Patent ID: 6845821
Filing Date: 2005-01-25
Classification: E21B

Abstract:
1. A well extending from the earth's surface to an underground production formation containing hydrocarbon oil and water, where the well above the production formation is provided with a separation chamber in which a static oil/water separator is arranged, the static separator comprising: an inlet to receive well fluid from an inlet well section below the separation chamber; an outlet for an oil-enriched component opening into the well section above the separation chamber; an outlet for a water-enriched component opening into a discharge well section below the separation chamber, a dispersion band that is formed therein under normal operation conditions, wherein the height of the separation chamber is larger than the thickness of the dispersion band; a stack of vertically spaced apart inclined plates, wherein between each pair of neighbouring plates a separation space is defined; a substantially vertical inlet conduit communicating with the separator's inlet, where the inlet conduit traverses the stack of plates and is arranged to receive the well fluid at its lower end, and is provided with one or more well fluid outlets each of which opens into a separation space; a substantially vertical oil collection channel having an oil outlet at its upper end communicating with the separator's outlet for the oil-enriched component, where the oil collection channel has one or more oil inlets, each oil inlet being arranged to receive fluid from the uppermost region of a separation space, wherein at least the plate immediately below each oil inlet is provided with a vertically upward pointing baffle; and a substantially vertical water collection channel having a water outlet at its lower end communicating with the separators outlet for the water-enriched component, where the water collection channel has one or more water inlets, each water inlet being arranged to receive fluid from the lowermost region of a separation space, wherein at least the plate immediately above each water inlet is provided with a vertically downward pointing baffle.