Solids Handling

Operations

Solids handling and disposal in the oil & gas industry can be broken down into five main functions: Separate, Collect, Clean, Dewater, and Haulage.

Separate: The solids must first be removed from the well or process fluid stream. This can be accomplished by the eProcess Desander or Wellhead Desander, vessel drainage, or from settled tank bottoms.

Collect: To facilitate simple system design, all collected or removed solids must be gathered into one central location. Collection can be as simple as a Desander Accumulator Vessel, or a dedicated Sump Tank.

Clean: In many cases the sand may require cleaning for oil or chemical removal, prior to further handling. The eProcess Sandwash System can be utilised as a modular add-on to remove the contaminants.

Dewater: The total volume of sand slurry to be disposed can be greatly reduced by a dewatering step. In most cases the eProcess Dewaterer will remove water to produce a wet sand with less than 10% water. More complicated or controlled systems may require a filter press or screw classifier for water removal.

Haulage: Haulage is a simple term used to define removal, hauling, and disposal of the solids. The design of the haulage system will be dependent upon the location (land based or offshore) and disposal requirements (i.e. disposal well, overboard, landfill, road surfacing, etc.).