In many mature fields production well testing is limited by the availability of test separator. Prior industry attempts to utilize the new technology of multiphase metering to fill this gap has been hampered by the cost of multiphase meters. This paper describes the development and field tests of a low cost portable multiphase meter. The meter utilizes the Coriolis flow meter technology combined with a microwave based water cut meter that can measure WC in the 0-100% range. The combination of these techniques provides a light weight metering package that can be mounted on trailer for portable well testing. This multiphase meter can measure oil, water and gas without separation of the production stream at low GOR. These applications can be found in mature fields with low GOR and in heavy oil fields.The multiphase meter was subjected to field qualification tests prior to deployment in a West Texas field. The paper describes the results from the qualification tests and the performance history during the 18 months of deployment in the field. Well test data from the multiphase meter is compared to conventional test separator and grab samples. Comparison between the test separator and the multiphase meter shows average liquid flow deviation of about ±7%. The water cut was measured within 1-2 points of the water cut from the test separator.

No abstract

This paper addresses a new approach to wet gas flow measurement. The Wet Gas Meter (WGM) combines dissimilar flow sensors to measure the flow rates of gas and liquid in gas well production. The WGM utilizes a vortex flow meter for volumetric measurement and dual venturis with different throat sizes for liquid/gas determination. Introduction What is "wet gas" and "wet gas measurement"? These are common enough terms used in the industry, but everyone seems to have a different understanding of exactly what they mean. Many people have tried to define them in terms of percent gas vs. percent liquid or Gas Void Fraction (GVF). Wet Gas Metering has been described as a subset of Multiphase Flow Measurement— where the volume of gas at actual/measuring conditions is very high when compared to the volume of liquid in the flow stream. High gas has been defined as 90% gas, 95% gas and even 98% gas by different technical papers (1). In Multiphase Flow Measurement, the flow stream is broken down into three separate phases - oil, water and gas. In Wet Gas Measurement, the flow stream is broken down into two phases - gas and liquid. The authors suggest that the difference between wet gas measurement and multiphase flow measurement is not a function of GVF, but is the requirement of the customer and the accuracy of the liquid phase measurement. A gas lift operator wants to know if he is producing 80 or 100BPD of liquid and the water cut of the liquid produced. This is clearly a job for multiphase measurement, even if the GVF is 95%. However, the gas field operator wants to measure the gas and liquid accurately, but is not concerned about a 20% error in water cut measurement of the liquid phase. This is clearly a job for the wet gas meter. The main distinction between the two is revenue - do you make money selling oil and gas, or do you make money selling gas?

This paper addresses a new approach to multi-phase flow metering. The Multi-Phase Flow Meter (MPFM) described combines dissimilar flow sensors to measure the flow rates of the gas and liquid components plus a microwave water content monitor to determine the oil and water fractions A brief review of the alternate technologies and approaches to multiphase metering is included as a basis for explanation of the design choices in this meter. The predicted performance of the meter is compared against field tests that were conducted to assess the performance of the meter. These tests covered a wide range of fluid properties, gas void fractions up to 97%, 0-100% water cut, and various installation geometries. The field tests support the predicted overall accuracy of 10% of the reading (2% of the full scale) for liquids and 10% of the reading (5% of the full scale) for the gas components of the flow. Introduction The measurement of oil, water and gas flow in the production operations is required to assist in the reservoir management, reservoir allocation, and fiscal metering. The traditional approach to measurements of the produced fluids has required separation and independent measurements of the oil, water, and gas. The separation and measurement approach has inaccuracies and requires operator attention and maintenance. In addition, in offshore and subsea facilities where space and weight is a major concern, the large size and weight of the conventional separators adds to the cost of facilities. A multi-phase measurement is the measurement of oil, water, and gas phases in a production stream without the separation of the phases before entering the meter. A compact, light weight, multi-phase flow meter which can operate in a wide range of flow regimes and changing fluid conditions has many applications in the production facilities on and offshore. The search for an affordable and field worthy multi-phase meter and the advantages that such meters bring to the field of measurement has been the subject of numerous papers. This paper addresses the development and testing, by Agar Corporation of a new approach to multi-phase flow metering which uses dissimilar flow sensors. To provide the background for the design choices which were made in the development of the Agar multi-phase meter, a brief review of the alternate technologies and approaches to multi-phase metering will follow. P. 85