We are now ready for Facilities Sand Management training module FSM-M6 on the Wellhead Screen-Filter (WSF). This technology may also be called a Dual-Pot Sand Filter – and we will cover that in detail.

For those that may have recently started reading this blog series I will restate some of the background information so that everyone understands the basis of this technology series.

Facilities Sand Management (FSM)

In this series, which started July 28, 2017 with blog post B-FSM-001, I am covering the entire contents of my training course entitled Facilities Sand Management. This is a training course originally designed for the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) and has been given both at SPE and private-corporate events around the world. This is a 2-3 day course that covers both the design and operating philosophy, as well as unit-operations, for handling sand and solids in oil & gas production at the operating facilities. Some basic assumptions are as follows;

• Facilities: oil & gas upstream surface/subsea equipment for separation, cleaning, and energy addition (e.g. wellhead to custody transfer)
• Sand: tiny loose pieces of rock
• Management: to handle or direct with a degree of skill

FSM is not simply a waste stream treatment exercise…it is a critical Flow Assurance issue.

The stated objective is to increase / maximize hydrocarbons production…while reducing / minimizing operating costs.

Wellhead Screen-Filter Learning Goals

The following are the high-level learning goals that will be covered in this next series of articles.

• Purpose is to separate and remove solids from well flow-back
• Provides coarse separation (100-400 microns)
• Unit process equipment based on screen (surface filter) technology
• Designed to operate in multiphase (gas + liquid) flow conditions
• Skid system with 2 x 100% units
• Batch solids discharge requires water flush

The articles in this section will cover terminology, sizing & selection, operability, mechanical design, and flowsheet design.

References:

1. Rawlins, C.H., “Sand Management Methodologies for Sustained Facilities Operations”, Oil & Gas Facilities, Vol. 2, No. 5, October 2013, pp. 27-34. https://doi.org/10.2118/1013-0027-OGF

Next week I will start cover location of this technology in the FSM methodology flowchart and in the production system.