Development of multiphase flow metering set-up utilizing coriolis meters.

Abstract

A field prototype multiphase meter has been designed, constructed, installed at a remote onshore oil field site and successfully trial tested. The multiphase metering set-up is based on the Coriolis principles to measure the oil, water and gas. The intent of testing the set-up was to confirm the unit's ability, in a remote unmanned location, to sufficiently separate the gas and liquid phases in a small conditioner pipe, measure the rate of each phase and determine the water cut. Thirty direct comparison tests with the conventional test trap were conducted at two pressure ranges of 250-300 psig and 550-600 psig to test the effect of different gas void fractions which ranged up to 88%. The unit was successfully evaluated at liquid rates up to 7.2 MBD. Variance in liquid rates with the conventional test trap were less than 10%. The designed set-up gave good gas reading for gas rates above 1.5 MMSCFD, at lower gas rates the set-up measured slightly low.