More realistic Oil Production - Use of Separators

[desrtfx]

While in general, the oil production is modeled pretty accurate, there is one thing that bugs me (but that is not unique to Factorio, it's basically in all games that handle oil production).

There is an intermediate step between the oil pumps and the refinery. (Not talking about tanks).

This step does not take place in refineries as they only receive the already separated crude oil. It takes place in substations near the wells from where the individual products get shipped to the central station that then ships the crude oil out to the harbors, or directly to the refineries.

The natural product of an oil well is Multiphase Flow, a mix of oil, water, and gas. This mix needs to be separated (by using so called Separators - intelligent name, I know, but that's actually what these devices are called) before the pure crude enters the actual oil line. Over the lifetime of a well, the ratio between oil and water changes so that closer to the end of the lifetime of a well, way more water than oil is produced.

A Separator would have one input (the multiphase flow from the pumps) and three outputs (oil, water, and gas). Separators are passive devices that don't need electricity, chemicals, or heat to operate - they work through simple mechanical principles (plates over which the oil flows into the next chamber, the gas evaporates due to pressure loss).

So, the proper chain of oil production would be: well(s) -> pump(s) -> separator(s) (where one separator can handle a couple wells) -> tanks (for oil, water and gas) -> refinery (where the produced water that came along with the oil could be reused - or could be redirected to chemical plants) -> tanks -> chemical plants, etc.

Another thing is sulphur. In natural oil production, sulphur appears as H2S (Hydrogen Sulfide) - a gas. This byproduct actually pollutes the produced gas and makes it unusable for further production.

Source: I've been working on an oilfield for 15 years.

Additional information: The hydraulic Jack pumps (aka "Sucker Rod Pumps" or "Horsehead Pumps", or "Nodding Donkeys") are not the standard in oil production. They can only be used with shallow, low production wells. High production wells (or deep wells) use different methods of lifting the oil, like "Gas injection" (think "spray-can principle), "Water injection" (same idea, different medium), or "Electrical Submersible Pumps" (ESP), all of which produce a way higher (ten to hundredfold) output than Jack pumps. A modern well can barely be seen standing next to it as there is very little on the surface besides a couple of pipelines.

[brunzenstein]

*** very interesting posting indeed!
The Factorio developer should have a good hart look at the high quality content of the posting and if possible engage desrtfx in to the development line

[Khaylain]

Good suggestion there "desertfox" (desrtfx). I hope the devs take a look and use your info on this. It would be good I think.

[Ghoulish]

Isnt this just a case of complication for realism's sake?

[brunzenstein]

Isnt this just a case of complication for realism's sake?

Sober realism is (as everywhere in life) something to be highly appreciated and not negated

[Ghoulish]

Isnt this just a case of complication for realism's sake?

Sober realism is (as everywhere in life) something to be highly appreciated and not negated

But we can walk about with a tank in our back pocket. Crash landed on an alien world.. How important is it to be realistic in a fantasy setting? The first few times I set up oil, it wasn't exactly clear what had to be done, it did seem complicated, and I did struggle because I didn't really understand. Over a few builds, a little wiki reading, it became simple (it is simple in essence!) But the lack of experience made it hard. So how might this affect players who set up oil chains for the first few times? This is my only reservation, and might be a reason for why the oil production chain is simplified?

[brunzenstein]

Over a few builds, a little wiki reading, it became simple (it is simple in essence!) But the lack of experience made it hard. So how might this affect players who set up oil chains for the first few times? This is my only reservation, and might be a reason for why the oil production chain is simplified?

Player choose Factorio because it is not simple but one has to be clever, has a steep learning curve and has give it a good hard look so solve the puzzle. Otherwise they would hang around with AngyBirds...

[Ghoulish]

Over a few builds, a little wiki reading, it became simple (it is simple in essence!) But the lack of experience made it hard. So how might this affect players who set up oil chains for the first few times? This is my only reservation, and might be a reason for why the oil production chain is simplified?

Player choose Factorio because it is not simple but one has to be clever, has a steep learning curve and has give it a good hard look so solve the puzzle. Otherwise they would hang around with AngyBirds...

Exactly, it has a steep learning curve, and wouldn't this make it steeper?

[brunzenstein]

Over a few builds, a little wiki reading, it became simple (it is simple in essence!) But the lack of experience made it hard. So how might this affect players who set up oil chains for the first few times? This is my only reservation, and might be a reason for why the oil production chain is simplified?

Player choose Factorio because it is not simple but one has to be clever, has a steep learning curve and has give it a good hard look so solve the puzzle. Otherwise they would hang around with AngyBirds...

Exactly, it has a steep learning curve, and wouldn't this make it steeper?

and herewith becoming even more intellectually forcing / interesting / requires strategic thinking- thats in my personal opinion the DNA of Factorio - my2cents

[deepdriller]

While in general, the oil production is modeled pretty accurate, there is one thing that bugs me (but that is not unique to Factorio, it's basically in all games that handle oil production).

What other games are you thinking of?

[desrtfx]

While in general, the oil production is modeled pretty accurate, there is one thing that bugs me (but that is not unique to Factorio, it's basically in all games that handle oil production).

What other games are you thinking of?

Has been quite some time, but as far as I recall, some of the "Tycoon" games had oil, Sim City (can't remember which version), Industry Giant II, The Oil Blue, and an online "Oil Imperium" game - if I recall correctly, all games lacked separators and it has been bugging me since I started working in the Oil Industry.

Same applies to the stereotypical horsehead (Jack pumps) - not really used but synonymous for the oil industry.

[ssilk]

This is really interesting.

I think for the later game, this would be really an option. I don't see it in the current (early) game, cause it adds a load of complexity without adding much game-play (you need to a separator and handle the different fluids somehow). But when your wells dry out this could be a option, that also matches perfectly into the devs idea to expand the mining.

[desrtfx]

IMO, separators should be fairly easy to craft: Some Steel beams, Pipes, and Iron plates and that's it. Maybe along: 2 Steel Beams (supporting structure of the separator), 2 Pipes (maybe 4 Pipes if I consider 1 Multiphase flow input and 3 outputs - gas, water, oil), and 5 Iron plates (for the shell and the internal construction of the separator).

Added complexity? Not really so sure about that, but it would introduce another element: Gas which doesn't currently exist ingame. The produced water from the separator could be used directly in the chemical plants.

A possibility would be that Refinery 1 - would work without separators and Refinery 2 (Advanced Oil Processing) would require Separators.

[ske]

Gas is already in the game. You use it to make plastics.

[desrtfx]

Gas is already in the game. You use it to make plastics.

I keep forgetting that since there is another mismatch.

Petroleum in its original meaning is just crude oil. Now it also refers to the summary of all fractions that can be produced in a refinery. Gases are: methane, ethane, propane and butane and from pentane on the products are liquids or even solids.