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Flow Level Pressure
V-Cone Flowmeter Improves Efficiency and Reduces Costs in Gas Lift Applications
Process engineers responsible for crude oil production from wells that employ gas lift systems to increase oil production will find that the rugged, highly accurate V-Cone Flowmeter from McCrometer (USA) features a wide turndown, small footprint and virtually no maintenance, which reduces total installed costs and operating lifecycle costs while improving crude oil production efficiency.
Gas lift systems employed for Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) increase crude oil production by injecting gas into the well bore casing to reduce the density of the oil being produced. The injected gas mixes with the oil in the casing and the low reservoir pressure in the formation is then sufficient to allow production without the need for pumps. Some oil wells produce natural gas that is separated from the oil stream once it reaches the surface. The well operator then re-injects a portion of this byproduct gas, in turn maximising production from the well. Carbon dioxide, nitrogen, or engineered chemical solutions can also be employed in gas lift wells.
Through EOR techniques such as gas lift, oil producers can increase recoverable reserves from 10 to 40 percent to 30 to 60 percent. Reliable, accurate flowmeters that are virtually maintenance free, such as McCrometer’s V-Cone flowmeter, are ideal for these EOR applications. McCrometer’s V-Cone flowmeters feature accuracy of ±0.5% of rate and repeatability of ±0.1% ensuring accurate measurement and control of the injected media. Accurate measurement of the injected media maximises crude oil production while greatly reducing costly over-injection that can be found when other flowmeter technologies wear and begin under-reading. A minimal 0.5% under-read can result in wasted over-injection costs in the range of $500 to $5,000 per well per year, depending on the specific application.
With its no-moving parts design, the V-Cone flowmeter is proven to remain accurate in installations for 25 years or more in the toughest of applications, all but eliminating the need to shut down production for calibrations, inspections, or regular replacement of the primary element, saving not only through production up-time, but also in parts and labor.
McCrometer’s differential pressure V-Cone flowmeter provides built-in flow conditioning, which nearly eliminates the up and downstream straight pipe runs required by other flow meter technologies, reducing typical straight pipe run by 70% or more requiring only 0-3 straight pipe diameters upstream and 0-1 downstream for precise operation.
Unlike traditional dP instruments such as orifice plates and venturi tubes, the V-Cone flowmeter’s design is inherently more accurate because the flow conditioning function is built into the unique sensor design. The V-Cone flowmeter’s centrally located cone interacts with the fluid steam, reshaping the velocity profile to provide a stable signal that increases measurement accuracy. The pressure difference exhibited between the static line pressure and the low pressure created downstream of the cone is measured via two pressure sensing taps, one placed slightly upstream of the cone and the other located in the downstream face of the cone itself. The pressure difference is then incorporated into a derivation of the Bernoulli equation to determine the fluid flow rate.
Engineers in the oil/gas industry rely on the versatility of McCrometer’s V-Cone flowmeter available in line sizes from 0.5 to greater than 120 inches in materials and flanges compatible with any application. The flowmeter operates over a wide flow range of 10:1 which typically covers the entire flow range required for injection in gas lift applications.
McCrometer’s versatile V-Cone flowmeter is well-suited for the demanding standards set by the oil/gas production and refining industry. The V-Cone flowmeter conforms to the American Petroleum Institute’s API 22.2 Testing Protocol for Differential Pressure Flow Measurement Devices as well as other international certifications such as Measurement Canada and Brazilian INMETRO when allocation and even custody transfer measurements are required.
Reader Reply Card No 122 Eclipsing Critical Applications Released in 1998, The Magnetrol International NV’s (Belgium) Eclipse®
705 is type approved for steam drums, EN 12952-11 (water tube boilers) and EN 12953-9 (shell type boilers) as “primary safety” and “secondary safety”. Combined with a 7MS probe the device can be used in saturated steam applications at a pressure of 155 bar at an equivalent temperature of 345°C.
The Eclipse®
Additional diagnostic tools allow the user to integrate this transmitter into highly demanding safety instrument loops. With a Safe Failure Fraction (SFF) of 91% the device scores amongst the highest – if not the highest – safety levels.
It is possible to install two or even three Eclipse® devices on one external cage for specific applications.
Even when installing only two devices in one cage a SIL3 safety level can be obtained. Adding a third device to the same cage assures continuity to the production process. The three obtained individual level signals increase the overall reliability.
A typical example for such an extreme safety application can be found in the power generation sector where accurate monitoring of water levels in steam drum and boilers is a must. It is a challenge maintaining constant liquid level in the upper part of the drum in order to provide the proper quality of steam. Instrumentation must withstand high temperatures and pressures.
Reader Reply Card No 123 Deflagration Arresters Attain ATEX Approval
Shand & Jurs (USA), is pleased to announce the addition of four models of its Deflagration Arresters that have earned ATEX 94/4/EC approval.
Deflagration Flame Arresters are designed to be a positive flame stop on low pressure tanks or piping systems containing flammable liquids or solvents having a low flash point. They not only provide exceptional protection against external ignition, but Shand & Jurs deflagration arresters also offer a higher maximum flow capacity than other deflagration arresters.
Shand & Jurs offers both in-line and end-of-line ATEX approved deflagration arresters. End-of-line models can be used in combination with conservation vents and free vents to allow for pressure and vacuum relief. Reader Reply Card No 124 Model 705 was the first two
wire guided wave radar (GWR) on the market. Thirteen years later, this high quality GWR device is still fluently finding its way to highly critical applications.
New VeriCal In-Situ Calibration Verification System For Flare Flow Measurement to Debut at OTC 2011
At OTC 2011, US manufacturer; Fluid Components International (FCI) will exhibit a live demonstration of its new VeriCal™ In-Situ Calibration Verification System for gas and flare flow meters. The VeriCal System is a sophisticated device that allows technicians to confirm flow measurement accuracy in only minutes, saving time and lowering operating costs in flare gas applications aboard offshore platforms and land based oil and gas, and chemical plants.
With the VeriCal In-Situ Calibration System, validating flow meter calibration is no longer labor intensive, costly or challenging.
The system allows for the verification of flow meter calibration without removing the meter from the pipe or process and makes it easy to meet process validation more effectively and comply with environmental regulation requirements. In the past, flow meters had to endure the cost and hassle of being pulled from the process, then returned to the manufacturer or a calibration lab for testing and then shipped back for re-installation.
The VeriCal System, working with the latest air/gas flow measurement products from FCI, is the easiest, fastest and lowest cost way to confirm gas flow calibration accuracy. It is ideal for flare gas applications in offshore oil/gas production and refining and other applications where periodic flow meter calibration validation is required by the process or environmental regulations.
The VeriCal In-Situ Calibration System combines a specially manufactured and plumbed air/gas flow element with additional electronics that feed and measure a precise flow of gas from a nitrogen source. To test a flow meter, the nitrogen gas is flowed through the meter’s flow element and measured against five benchmark measurement points across the meter’s range. The in-situ flow meter test data is then compared to original FCI laboratory calibration and installation benchmark test data for the meter. Performing a verification with VeriCal also provides a secondary benefit of cleaning the flow element sensors which helps ensure performance and reduces the need for routine maintenance.
FCI’s next-generation VeriCal In-Situ Calibration Verification System will debut at OTC 2011 in Houston with live demonstrations at FCI’s booth #7702. The system is designed to work with a variety of FCI’s gas mass flow meters for flare flow measurement. FCI flow meters feature highly reliable thermal dispersion technology, no-moving-parts flow element design, protected by a rugged enclosure. They feature constant power technology, a wide turndown range, multiple gas calibration groups, operate in process temperatures up to 850°F [454°C] and are calibrated to exacting process and fluid conditions.
FCI’s advanced VeriCal In-Situ Calibration System and air/gas flow meters are designed to comply with the recent US Minerals Management Service (MMS) mandate per final rule, 30 CFR Part 250, Subpart K, Section 250, stipulating that all domestic US offshore rigs processing more than an average of 2000 bopd must install flare/vent gas flow meters. These regulations are intended to protect the environment through the monitoring of greenhouse gases (GHG).
FCI is offering special assistance to its customers affected by this MMS mandate, EPA’s GHG mandate, or any other environmental compliance regulations. The company has set up a special Toll Free MMS Regulation Hotline to answer flare gas flow measurement questions. The hotline is staffed by the FCI Flow Meter Applications Group, which includes experts in flare and vent gas flow measurement.
Reader Reply Card No 125 The easiest way to contact us
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February / March 2011 •
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