What is a Choke in Oil and Gas Operations?

Most oil and gas production facilities use a device known as a choke to control the flow of fluids produced from wells. Typically, equipment such as the line heaters and wellsite separators contain a choke. It has a small opening called a choke bean, which helps to reduce the pressure as the liquids flow through it. The choke is designed to handle an erosive service in the form of sand particles in the fluids. Read on to learn more about the choke, its parts, and types.

What is a Choke Valve?
The choke valve in an oilfield heater, wellsite separator, and other oil and gas equipmentis similar to the positive choke. It replaces the bonnet assembly and comes with a plug assembly and adjustable rising stem that seats into the bean. This allows the operator to adjust the pressure and flow according to the requirements of the process. Adjustable choke valves typically come with a manual or automatic valve stem operator and are more common due to their flexibility.

Bean Size in a Choke Valve
Made using steel or other durable materials, a choke bean is a replaceable bean or insert, crafted with a precise diameter. It comes in a variety of sizes and forms the choke through which the fluids pass.

Types of Choke Valve
Needle and Seat Choke
This is the most simplistic variation of the positive choke, consisting of a cone-shaped plug that seats into the bean. It comes with a rising stem and handwheel.

Plug and Cage Choke
This typically uses the plug as the controlling component to throttle the flow of fluids in the ported cage’s internal diameter. The ports in the cage are arranged in a way that results in the most appropriate combination of flow and control capacity for different purposes.