Oil & Gas Glossary 1.0

A cylindrical or spherical vessel used to isolate the components in mixed streams of fluids. See oil and gas separator.

A cylindrical or spherical vessel used to isolate the components in streams of mixed fluids. See oil and gas separator.

An item of production equipment used to separate liquid components of the well stream from gaseous elements. Separators are either vertical or horizontal and either cylindrical or spherical in shape. Separation is accomplished principally by gravity, the heavier liquids falling to the bottom and the gas rising to the top. A float valve or other liquid-level control regulates the level of oil in the bottom of the separator.

Slang for gas separator

A device that removes gas from the mud coming out of a well when a kick is being circulated out.

A facility located at the surface for the purpose of:

(2) separating gas from that portion of associated and non-associated gas which liquefies at temperature and pressure conditions of the separator.

(1) separating casinghead gas from produced crude oil and water at the temperature and pressure conditions of the separator; and

A single unit which acts as an oil and gas separator, an oil heater, and an oil and water treater.

A vessel that heats an emulsion and removes water and gas from the oil to raise it to a quality acceptable for a pipeline or other means of transport. A heater-treater is a combination of a heater, free-water knockout, and oil and gas separator.

1. an automatic valve that opens or closes when an abnormal condition occurs (e.g., a pressure relief valve on a separator that opens if the pressure exceeds the set point, or the shutdown valve at the wellhead that closes if the line pressure becomes too high or too low).

A device that prevents leakage along a piston, rod, propeller shaft, or other moving part that passes through a hole in a cylinder or vessel. It consists of a box or chamber made by enlarging the hole and a gland containing compressed packing. On a well being artificially lifted by means of a sucker rod pump, the polished rod operates through a stuffing box, preventing escape of oil and diverting it into a side outlet to which is connected the flow line leading to the oil and gas separator or to the field storage tank. For a bottomhole pressure test, the wireline goes through a stuffing box and lubricator, allowing the gauge to be raised and lowered against well pressure. The lubricator provides a pressure-tight grease seal in the stuffing box.