1. n. [Production Facilities]

The flowline network and process facilities that transport and control the flow of oil or gas from the wells to a main storage facility, processing plant or shipping point. A gathering system includes pumps, headers, separators, emulsion treaters, tanks, regulators, compressors, dehydrators, valves and associated equipment. There are two types of gathering systems, radial and trunk line. The radial type brings all the flowlines to a central header, while the trunk-line type uses several remote headers to collect fluid. The latter is mainly used in large fields. The gathering system is also called the collecting system or gathering facility.

See related terms: compressor,  dehydrator,  gas processing plant,  separator,  tank,  treater