Oilfield Production Equipment Checklist for a New Well Site
Bringing a new oil or gas well into production requires more than getting hydrocarbons to the surface. Once production begins, operators need a system capable of separating, treating, storing, measuring, and transporting the different components of the well stream.
That makes selecting the right oilfield production equipment an important part of planning a new well site.
The exact equipment required varies based on production rates, pressure, fluid composition, produced water volumes, site layout, and operator requirements. However, most surface production facilities rely on several common pieces of equipment working together.
At Smith Industries, we manufacture custom oilfield production equipment for production facilities throughout the energy industry. The following checklist covers some of the major equipment operators and engineering teams should consider when planning a new well site.
1. Production Separators
Separation is one of the first major processes that occurs after fluids reach the surface.
A well stream can contain crude oil or condensate, natural gas, produced water, and solids. A separator begins dividing those materials into individual streams so they can move through subsequent stages of the production process.
Depending on the application, operators may require either a two-phase or three-phase separator.
A two-phase separator separates the incoming stream into gas and liquid phases. A three-phase separator goes one step further by separating the stream into gas, oil or emulsion, and produced water.
Smith Industries also manufactures both vertical and horizontal separators, allowing equipment to be configured around production characteristics and facility requirements.
2. Free Water Knockouts
When a production stream contains significant quantities of water, a free water knockout, commonly called an FWKO, may be incorporated into the facility.
The primary purpose of an FWKO is to remove free water from the production stream before additional treatment.
EPA guidance describes free water knockout equipment as one of the processes used to separate large volumes of water from oil and gas produced by a well.
Removing this water earlier in the production process can reduce the volume of fluid that downstream equipment must handle.
Smith Industries manufactures free water knockouts as part of its broader line of surface production equipment.
3. Heater Treaters
Separation does not always end with the separator or FWKO.
Oil and water can form emulsions that are difficult to separate through gravity alone. Heater treaters are designed to help break these emulsions using heat, retention time, and separation.
The result is further separation of water and other unwanted material from the crude oil before it moves toward storage.
For operators determining which configuration is appropriate for their facility, Smith Industries has additional information on both vertical heater treaters and horizontal heater treaters.
The appropriate design depends on factors such as production volumes, fluid properties, space constraints, and process requirements.
4. Gun Barrel Tanks
Gun barrel tanks, sometimes referred to as wash tanks, provide another method for separating oil and water.
These vessels use gravity and retention time to allow water to settle while oil rises. They can be incorporated into a production facility when additional separation is required before crude oil reaches storage.
EPA guidance identifies gun barrels among the separation and treating equipment used at oil production facilities.
Smith Industries manufactures custom gun barrel tanks designed around the specific requirements of a production facility.
5. Vapor Recovery Towers
Vapor recovery is another consideration when designing oilfield production equipment systems.
When oil moves through production equipment and experiences changes in pressure, lighter hydrocarbons can separate from the liquid. A vapor recovery tower can be incorporated into the production process to help manage these vapors before the oil reaches storage.
A properly configured system can help operators recover additional hydrocarbon vapors and support the overall efficiency of the production facility.
Smith Industries manufactures vapor recovery towers for oil and gas production applications.
6. Oil and Produced Water Storage Tanks
Once oil and water have been separated, facilities need adequate storage capacity for both streams.
The EPA explains that storage tanks at oil and natural gas facilities may temporarily hold crude oil, produced water, and condensate, helping balance continuously producing wells with periodic transportation by pipeline or truck.
Tank design should account for expected production, transportation schedules, facility layout, corrosion considerations, and applicable requirements.
Operators should also consider how storage tanks integrate with upstream equipment. Separator pressures, liquid levels, piping arrangements, and tank capacity all affect how efficiently fluids move through the facility.
7. Piping and Pipe Modules
Individual pieces of oilfield production equipment must be connected into a functioning system.
That requires piping designed for the pressures, temperatures, flow rates, and materials involved in the production process.
Prefabricated piping can also reduce the amount of fabrication required at the well site. Smith Industries provides pipe spool fabrication for oil and gas facilities as well as modular piping solutions.
Moving more fabrication into a controlled shop environment can simplify field installation and help production teams coordinate equipment before it reaches the site.
8. Skid-Mounted Production Equipment
Instead of installing every component individually in the field, many facilities can incorporate multiple components into skid-mounted packages.
Skids can include vessels, piping, valves, instrumentation, structural steel, and other equipment assembled before shipment.
Smith Industries manufactures process skids for oil and gas applications that can be customized around project requirements.
Modularization can be especially valuable for projects where field labor, installation time, site access, or project schedules are major considerations.
9. Structural Steel and Access Systems
Production facilities also require the structures that support equipment and allow workers to safely access it.
Depending on the facility, that may include platforms, stairs, walkways, ladders, equipment supports, and other fabricated structural components.
Planning these components alongside the process equipment can help avoid conflicts during installation and provide appropriate access for inspection and maintenance.
10. Instrumentation and Electrical Components
Modern production facilities depend on more than mechanical equipment.
Level controls, pressure instrumentation, valves, electrical panels, wiring, and other control components help operators monitor and manage the production process.
Integrating instrumentation and electrical requirements during fabrication can reduce the amount of work that needs to be completed after equipment arrives in the field.
For modular projects in particular, operators may benefit from specifying as much of the complete system as possible before fabrication begins.
Planning Oilfield Production Equipment as a Complete System
One of the most important considerations when building a new well site is that each piece of equipment affects the next.
Separators influence the fluids entering treatment equipment. Treatment equipment affects what reaches storage. Storage capacity must accommodate production rates and transportation schedules. Piping, structural steel, controls, and instrumentation must connect everything into a functional facility.
EPA materials similarly describe tank batteries as collections of process equipment used to separate, treat, store, and transfer crude oil, condensate, natural gas, and produced water.
Instead of treating each component as an isolated purchase, operators can evaluate the entire production process when specifying equipment.
Custom Oilfield Production Equipment From Smith Industries
No two production facilities have exactly the same operating requirements.
Production rates, pressure, water cut, crude characteristics, available space, transportation requirements, and project schedules can all influence equipment selection.
Smith Industries manufactures custom oil and gas production equipment including separators, heater treaters, free water knockouts, gun barrel tanks, vapor recovery towers, storage tanks, pressure vessels, piping, and modular systems.
By coordinating fabrication across multiple pieces of oilfield production equipment, operators can build a production facility designed around the specific needs of the well site.
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