12/8/2015

MudGasSeparator(PoorBoyDegasser)PlaysAVitalRoleinWellControlSituation

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MudGasSeparator(PoorBoyDegasser)PlaysAVitalRoleinWellControl
Situation
ByDrillingFormulas.Com|October20,201410:23am|WellControl

Mudgasseparatorlocatedatdownstreamofthechokemanifoldisoneoftheimportantwellcontrolequipmentthat
youneedtofocus.Itseparatesgasoutofthemudafterthegascomesoutofhole.Gaswillbeventtoatmospherevia
theventlineinderrick(offshoreoperation)orthelineawayfromtherigs(landoperation)andthemudwillbereturned
backtothepit.Intheoilfield,peoplehaveseveralnamesforthemudgasseparatoraspoorboydegasserorgas
buster.Whiledrilling,themudgasseparatorshouldbelinedupatalltimesandfilledwiththepresentmudweight
currentlyused.

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MudGasSeparator(PoorBoyDegasser)PlaysAVitalRoleinWellControlSituation

Theconceptofthisequipmentisdensitydifferencebetweenliquidandgas.Whenthemudcomingoutfromthechoke
manifoldgoesintothemudgasseparator,mudwillhitthebaffleplateswhichareusedtoincreasetravellingtimeand
allowgastomoveoutofthemud.Gaswhichhaslowerdensitythanairwillmoveupandmudwillgoesdowndueto
gravity(seeFigure1).Mudlegwillprovidehydrostaticpressureinordertopreventmudgoingthroughtheseparator
intotherig.

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12/8/2015

MudGasSeparator(PoorBoyDegasser)PlaysAVitalRoleinWellControlSituation

Figure1MudGasSeparatorDiagram
Themudgasseparatorisstrictlyusedforwellcontrolonly.Therearesomeeventsthatthisequipmentisutilizedina
welltestingoperation.Additionally,inspectionforthegasbustermustbeperformedfrequentlythesameasotherwell
controlequipment.Peopletendstoforgotaboutthissinceitisjustonlyaverticalseparatortankwithouthighpressure
specificationlikeBOP,chokemanifold,valves,etc.Erosionisoneoftheworstenemiestothevessellikethisandit
canbeseenatthepointswherethedrillingmudimpingesontheinternalwallvessel.
Eachmudgasseparatorhaslimitationonmuchitcansafelyhandlevolumeofgas.Ifthevolumeofgasexceedsthe
maximumlimit,gascanblowthroughintotherig.Itisveryimportantthatyoumustestimategasflowrateonsurface
basedonpitgainandkillrateinordertoseehowmuchexpectedgasonsurface.Thiswillbethelimitationonhow
muchyoucancirculateforwellkillingoperation.Youcanestimatethevolumegasonsurfacebyusingwellcontrolkill
sheetprovidedbyseveralcompanies.Youneedtoensurethattheventlineshouldbeasstraightaspossiblewitha
largerIDinordertominimizebackpressurewhileventingthegasout.
Thepressuregaugeshouldbeinstalledonthemudgasseparatorandfrequentlycalibrated.Thisisveryimportant
becauseyouwillusethisgaugetomonitorthegasblowthroughsituation.Ifthepressureinthevesselismorethan
hydrostaticpressureprovidedbymudleg,gaswillblowthroughthevessel.Bycarefullymonitoring,youwillbeableto
reactinatimelymanner.Ifthepressuregaugeshowsyouthatpressurewillbereachthelimit,youshouldreduce
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12/8/2015

MudGasSeparator(PoorBoyDegasser)PlaysAVitalRoleinWellControlSituation

currentcirculationratetocontrolvolumeofgascoming
intoit.
Thereareseveralconsiderationsformudgasseparator
design.Youneedtoknowthereservoirgasbecauseifit
isasourgas(H2S),themudgasseparatorshouldbeable
tohandlethis.Thenormalvesselwillnotworksafelywith
H2S.Eventhoughithasanameaspoorboygasser,it
doesnotmeanthatitcanbebuiltinacheaperwayby
somemachineshops.Thevesselmustbefabricatedto
meetASMEspecificationandtheremustbeathirdparty
tocertifyit.Whatsmore,thescheduledpreventive
maintenancemustbeinplaceandstrictlyfollowed.
HowMuchPressureWillCauseBlowThrough?
Thisisaveryimportantconceptofblowingthroughwhileperformingwellcontrol.Mudleglengthis20ftandmud
weightis9.5ppg(seeFigure2)

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12/8/2015

MudGasSeparator(PoorBoyDegasser)PlaysAVitalRoleinWellControlSituation

Figure2MudGasSeparatorandBlowThrough
Pressuretoblowthrough=Hydrostaticpressureprovidedbymudleg
Pressuretoblowthrough=0.052x9.5x20=9.88psi

Referencebooks:

WellControlBooks

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MudGasSeparator(PoorBoyDegasser)PlaysAVitalRoleinWellControlSituation

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2ResponsestoMudGasSeparator(PoorBoyDegasser)PlaysAVital
RoleinWellControlSituation
Auwdi May23,2015at1:38pm
Hai,
Iamconfused,ifyouget9.88psi,itmeansitslowerthanatmpressure,right?Thenhowcanthefluid
flowsoutfromMGS?
And,whatistherelationbetweenMGSworkingpressureandthepressurecalculatedfrommudleg?
bcausetheMGSrecommendedworkingpressureis150psiwhilefrommudlegisonly10psi.
Thanks
Reply

DrillingFormulas.Com May23,2015at9:15pm
Auwdi,
9.88psiispsig.Itisequalto24.58psia(9.88+14.7).Thevesselratingcanbehighduetomaterial
designbutthehydrostaticcolumnfrommudlegisthelimitationonhowmuchpressureaMGScan
handle.
Regards,
Shyne
Reply

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