Case Study – Retrofit

In 2018, a multinational company in the oil and gas services sector approached Clark Solutions to perform a revamp of a separator vessel used for removing dispersed oil from natural gas operating under sour service conditions (i.e., contaminated with hydrogen sulfide – H₂S).

This separation process is critical for several reasons:

• It purifies the gas, improving product quality;
• It retains oil that would otherwise become a contaminant or be lost, improving overall yield;
• It removes liquid particles from the gas, which helps protect downstream equipment from fouling, corrosion, or damage to pipelines and compressor blades.

Originally, the unit operated under unfavorable pressure and gas density conditions, compromising the efficiency of conventional demisters and causing excessive liquid carryover. Additionally, the system’s momentum was higher than designed, rendering the inlet device ineffective.

The main challenge Clark Solutions faced was guaranteeing separation efficiency at the new operating capacity. To ensure both technical and financial feasibility, the key design premise was to upgrade the internal components while avoiding any modifications to the vessel itself, using non-welded engineering and support solutions.

This posed a critical question: How to increase capacity and process efficiency without altering the vessel’s dimensions? And what equipment is suitable for phase separation under such severe conditions?

Installation

The solution proposed by Clark Solutions aimed to simplify onboard assembly without affecting vessel certification, using non-welded support systems, increasing equipment availability and reducing downtime during maintenance.

The CS EvenFlow™ system is modular and can be inserted through a manhole and handled by a single operator inside the vessel, simplifying routine maintenance and cleaning, and reducing downtime.

The MaxiMesh® demister is installed with drainage channels to allow liquid removal, reducing the liquid load reaching the HeliFlow® cyclone system.

The HeliFlow® cyclones are installed in a way that ensures the captured liquid drains from a sufficiently elevated tube, preventing siphoning of liquid from the lower section to downstream operations.

Scope

Clark Solutions carried out pre-assembly at its Embu das Artes facility and provided all supporting documentation: CFD simulations, calculation reports, production and logistics conformity certificates, hardness test reports, and 2D/3D technical drawings of all equipment.

We also supply spare parts and a comprehensive installation manual, including exploded views, step-by-step assembly instructions, inspection checklists, operation recommendations, and health and safety precautions.

To ensure correct implementation and transfer of operational know-how, we provide an experienced field technical team, also qualified for offshore operations.