| 摘要 |
A system for the production or handling of heavy oil comprises means (18) for introducing an immiscible viscosity-reducing fluid into the heavy oil at an upstream end of a flow line (10,22) to create a dispersion of oil and viscosity-reducing fluid, and means (24,30) for separating the viscosity-reducing fluid at least partially from the oil at a downstream end of the flow line. The separating means comprises a cyclonic fluid conditioning unit (24) connected receive the dispersion of oil and viscosity-reducing fluid from the downstream end of the flow line (22), said cyclonic fluid conditioning unit being constructed and arranged to subject the dispersion to a cyclonic conditioning process; and a gravity separator unit (30) connected to receive the conditioned dispersion from the cyclonic fluid conditioning unit. The gravity separator unit (30) is constructed and arranged to allow at least partial separation of the viscosity-reducing fluid from the oil and has a first outlet for the separated viscosity-reducing fluid and a second outlet for the separated oil. |
