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testing or calibrating multiphase or wet gas viscosity on the performance of both meters. NEL supports the use of substitute single phase and multiphase meters, and ? uids because of the improved uncertainty the effect of gas entrainment on the perfor- in calibration calculations, compared with mance of ostensibly single phase meters. that achievable with live ? uids. Making

The use of diagnos-

Going

Pipelines sure that testing and calibration facilities tics parameters, avail- can replicate as closely as possible both able from the more operating pressures and temperatures is modern technologies, also high on the agenda, be it for wet gas, gives you access to with the ? ow multiphase or single phase. much more than a “One of the big drivers for industry and straight-forward ? ow

The event, held in Scotland late last signal.” vendors, is trying to ? nd solutions for low

Flow measurement isn’t always year, also saw the launch of the Flow NEL, based near cost multiphase ? owmeters,” Mark says.

Phil Mark foremost in industry debates,

Measurement Institute, which is looking Glasgow, Scotland, “At the moment they are very high cost, at but the role it plays – and to bring together academia and industry is looking at how changes in diagnostic several hundred thousand of dollars (each), getting it right – is key. in ? ow measurement and also be a means parameters, can be used to monitor which potentially limits the number of to raise the pro? le in the UK of measure- the performance of the ? ow meter, applications. If a multiphase meter could

Elaine Maslin found out more.

ment and the value it brings to the UK. in order to move to condition- be made less expensive, whilst delivering

Phil Mark, director of sales and mar- the same or similar performance, it would based monitoring and calibration, s the oil and gas industry moves keting at NEL, outlined some of the key open up a bigger market.

instead of time-based monitoring. “Other challenges facing the indus- The organization, which is the into harsher, more complex themes at the event. One is the debate over

A try include the effect of increasing oil custodian of the UK’s National Flow environments, so too do metering using substitute versus live ? uids when technologies and the requirements on them.

Measurements Standards, is also

Building, testing and calibrating wet gas looking at how the data gathered and multiphase meters, creating meters from such devices can be inter- for high-viscosity oils, and using data now preted in a rigorous and reliable available through new generation devices fashion. for diagnostics and more intelligent cali- Last year, NEL invested in the bration regimes, are some key themes for development of its high pressure the ? ow measurement sector. wet gas facility, now the UK’s

NEL’s 32nd International North Sea only independent commercial test

Flow Measurement Workshop brought facility that can test meters to ? ow together industry experts to discuss some rates over 2000cu m/hr under wet of these issues and more. gas conditions and is capable of using oil and water components

NEL’s new high pressure wet facility simultaneously. near Glasgow. Image from NEL.

NEL’s ? ow measurement facility.

Image from NEL.

The event also heard from a number of suppliers and operators:

BP

Bill Pearson and Samir Ismayilov, from BP Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey – Azerbaijan, presented the devel- opment and ? eld trials of SONAR

Meter Technology.

The project was a collabora- tion between BP AGT Region and Expro

Meters, part of Expro Group. BP required retrospective, non-intrusive ? ow mea- surement in a number of “allocation” metering applications. For two applica- tions, a clamp-on SONAR ? ow meter was trialled, including ? eld cabling, transmit- ter, mounting clamp, transducer module, and cover assembly. The ActiveSONAR meter was EX ‘d’ Zone 1 certi? ed.

The results indicated that clamp-on

SONAR technology, as a non-intrusive retro? t meter technology, was at least comparable with other type of technol- ogy, such as ultrasound or differential pressure producer meters, and in some

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