🔷 1. Choke Manifold Separator Overview

A Choke Manifold Separator is part of the well control system used to control the pressure and flow of drilling fluids (especially after a kick or during well testing). It works in conjunction with a choke manifold to separate oil, gas, and water phases after pressure reduction.

🔷 2. Key Design Topics

a. Piping System

• Choke manifold inlet piping

• Flowline from wellhead to separator

• Outlet lines: Oil, gas, and water

• Bypass and test lines

• Emergency shutdown valves (ESDVs)

• High-pressure rated valves, tees, elbows

• Hammer unions (up to 15,000 psi WP)

b. Civil Foundation

• Skid or modular support on pad

• Steel-reinforced concrete base

• Load points for dynamic fluid forces

• Anchoring system for high pressure

• Access for maintenance and safety clearance

c. Pumps (if integrated or skid-based)

• Test separator discharge pumps

• Crude oil or produced water transfer pumps

• Flushing pumps for cleaning

• Glycol injection pump (if dehydration downstream)

d. P&ID (Typical Elements)

• HP inlet from choke manifold

• 3-phase separator vessel

• Pressure and level transmitters

• Gas, oil, and water outlet piping

• Sampling ports

• Flare line to burner boom or flare stack

e. Related Heat Exchangers

• Wellstream heaters (for waxy or cold wells)

• Oil pre-heaters before test separator

• Gas coolers (before metering or dehydration)

• Heater treater (downstream)

f. Instrumentation

• Pressure gauges & transmitters

• Differential pressure across chokes

• Temperature sensors on inlet and phases

• Level transmitters for oil/water/gas

• Flow meters (e.g., Coriolis, DP, or ultrasonic)

• Remote data acquisition (SCADA/PLC)

g. Day & Temporary Storage Tanks

• Test oil storage tank

• Produced water tank

• Fuel gas knock-out drum

• Surge tanks for flow stabilization

• Mobile tanker connections

🔷 3. Process Design Considerations

• High-pressure inlet design (5,000–15,000 psi)

• 3-phase separation sizing

• Gas-liquid separation efficiency

• Liquid retention time & flow rate

• Erosion/corrosion resistance

• Flare handling capacity

• Design based on API 12J, API 521, ISO 13500

🔷 4. Mechanical Design Considerations

• ASME Section VIII Div. 1/2

• NACE MR0175 compliance (sour service)

• API 6A, 16C for choke manifold compatibility

• Nozzle loads and support

• Hydrotest, radiography, PWHT, NDT

• Skid frame structural design (if mobile unit)

🔷 5. 20 Choke Manifold Separator Equipment/Product Names (Example Naming Styles)

1. CMS-5000 HP – High pressure choke separator

2. PhaseSplit Pro – 3-phase well test separator

3. SafeChoke VX – Skid with inline choke + separator

4. WellSplit XT15 – Extended temperature system

5. FlowMaster-CMS – Test separator combo unit

6. HPFlow Sep-V – Vertical 3-phase vessel

7. TestLine-CMS 700 – Mobile well testing unit

8. ZeroFlare-Guard – Integrated flare handling skid

9. CMS-Vortex X – Enhanced swirling separation

10. HiRate CMS-Pro – High-rate test wells

11. SepGuard 1500 – Separator + choke module

12. GEO TestSep HP – Geothermal capable unit

13. MegaChoke TestUnit – Large volume separator

14. UltraSep-Flex – Modular choke/test separator

15. ArcticTest CMS – Cold climate version

16. FlowWell SepBase – Base model separator

17. DualSep Compact – Dual unit compact skid

18. EZFlow-Test CMS – Simplified testing rig

19. WellControl-VTS – Vertical test separator

20. QuickDeploy CMS-Rig – Rapid deployment unit

🔷 6. 20 Applications of Choke Manifold Separator

1. Well testing operations

2. Flowback after hydraulic fracturing

3. Early production systems (EPFs)

4. Extended well testing (EWT)

5. Blowout control systems

6. High-pressure well control

7. Exploration and appraisal wells

8. Offshore mobile test rigs

9. Onshore high-pressure well pads

10. HPHT well operations

11. Directional or horizontal test wells

12. Sour gas field separation

13. CO₂-rich reservoir flowback

14. Underbalanced drilling tests

15. Temporary production systems

16. Deepwater pre-production testing

17. Well cleanup flow separation

18. Emergency relief system

19. Mobile separator skids

20. Real-time fluid monitoring setups

🔷 7. 20 Services from Our Pressure Vessel Design Consultancy (Choke Manifold Separator)

1. 3-phase separator process design

2. Mechanical design to ASME/API/NACE

3. Integrated choke + separator system design

4. CFD analysis for internal flow/erosion

5. Thermal design (if heaters integrated)

6. Pressure drop and surge analysis

7. Nozzle and support load calculations

8. 3D modeling and fabrication drawings

9. Material selection for sour service (H₂S)

10. Transient and surge load analysis

11. Flare system interface and design

12. Instrumentation and controls integration

13. P&ID, layout, and GA development

14. Modular skid packaging design

15. Inspection test plans (ITP) and QCP

16. Third-party certification coordination

17. Field installation engineering

18. Erection and commissioning support

19. HAZOP and SIL compliance

20. Upgrades and retrofits of existing units