Used to prevent hydrate formation and to enhance oil separation, Sovonex™ steam heat exchangers play an important role in surface well testing. Ideally suited for offshore operations or where using indirect-fired heaters is not permitted.
Incomplete separation of high viscosity oils can seriously affect well testing. Hydrate-forming production fluids may clog the separation equipment, leading to increased non-productive time.
Sovonex™ steam heat exchangers elegantly solve this problem by rapidly heating the well effluents before they are fed into a 2 or 3-phase well test separator.
Designed as a compact skid-mounted unit, the Sovonex™ steam heat exchanger requires minimal space and can be installed quickly.
Superheated steam from an external source, such as a steam generator, is applied to a pressurized vessel containing a tube bundle through which the effluent passes.
Direct heat transfer from the steam to the tubing effectively reduces the viscosity of the effluent and breaks down emulsions, leading to enhanced separation and reduced retention time in a downstream phase separator.
Using finned instead of bare tubes increases heat transfer by providing a larger surface area.
Where a reliable source of steam cannot be guaranteed, our multiple heat source heat exchanger provides an elegant solution. Designed with an additional combustion chamber and water jacket, this heat exchanger not only can use steam as its heat source but also diesel and natural gas.
We can build our pressure vessels according to the following standards:
ASME Section VIII-1 | Rules for Construction of Pressure Vessels |
TEMA Class B | Pressure vessels for chemical process services |
TEMA Class C | Pressure vessels for general commercial applications |
TEMA Class R | Pressure vessels for the severe requirements of petroleum processing |
API 650 | Welded Steel Tanks for Oil Storage |
API 620 | Design and Construction of Large Welded Low Pressure Storage Tanks |
API 661 | Air-Cooled Heat Exchangers for General Refinery Service |
PED (97/23/EC) | European Standards Pressure Equipment Directive |
EN 13445 | Unfired Pressure Vessels (European standard) |
PD 5500 | "Specification for unfired, fusion welded pressure vessels" (British standard, formerly BS 5500) |
CSA B51 | Boiler, Pressure Vessel, and Pressure Piping Code (Canadian standard required for CRN registration) |
AS/NZS 1200 | Australian/New Zealand Pressure Equipment Standard |