Customer challenges
- An operator of an offshore field was measuring flow rates on production separator oil and water outlets across three platforms
- The existing inline metering systems were providing unreliable measurements and prevented the operator from managing their process efficiently
- The customer required non-intrusive but robust solution, which could handle the highly dynamic flowing conditions
- The customer's preference was to continue production, avoid shutdown and resolve the metering issue
Expro Excellence
- Expro proposed to use a mobile self contained surveillance package with 3"-12" meter sizes to monitor the separator liquid flow outlets, determine a volumetric rate and establish a gas volume fraction
- Expro's clamp on non-intrusive metering was retrofitted to existing lines without any modifications
- Expro performed 24-hour surveillance with different wells flowing into the separator based on the customer's testing program
- Results were compared to the existing inline metering system
Value to client
- Expro's diagnostic identified two key issues:
- Slugging was due to a faulty level control valve
- Free gas (GVF) was measured in the single phase liquids, oil and water outlets
- Expro surveillance provided an accurate reference flow rate measurement to identify the error in the existing inline metering
- The customer received insight into the dynamic nature of their process conditions to facilitate a change and bring the process conditions within the working envelope of the existing inline metering
