Hydrocyclone-based systems for downhole separation of produced oil and water and subsequent disposal of the produced water by reinjection within the same wellbore have been successfully applied in a number of onshore wells. Benefits of these systems include reduced produced water lifting and disposal costs, as well as significant reduction in liquid load on surface processing facilities~1. Reduction in surface equipment requirements is of primary interest in offshore applications, where significant reduction in the size and cost of surface separation facilities promises to extend field life and make marginal developments economically viable. Further development of downhole separation and reinjection systems is under way in order to provide a range of hardware systems suitable for a variety of offshore applications.
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