Flo-Drip Wellhead Separator Does the Job, Energy Processing Canada, March-April 1998

Innovative thinking that provides solutions with practical and economical benefits is what Crimtech Services Ltd. is all about. Witness the FloDrip Wellhead Separator.

"The idea originated in the shallow gas fields around Medicine Hat where one of our clients required a device to separate the water and mud from the gas stream at each wellhead," explains Craig Nykyforuk, President of Crimtech, a Red Deer based engineering, design and drafting firm specializing in supporting field oil and gas production operations. "We were instructed to find a solution to this simple problem. But there were tight economic constraints because of the extremely low gas flow rates."

After an exhaustive search for an economical separator, which spanned many industries, it was evident that a solution would have to be developed from scratch. "Separation is not a new idea," he says, "the problem is finding a low cost package to meet the economics of the project."

The FloDrip Wellhead Separator is designed as a collection vessel for water, mud and sediment immediately downstream of the wellhead. Its compact, lightweight design fits easily into any existing piping system. With different models to choose from, capacities range up to 800 mcf/d and varying water flow rates depending on the flowing pressure. "One of our separators was installed on a well with a plunger lift and it was dumping three to four barrels of water every time the plunger came up," explains Mr. Nykyforuk. "Each FloDrip is fully self-contained and can be installed in less than two hours."

From its original use in the shallow gas fields of southern Alberta, FloDrip has expanded to include conventional gas wells with higher flow rates. Equipped with an additional meter run or methanol pump, the FloDrip is an ideal alternative to existing separator packages on the market today. "Costing a fraction of the price of these larger units, suspended and marginal wells now become economically viable," he explains. "A fair number of our clients move the larger packages from existing low producers to new wells, replacing these units with the FloDrip Wellhead Separator. This practice results in cost savings of thousands of dollars on the tie-in of wells."

To date, there are more than 400 units in service throughout Alberta, Saskatchewan, and the U.S. - helping to increase the production for the largest multinational company to the smallest independent producer. Clearly, Crimtech Services Ltd. is making a strong name for itself in providing practical and economical solutions.

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