The gunbarrel is a low maintenance atmospheric settling vessel, which provides an economical method in which to treat oil. Most commonly used downstream of a heater treater or separator, production will enter the flume at the top of the vessel. Solution gas released at this point is vented to storage. The oil and water fall downward through the downcomer pipe and contact a spreader table. Free water falls to the bottom section and exits through a waterleg. 

The large settling section will allow entrained water to coalesce to form larger droplets that gravity flow to the bottom section and combine with the free water. The clean oil at the top of the settling section will spill over the oil outlet and gravity flow to storage. The gunbarrel will not treat emulsions, the oil and water must both be free liquids also the vessel must be tall enough for the oil and water to gravity flow to storage.

 

 

Note: The waterleg riser functions as a siphon breaker. It can vent to atmosphere or tie into the deck equalizer connection. An enclosed system will prevent oxygen contamination.

STANDARD ACCESSORIES

  • 1-THIEF HATCH

  • 3-SET 48” SIGHT GLASS WITH GAUGE COCKS

  • 1-INTERNAL FLUME

  • 1-FLANGED GAS BOOT

  • 1-SPREADER TABLE

  • 1-BASE BLOCK WITH 4 & 6 Ft DIAMETER

  • 1-COAT PRIMER AND ENAMEL PAINT

OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES

  • 1-CUSTOM EXTERIOR PAINT

  • 1-PROTECTIVE COATINGS

  • 1-FLANGED OR GROOVED CONNECTION

  • 1-LARGER FLUME & SPREADER TABLE

How it Works

The Gunbarrel is basically an atmospheric settling tank. It employs the use of head pressure to operate. Therefore it must be taller than the oil & water tanks.
 A Gunbarrel will only provide additional retention time; it will not break emulsions. The oil & water must be present as free liquids.
 The wellstream enters the gas boot. The majority of the gas will break out at this point and flow to storage. The fluids will fill the inlet flume until the flume head pressure overcomes the vessel head pressure. When this happens the fluids flow from the flume and are disbursed by the spreader table. 
 The oil will begin to rise upward. The large settling section will allow entrained water to coalesce to form larger droplets that gravity flow to the bottom section and combine with the incoming freewater. The clean oil at the top of the settling section will spill over the oil outlet and gravity flow to storage. The green arrows on the illustration indicate the flow of the oil.  
 A simple calculation can be used that will allow the operator to set the volume of the oil section. The volume of the oil section will determine the construction height of the waterleg.
 Basically when the combined head pressure of the oil & water sections in the gunbarrel exceed the head pressure in the waterleg, the water will spill over the top of the waterleg and flow to storage.