A Laboratory Study With Field Data of Downhole Gas Separators

Downhole gas separators are often the most inefficient part of a sucker-rod pump system. This paper presents laboratory data on the performance of five different gas-separator designs. Only continuous flow was studied. Field data are presented on two of the designs. The field data indicate that success or failure of the gas separator is dependent upon the fluids and wellbore pressures as well as the mechanical design of the gas separator. Successful and unsuccessful examples of gas-separator performance in the field are shown along with field fluid data properties.