A PROCESS AND INSTALLATION FOR INTEGRATED CATCHING OF LIQUID SLUGS/SEPARATION OF OIL AND GAS IN A LINED ROCK CAVERN, INDEPENDENTLY OF GROUND WATER LEVEL

摘要

A process and an installation for integrated catching of liquid props ("slugs") and separation of oil, water and gas in a lined rock cavern (1), advantageously in the form of a tunnel, independently of ground water level. The catching/separation is effected in a container arranged in the rock cavern, the volume of such container giving sufficient buffer volume and residence time for separation in a single stage. The pressure forces are tansferred to the rock formation through a concrete lining (2) arranged between the rock formation and an inner sealing membrane (3). The installation is provided with supply pipe (5) for supply of oil, water and gas in single or multiple phase stream for separation into separate phase streams (6, 7 and 11) for being passed to processing or comsumption. The entrance portion of the rock cavern (1) being delimited by means of a pressure resistant concrete plug (4). In the container in the rock cavern (1) there is arranged usual equipment (18) for flow directing and energy killing in the form of baffle plates and deflectors as well as sand trap.