Oil and Gas Tank Battery Setup

March 25, 2019

The oil and/or gas tank battery is the largest part of your above-ground operation. Not only is the tank battery the largest part, but it is also one of the most important. The tank battery’s job is to clean and store the oil you pump until you are ready to sell it.

While you may not need to know all the ins and outs of your tank battery, it is important that you are able to understand what the tank battery does and how it does it so you can identify when something goes wrong. As a company that has expertise in oil tank battery installation in Carlsbad, NM, we’ve put together a few basic tips on oil and gas tank battery setup that you should be familiar with.

How is a tank battery set up?

The type of tank battery you have and its makeup will depend on several factors, including the quality and quantity of the oil your operation produces. While there are variations, a tank battery usually consists of a few main parts.

Vessels

The vessels are the tanks, or similar equipment, that receive the fluid produced. The function of the vessels is pretty simple: to store the fluid until it can be treated or sold. In some cases, the vessels may also be responsible for separating oil from water and gas. Several vessels actually are involved in various steps of separating oil from other produced fluids and impurities:

  • Separator: The separator is usually the produced fluid’s first stop and it’s where the fluid is separated. Most separators have two phases, meaning the vessel will only separate gas from oil.
  • Heater-treater: A heater-treater is actually a three-phase separator that uses heat. These vessels can actually separate oil, water and gas.
  • Stock tank: Before the oil is treated and/or sold, it is stored in the stock tank. The stock tank also typically includes a tank for holding the water that is produced and separated out of the oil.

Circulation pump

The circulation pump moves fluids from one vessel in the tank battery to another. Every battery tank has a circulation pump, although the type of circulation pump varies.

Dirk/firewall

The dirk or firewall can be found around vessels. It contains fluids to contain the oil in case of leaks or other emergencies.

Flow lines

Flow lines are what connect the vessels and move the fluid from one place to another. Lines can be made from steel pipe, similar to what’s used downhole, or synthetic.

To be good at what you do, you often have to be an expert in a few things and knowledgeable about a lot more. Having some knowledge of tank battery setup can only help you in the field. But if you need expert help, be sure to call JB Electric LLC. We are your local commercial electrician in Carlsbad, NM, and we specialize in oil tank battery installation. To learn more about what we do, just give us a call today. We look forward to assisting you soon!

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