Applications

• A Variety of Applications
• Installations
• Black Powder and Innopipe

Applications

The Innopipe inline gas separator and piggable drip system is effective in:

1. General liquid removal from gas streams.

2. Black powder prevention by removing corrosion-causing liquids

   1. Liquid removal of erosion-causing black powder entrained in liquids

3. Liquids protection for inlets of compressor engines.

4. Liquids removal before river crossings and low points in pipelines.

5. Hilly topography where liquids can collect in low areas, causing slug formation

6. Managing slug flow within a pipeline gathering system.

7. Cavern storage liquid removal and fill (bi-directional).

   1. Cavern storage entrained solids removal in collection vessel (solid removal system added)

8. Compressor lube oil removal

   1. protection of downstream equipment
   2. lube oil recovery

9. Production and well test separators.

   1. size reduction
   2. lower pressure drop
   3. lighter equipment: smaller skids, lower setup/ transport costs
   4. Small footprint – can install in existing layouts

10. Liquids removal before ultrasonic gas meters

    1. accurate measurement
    2. less fouling/ maintenance intervals

11. Steam condensate removal from steam lines.

    1. remove water prior to injection
    2. reduce water loss
    3. reduce heat duty

12. Mitigate upsets in processing plants due to liquid carryover.

    1. less gas or liquid phase recycle time, more uptime, lower operations costs

Installations

Installed globally with flexible configurations – over 100 installed

Middle East

• Large gas pipeline power station gas supply. Used to remove condensate from rich gas that is produced at their refineries.
• Removes liquids from a gas stream to improve accuracy of ultrasonic gas meters.

Eastern Canada

• Bi-directional application at large gas compressor or for cavern storage.
• Remove liquids from a gas stream to improve accuracy of ultrasonic gas meters.

Western Canada (custom solutions)

• Lube oil removal after compressors.
• Removes glycol carry-over from dehydration systems.
• Flare line liquid knock-out. 
• Portable well test skids to remove liquids prior to metering.  
• Improves efficiency of large inlet separators to process gas streams.
• Removes excess MDEA prior to gas desiccant regeneration.

United States

• Remove corrosive liquids from high pressure distribution pipelines.
• Remove liquids from statewide gas distribution systems (Ohio)
• Remove liquids from HDPE gathering lines to prevent slugs (Montana)

Black Powder and Innopipe

“Black Powder” is a catch-all term for solids residues found in all manners of oilfield tubular materials, from casing to piping to transmission lines. Black Powder is seen as an impediment to safe and economic operations of gas pipeline operations. OilPro customer Mr. Peter van Beugen, M.Sc. University of applied Physics, Delft, the Netherlands and Managing director of Pipesurvey International, the Netherlands, identifies Black Powder issues well in his paper New Frontiers in Black Powder Removal, Causes, Consequences and Combat, including a Case Study, published in:
The Pipeline and Gas Journal, March 1st, 2006.  

Van Beugen  identifies causes of formation/ They include sour gas, liquids and just accumulations of mill-scale. Effects of black powder in pipeline systems range from:accumulations of black powder in low spots (sometimes caused by pigging, and potentially leading to false smart-pig wall thickness readings); wear on elastomers in the system or on pigs; irregular pig velocities leading to data loss and tool damage; decreased efficiency; decreased product quality; downstream equipment fouling. 

Black Powder is a problem because it can damage all sorts of components in a system. Conventional filtration, separation and magnetic solutions offer the cure while, for over 20 years, Innopipe offers the prevention of the problem in the first place by removing the liquids required for black powder formation. Innopipe  has no filters to plug, no filter element changes, no reduced production, no restrictions, less stress on interdependent systems, less horsepower losses, while remaining bi-directionally piggable.

The constituents of Black Powder range from metallic elements to bacteria-produced material to silica and calcium. These abrasive or corrosive materials tend to form in the presence of liquids and manifest themselves often as iron sulfides and iron oxides. Therefore, strategic placement of the Innopipe in your transmission system can prevent the formation of black powder before it becomes a problem.

Although Innopipe offers an excellent solution for mitigating formation of the powder, it should be understood that a while pigging intervals likely can be reduced, they will still be necessary, and Innopipe efficiency can be further enhanced by the inclusion of additional filtration systems such as magnetic solutions, integrated with our system. Your Innopipe solution provide will be glad to walk you through these available system options.

Steam distribution System phase management and Innopipe
SAGD (Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage) as well as Expanding Solvent-SAGD (ES-SAGD) and Cyclic Steam Stimulation (a.k.a. “Huff and Puff”) use steam generators to provide the steamflooding required for Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR)
Steam generators are meant to provide vapor, but can unintentionally also make liquids doe to heat loss and condensation. Producers pay particular attention to insulation of steam lines for this reason. Steam Pressures trend in quite high pressure ranges (2,700 psig and up) and temperature ranges. Innopipe design easily adapts to such design standards.

Common SAGD liquids problems:

• Phase Splitting
• Condensation Induced Water Hammer (CIWH)
•  

Phase Splitting

This variability can cause phase changes from vapour to liquid, resulting in what is known as “Phase Splitting”, seen in piping tees and branching causing unintended separation. Phase splitting in turn results in inconsistencies in the delivery of steam to the reservoir and commensurate interference ” with the optimization of steam-injection rates, oil recovery, project economics.”  (per https://petrowiki.org/Facilities_for_steam_generation#Steam_distribution)
This variability can be dealt with using steam separators which are expensive due to the required size when engineered using conventional 2 phase separation methods.
Innopipe offers an economical option due to its relatively small size, improved efficiency and much shorter retention time requirement.

Condensation Induced Water Hammer (CIWH)

CIWH, also know as “Steam Hammer” is described by Jeff Dancey of Baker Engineering and Risk Consultants, Inc.. Water hammer can:

• rupture piping, 
• Cause valve failure
• require large expansion tanks
• require surge-relief, pressure-relief and/or control valves
• cause slug  flow,
• cause steam blow-through to producer well
  
  

  A Tee-type Innopipe prevents condensed liquids injection into SAGD systems

Innopipe is custom designed, yet built quickly, to match your piping’s specifications and built as a fitting for smaller diameters, or a smaller-than-conventional pressure vessel for larger line sizes.
These can be built to be either piggable or non-piggable also, depending on location and preference.

We look forward to helping you optimize delivery of steam to your system.