Atmospheric Mud Gas Separator

The Atmospheric Mud Gas Separator (Poorboy Degasser) forms part of the well control system and plays a critical part in ensuring the safe operation of the rig. The Atmospheric  Mud Gas Separator (Poorboy Degasser) is located on or in the vicinity of the drill floor, downstream of the buffer block on the choke and kill manifold. Employed as a safety-critical piece of Well Control Equipment the MGS is used in series with the choke manifold to safely circulate out a gas kick from the well.

The Mud Gas Separator handles a high proportion of mud solids and may experience hydrate plugging as a result of gas expansion through the choke. The liquid seal ensures that separated gas vents safely without breaking through to the mud tanks. The design of our Mud Gas Separator is based on conventional process practice and has adopted the latest notices and publications.

If the drilling rig requires a compact solution, Kapwell can offer a trip tank based liquid seal, where the trip tank is used as a liquid seal, or alternatively, the seal may be in the form of an external U-tube. We can supply either vertical or horizontal MGS, both of which are fitted with internal baffles and distribution nozzles but the performance of the liquid seal is dependent on the chosen design features.

The capacity of the MGS is dependent on the design. If the capacity is exceeded, liquid mud or oil droplets may be carried up through the vent line. More importantly, gas may blow straight through the U-tube (Liquid Seal) and into the shale-shaker house, where there may be potential for explosion and fire. It is essential to verify that the system is capable of handling the maximum amount of fluid and gas that could be produced by the well in the case of a severe kick.