Gas Conversion
To extract oil from beneath the ocean floor,
wells initially extract a combination of oil,
natural gas, and salt-water brine that is
pumped to the platform. Once there, gas
and water are separated from the oil in
production separators. Gas is separated off
and cooled to remove the gas condensate
liquid. Condensate is pumped back into the oil
and the mixture travels to the shore refinery.
Excess gas is then flared (burned) off.
Flaring was a common practice until 1978,
when United Kingdom (UK) gas conservation
policy requirements called for Occidental to
modify the platform to process the gas for
production. After modification, Piper Alpha
processed gas and sent it to the MCP-01
compression platform. Piper Alpha additionally
served as a hub, connecting the gas lines of
two other Piper field platforms, Claymore and
Tartan, to MCP-01. Totaled, Piper Alpha was
connected to four different transport risers.