend to transport oil particles to underflow.

Floating skimmers disturb the flow patterns in the tank, by being an asymmetrical obstacle.

Floating skimmers can block, sink and get stuck.

Direct draw off nozzles shall not be used either. These create excessive surface turbulence.
Only fixed, trough-type skimmers shall be used.

3.9.

For single-chamber tanks the trough should ideally be located at the entire circumference of
the tank, although other arrangements are also acceptable.

For dual chamber tanks the trough will be in the middle.

The bottom of the skimmer trough shall slope towards the outlet at a slope of 1:100 or more.
The skimmers should always be designed by vendors.

Blanket Gas System

The tank blanket system shall be designed as per the requirements of DEP 34.51.01.31-Gen. and
API 2000.
The flotation gas handling duty of the tank shall be included in sizing of the blanket gas supply and
out breathing valves, as well as for relief and vent sizing.

3.10.

Tank Cost
The following information can be used for concept-level estimates:

A new-build dual-chamber GFT will cost 10-20% more than a single chamber skim tank of the
same size. The range above caters for very large to very small tanks.

A retrofit of a single chamber tank to make it a dual-chamber tank will cost 30% of the
original tank cost.

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4.

GLR-Type Skids

4.1.

General

Version 2.0

This type of skid uses a Gas Liquid Reactor (GLR) to generate and sort the gas bubbles, see
Appendix D. It achieves a smaller and more consistent mean bubble size (10m) than the Pump
Type Skid (28m) but it also induces less gas. Hence the overall flotation efficiency is thought to
be equivalent.
The gas consumption rate is normally 0.09 sm3gas/m3liquid (0.012 scf/gal), which is equivalent to
8% of gas volume in the water at standard conditions.
This will be a continuous gas consumption load which then has to be flared or recovered from the
GFT vapour space.
The gas supply system shall be designed for a maximum of 0.14 sm3gas/m3liquid (0.019 scf/gal ,
160% of design) to give flexibility.
The gas pressure shall be 0.7 bar higher than the pump discharge pressure given in Section 4.2, i.e.
typically 6 bar.
The reactor is a tall vertical vessel. The largest size that was built by the vendor by 2006 is
4400m3/d throughput (800gpm; GLR800 model; treats 18000m3/d oily water). Designs are
available for sizes ranging from GLR20 to GLR1800. The GLR has no moving parts, no packing
and no internals subject to plugging. Indicative skid and reactor sizes are below, note that skid size
allows for locating feed pumps on skid:
Net Produced
Water
(m3/d)
13,200
60,000-80,000

Model

MGS Rate
(m3/d)

GLR600
2 x GLR1800

3300
15,000-20,000

Skid
Length
(m)
3.6
7.3

Skid
Width
(m)
2.4
3.7

Skid Number Reactor Reactor

Height
of
Dia Height (m)
(m) Reactors (m)
4.1
1
0.8
3.6
4.6
2
1.5
4.1

Eductors shall not be used to induce gas into the water in this service. Although they had been used
in the past, the vendor has unsatisfactory experience with them. Tank level fluctuations cause
fluctuations in the amount of induced gas which is highly undesirable for the stable operation of
the GLR.

4.2.

Pumps
Any centrifugal pump is suitable, as long as it meets the flow and head requirements.
Typical discharge pressure required is 5 bar.
Since centrifugal pumps are highly reliable and available, with a 98% typical availability, they do
not need to be always spared. This depends on reservoir engineering preference, i.e. ability to
accept lower quality injection water for 7 days a year. Skim tanks without gas flotation should in
most cases still achieve 100 ppmv oil in water (but sometimes up to 200ppmv OIW), but only very
small solids removal. Assuming that the tanks upstream are reasonably clean, any coarse solids
will drop out there and any fine solids will not get removed without flotation.
The feed pump does not need to be on skid or be supplied by the MBF vendor. Its location is not
important.

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4.3.

Version 2.0

Control
The controls for the skid are as illustrated in the PEFS in Appendix D. The backpressure control
valve is shown in Figure 2.1. The logic can be handled by an on-skid PLC or by the plant control
system, as required by the project.
Once the GLR reactors are running at the correct liquid flow rates (as measured by water flow
transmitters), fuel gas is injected into the discharge stream of the pumps. This water stream
containing the gas is passed through the GLR vessel in which the micro bubbles are created.
The GLR vessel comes equipped with a differential pressure transmitter (DPT) mounted on the
outside of the unit. This signal is relayed to the transducer which in turn operates the control valve
on the gas line. The signal from the DPT is wired back to the control centre/DCS where a set point
can be assigned which allows the GLR to be run at different liquid levels. Once the set point has
been established the system reacts by either increasing or decreasing the amount of gas being
injected into the system. If the liquid level in the vessel needs to be raised the system reacts by
restricting the gas control valve therefore allowing less gas into the system and the water column
rises. Inversely to lower the level in the GLR the control valve allows more gas to be introduced
into the system and the liquid level in the vessel drops.
The controls on the vessel make it possible to regulate the total amount of gas being introduced
into the system. Also by running the vessel at different liquid levels it makes it possible to sort the
size of the micro bubbles.
The flow rate of water through the MGS is set by throttling the pumps with the pressure let down
valve (see Figure 2.1). No external recycle ratio flow control is required.
The flow rate through the MGS normally does not vary with the throughput of the treated water.
This means that at low feed rates the recycle will be much higher than 25% of the net feed, all the
way to 100% if the net feed is equal to zero.
The GLR reactor itself does have a turn up and turndown range, for example a single GLR1800
reactor can process between 1500 to 2200gpm (8200 to 12000m3/d) of flow.
At least the following information/signals shall be made available in the control room (others as
desired by project):

Pump suction and discharge pressures.

Water flow rate

Gas supply pressure upstream of supply valve

Gas flow rate

Differential pressure drop across GLR

GLR level

Pressure at MGS outlet

Pressure immediately upstream of the pressure letdown valve

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5.

Multiphase Pump-Type Skids

5.1.

General
This type of skid uses the pump to inspire the gas at the pump suction, using vacuum, see
Appendix E.
Although the generated bubbles are larger, the gas loading possible is higher than for GLR-type
Skid, so performance should be similar, see section 4.1. The vendor has no comparison data
between pump-based and reactor-based designs for oil removal efficiency.
The most common gas consumption rate is 0.11 sm3gas/m3liquid (0.015 scf/gal), which is
equivalent to 10% of gas volume in the water at standard conditions. Operation with rates of up to
0.14 sm3gas/m3liquid (0.018 scf/gal), equivalent to 12% of gas in water, is also common.
The gas supply system shall be designed for a maximum of 0.18 sm3gas/m3liquid (0.024 scf/gal ,
160% of design) to give flexibility.
In order to generate sufficiently small bubbles, the pump is operated with discharge pressure
between 3.4 and 6.8 bar (50-100 psig), as measured at skid outlet.
The GFT vent gas is recycled back to the multiphase pump suction, drawn in by its vacuum, thus
forming a closed loop. Hence the continuous gas consumption load is nil. Imbalances will exist
only at start-up and shutdown, when there will be insufficient or excessive gas in the GFT
respectively.
Indicative skid sizes are below:
Net Produced
Water (m3/d)
15,000

5.2.

MGS Rate
(m3/d)
3750

Skid
Length (m)
3.3

Skid
Width (m)
2.4

Number / Model of
Pumps
3 x MB200

Pumps
This section provides information on the MB-range of pumps offered by the MGS vendor with
their package. This pump range is new, dating to tests in mid-2005. Prior to this date the MGS
vendor used the Edur 200gpm pump. The Edur pump was developed for non-oil industry
applications, and although used there, it does not have the usual features like mechanical seal, end
bearing or support feet. The MGS vendor copied this unpatented pump and added the bearings,
seal, feet and other oil-industry features.
The pump has ANSI fittings and general design however ANSI does not cover multistage pumps
and the pump hence fails compliance based on required dimensions.
This pump is approved for use by PDO rotating equipment department UEC6.
The pumps are available in capacities of 1100, 2200 and 3300 m3/d (models MB200, MB400 and
MB600 respectively, meaning capacity in US gallons per minute).
The MB200 pump has the same volute casting as for the Edur LBU 602 E162L pump from which
it is derived.
The pump is an American 60Hz design. The 60Hz driven pump is a 2 stage unit, 50Hz pump
would need to be 3 stage. The correct test curves shall be used as there is a difference.

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The pump is available in SS316 as basic material, also in duplex as an option. Duplex lined casing
is not cost effective in this small size and solid 25Cr duplex would be used.
Any skid shall have a spare pump available on site, either in the warehouse or installed. This is
because the flotation efficiency drops steeply even if just 1 pump out of 3 is lost. The loss is not
just a few percent but could be as high as from 90% to 30% oil removal efficiency. Also because of
the new pump design which is not off-the-shelf, this is prudent.
No availability/reliability data available as the pump is too new.
Casting and impellers are made in Columbia, internal parts from USA, assembly and testing in
Venezuela. The pumps would be shipped direct to Oman.
MB200 weighs 75 kg, MB400 weighs 125 kg: larger volute casting and seal ends, same inlet/outlet
casting.
The vendor stated that the pump is NACE compliant according to requirements, but is not currently
NACE certified. If PDO requires certification for particular location then that would need to be
included in that project.
In order to generate sufficiently small bubbles, the pump is operated with discharge pressure
between 3.4 and 6.8 bar (50-100 psig), as measured at skid outlet.
The MB200 pump shutoff differential head is 126m (12.4bar with fresh water).
NPSH required is 4m. The pump operates with up to 0.6 bara at suction.
Figure 5.1 shows a cutaway view of the MB200 pump.
As of April 2006, it is currently considered that MBF pump skids are suitable for oily water
throughput of up to 20,000m3/d, corresponding to the recycle capacity of four MB200 pumps. A
larger number of pumps is considered to pose an excessive maintenance burden.
However, the MB400 and MB600 pumps are new designs and unproven, and hence not considered
suitable for PDO service at this time. This guidance may change with time, contact the Process
CFDH for latest status.

5.3.

Control
The controls for the skid are as illustrated in the PEFSs in Appendix E (Fahud design, after Design
Review), the backpressure control valve is shown in Figure 2.1. The logic can be handled by an onskid PLC or by the plant control system, as required by project.
The water flow is measured by individual magnetic flow meters at suction to each pump. The flow
rate of water through the MGS is controlled by throttling the pumps with the pressure let down
valve (see Figure 2.1).
The total gas flow is measured by a flow meter on the common gas supply to skid. At
commissioning, the gas flow to each pump is manually set using a manual DN15 needle valve and
the common flow meter, no further adjustment is required.
There is a throttling valve in the pump suction. Its function is to drop the pump suction pressure
far enough so that gas from the GFT head space can be injected. To do that, a vacuum is created at
the pump suction. Vacuum down to 0.6 bara (6m absolute water head) is acceptable, no more, or
the ability of the pump to induce tank gas will be reduced correspondingly.

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The recycle flow rate is constant and does not vary with the throughput of the treated water. This
means that at low feed rates the recycle will be much higher than 25% of the net feed, all the way
to 100% if the net feed is equal to zero.
At least the following information/signals shall be made available in the control room (others as by
project):

Multiphase pumps suction temperature

Pump suction and discharge pressure. The multiphase pump suction pressure transmitter needs
to cover 0-1bar of vacuum

Water flow rate

Gas supply pressure upstream of supply valve

Gas flow rate

Pressure at MGS outlet

Pressure immediately upstream of the pressure letdown valve

Fig.5.1 Cutaway view of the MB200 pump (60Hz)

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References

The information in this guideline was developed from information supplied by GLR Solutions, Shell
literature in the Reference list and PDOs own analysis.
All references are available from this web site:
http://sww9.pdo.shell.om/funct-disp/UEP/water/Design%20Documents/Forms/Ross1.htm
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

PDO Waterflood Scheme And Water Quality Selection, Evaluation And Monitoring.
EP93-1315, De-oiling Manual.
2003 T&OE Waterflood Manual, Section 4.
EP2003-5184, Shell Expro Sand Management Guide.
MMPS Bench Air Flotation and Bottle Test Work 1619 July 2005, OPES/Baker Petrolite.
Dehydration Manual 1.0, Chapter 4, Shell, 1999.

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Appendix A: Glossary of Abbreviations

API
American petroleum institute
CFDH Corporate function discipline head
CFD
Computational fluid dynamics
CS
Carbon steel
DEP
Design engineering practice
DGF
Dissolved gas flotation
DPT
Differential pressure transmitter
EMC Engineering and maintenance contract
E&P
Exploration and production
EPC
Engineering, procurement and construction
FED
Front End Design
FIC
Flow indicator and controller
FWKO Free water knock out
GA
General arrangement
GFT
Gas flotation tank
GLR
Gas-liquid reactor
HAZID Hazards identification
HAZOP Hazard and operability
IGF
Induced gas flotation
LCV
Level control valve
MBF Micro bubble flotation
MGS Micro bubble generation skid
MOL Main oil line
NA
Not available
NPSH Net positive suction head
OIW
Oil in water
OU
Operating unit
PCV
Pressure control valve
PEFS Process engineering flow scheme (others call these P&IDs)
P&ID Process and instrumentation drawings
PFS
Process flow scheme
PLC
Programmable logic controller
SG
Standard gravity
SIEP
Shell international exploration and production
TSS
Total suspended solids
USD
United states dollars
Units of Measure:
barg
bar gauge
gpm
United States gallons per minute
m
micron or micrometer (10-6 meter)
mg/L milligrams of solids per litre of liquid
ppmv parts per million by volume (millilitres of liquid1 per cubic meter of liquid2)

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Appendix B: MBF Vendor

GLR Solutions
Currently only one vendor is identified with the capability to provide proven tank flotation technology:
GLR Solutions of Calgary, Canada. The vendor is a small local company built on the basis of the GLR
patented technology.
The vendor provides both the GLR-type skids and multiphase pump-type skids. In 2004 and 2005 the
vendor was a reseller of the Edur multiphase pump. The vendor has now developed its own multiphase
pumps. The pumps are available as of mid-2005.
This vendor has a track record of 14 installations using GLR reactor-type skids (since 2002), and 8
installations using multiphase pump-type skid (since 2004). Most are located in Canada, 2 in Cuba, 3 in
Venezuela, and upcoming projects in Libya and Iran.
The vendor has in-house CFD modelling expertise in modelling of gas flotation tanks.
Tender board justification should be based on comparison of cost of the GFT system against the cost of
alternative treatment methods, as per the hydrocyclone and IGF 3-year price agreement contracts.
Other Vendors
No oil industry vendors were identified with a track record of successfully fitting gas flotation systems to
tanks.
No vendors were identified with experience of CFD modelling of such systems. There are many CFD
modelling companies; however none of them is known to have an understanding of the performance
requirements behind this technology.
It needs to be noted that it is not true that simply good fluid distribution will lead to successful tank
flotation, as experience comes with implementation and calibration of models, also see section 3.2.
Shell
The only experience with tank flotation in Shell had been past Shell Group trials of sparging of gas directly
into tanks/vessels. These were unsuccessful as the spargers plugged and the gas-oil contact was poor due to
the rapid growth of bubbles.

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Appendix C: Gas Flotation Theory

The performance of gas flotation in terms of oil and solid removal efficiency is increased by increasing
collision and attachment efficiencies, and gas/liquid contact time. The collision efficiency is increased by
increasing oil-drop size, gas concentration, and decreasing gas-bubble size.
A range of factors affect the attachment efficiency including;

Water chemistry (anions, cations, pH, viscosity)

Relative surface tensions

Oil properties (viscosity, surface tension, droplet size)

Emulsion stability

Residual chemicals (corrosion inhibitors, demulsifiers)

Solids type and size

Oil wetted solids

Temperature

No correlation has been found between basic system properties and attachment efficiency. This means that
performance can only be predicted through laboratory or field trials which have generally been accepted in
the E&P industry as giving a good indication of flotation performance.
To increase the collision efficiency it is often not practical to increase the oil droplet size as coalescing
elements add to system maintenance with frequent rapid fouling. This is particularly true within PDO where
the nature of gathering systems generally involve the use of a number of chemicals many of with act as
surfactants causing solids to be come oil wetted. Therefore to maximise the collision efficiency, the gas
concentration should be maximised with the minimum allowable bubble size.
The minimum allowable bubble size is determined by the system geometry in that the gas bubble must have
a net upward rise velocity. The MBF systems generate bubbles in the range of 5-50 m. These start bubbles
coalescing as soon as they are created, and especially after they are introduced into the tank where they
reside the longest.
The gas/liquid contact time is determined by the residence time and flow distribution in the flotation system,
increasing the residence time will therefore increase the potential gas/liquid contact time.
Some of these important parameters are determined by the system design, whereas others are characteristics
of the feed. Therefore, a system which works in one facility will not give the same result in another and any
changes to the feed stream will result in a change in performance. For this reason it is important to assess
the impact of chemicals used in the upstream on the flotation performance for example when changing
emulsifier chemicals types and dosing rates. Reference 1 shall be consulted by PDO Concept Engineers for
guidance on this topic.

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Appendix D: Example PEFS of a Reactor Type Skid

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Appendix E: Example PEFS of a Multiphase Pump-Type Skid

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Appendix F: Example GA of a Dual Chamber Tank Design

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Oily Water

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NOTE:
This is an example only. Actual design will depend on the nature and
amount of solids, presence of schmoo, existing facilities etc.

Clean Water

Produced
Liquids

Free Water Knockout

(Dehydration)
Tank

36

Cleanout by
vacuum truck
(every 2 years)

Deposited Coarse Solids

Gas Flotation
Tank

Reject

Water

surfactant
injection

Sludge pond

Cleanout
by
vacuum
truck
(every
1 year)

Deposited
Medium Solids

Reject
Tank

Appendix G: Example of Reject Handling System (Sludge Pond Type)

Guideline for Gas Flotation Tanks

Oil +
Fine
Solids

land farming,
landfill, addition to
asphalt, incineration

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NOTE:
This is an example only. Actual design will depend on the nature and
amount of solids, presence of schmoo, existing facilities etc.

Clean Water

Produced
Liquids

Free Water Knockout

(Dehydration)
Tank

37

Cleanout by
vacuum truck
(every 2 years)

Deposited Coarse Solids

Gas Flotation
Tank

Reject

Water

surfactant
injection

Reject
Tank

Cleanout
by
vacuum
truck
(every
1 year)

Deposited
Medium Solids

Appendix H: Example of Reject Handling System (Oil Export Type)

Guideline for Gas Flotation Tanks

Oil +
Fine
Solids

To oil export system

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