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Overview

Engineers on a Chinese offshore platform in the Zhaodong oilfield consulted FLEXIM as they had doubts about the accuracy of the readings from their orifice / differential pressure flow meters installed on the separator's outlet.

On this particular offshore platform, three production separators are separating the crude oil / gas mixture coming from the wellheads. The natural gas streams on the outlets of these separators are measured by orifice / differential pressure meters. As the readings of these meters were not matching the process, the platform engineers became suspicious. 

After checking the flow rates of the differential pressure meters with the portable, hazardous area-certified FLUXUS G608 gas flow meter, their suspicions proved to be true.

The differential pressure meters readings differed significantly from the measuring values of the FLUXUS G608, which was matching the expected process flow rates. It became clear, that the orifice plates of the differential pressure meters were subject to abrasion from the natural gas flows and thus suffered from measurement drift - a very common downturn of this measurement technology, besides the well-known impulse line clogging effects and the obvious pressure drops / losses inside the pipe.

Further, the FLUXUS G608 was able to accurately determine the flow rates at low pressurized gas streams - as of its sophisticated internal hardware as well as its multi-diagnostic tools, specifying whether the meter is accurately positioned on the pipe or not.

Advantages

  • Accurate monitoring of gas flow rates at low pressure conditions (down to 50 psi on steel pipes - independent on wall thickness)
  • Fast and easy set-up and determination of the incorrect orifice meter readings