V.

Main Instrumentation Equipment

V.4 Custody Transfer Systems &Eng.Documentation

Custody Transfer Systems

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INTRODUCTORY MODULE TO THE OIL & GAS INDUSTRY
 V. Main Instrumentation Equipment
V.4 Custody Transfer Systems &Eng.Documentation

Importance of Flow Measurement

Accurate flow measurements are fundamental to:

• Conversion and yield determinations.
• Material balances in separation processes.
• Pumps and compressor operations.
• Custody transfer operations.

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INTRODUCTORY MODULE TO THE OIL & GAS INDUSTRY
 V. Main Instrumentation Equipment
V.4 Custody Transfer Systems &Eng.Documentation

Importance of Flow Measurement

Flow rate is usually expressed as:
1- Volume Flow Rate
represents the volume of fluid that passes a measurement
point over a period of time. An example measurement unit is
barrels per day.
Q=Axv

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INTRODUCTORY MODULE TO THE OIL & GAS INDUSTRY
 V. Main Instrumentation Equipment
V.4 Custody Transfer Systems &Eng.Documentation

Importance of Flow Measurement

2- Mass Flow Rate represents the amount of mass that passes
a specific point over a period of time.
Mass flow rates are used to measure the weight or mass of a
substance flowing through a process operation.
W=Qxρ
Where ρ = density

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INTRODUCTORY MODULE TO THE OIL & GAS INDUSTRY
 V. Main Instrumentation Equipment
V.4 Custody Transfer Systems &Eng.Documentation

Flow Measuring Device General Selection Guide

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INTRODUCTORY MODULE TO THE OIL & GAS INDUSTRY
 V. Main Instrumentation Equipment
V.4 Custody Transfer Systems &Eng.Documentation

Custody Transfer
Concerns
Several reasons for metering are:

• Corporate accounting requires data

• Billing is dependent upon accurate measurements
• Losses are detectable
• Business decisions are based on the measurement data
• Assist negotiations, if necessary
• Provide auditable, historical records

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INTRODUCTORY MODULE TO THE OIL & GAS INDUSTRY
 V. Main Instrumentation Equipment
V.4 Custody Transfer Systems &Eng.Documentation

Gas Custody
Transfer
• Typical gas metering techniques which would be considered
include:
 Orifice
 Turbine
 Coriolis

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INTRODUCTORY MODULE TO THE OIL & GAS INDUSTRY
 V. Main Instrumentation Equipment
V.4 Custody Transfer Systems &Eng.Documentation

Gas Custody
Transfer
Gas flow metering usually consists of:
 Inlet manifold section
 Filtering Section where required.
 Metering runs section (pressure, temperature and flow
element)
 Outlet manifold section usually contains analytical devices.
 Pressure reduction where required.
 Flow computer and monitoring/electronic archiving facility.

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INTRODUCTORY MODULE TO THE OIL & GAS INDUSTRY
 V. Main Instrumentation Equipment
V.4 Custody Transfer Systems &Eng.Documentation

Gas Custody Transfer

• The volume of gas flow provided by a gas meter is just a

reading of volume. Gas volume does not take into account the
quality of the gas, the amount of heat available when
burned.
• The quality of the gas is measured and adjusted for, in each
billing cycle. This is known by several names as the calorific
value, heating value, or thermal value.

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INTRODUCTORY MODULE TO THE OIL & GAS INDUSTRY
 V. Main Instrumentation Equipment
V.4 Custody Transfer Systems &Eng.Documentation

Gas Custody Transfer

• The calorific value of natural gas can be obtained using a
process Gas Chromatograph, which measures the amount
of each constituent of the gas.
• The Hydrocarbon Dew Point is the temperature (at a given
pressure) at which the hydrocarbon components of any
hydrocarbon-rich gas mixture, such as natural gas, will start to
condense out of the gaseous phase.

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INTRODUCTORY MODULE TO THE OIL & GAS INDUSTRY
 V. Main Instrumentation Equipment
V.4 Custody Transfer Systems &Eng.Documentation

Liquid Custody
Transfer
• The techniques to do Liquid Custody Transfer are broadly
categorized as “static” and “dynamic.”

• Static measurements are accomplished through automatic

tank gauging. (Another example of a static measurement is the
measurement of a marine cargo tank.)

• Dynamic measurements are accomplished through liquid

metering methods.

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INTRODUCTORY MODULE TO THE OIL & GAS INDUSTRY
 V. Main Instrumentation Equipment
V.4 Custody Transfer Systems &Eng.Documentation

Liquid Custody Transfer

• Typical liquid metering techniques which would be considered

include:
 Turbine
 Ultrasonic
 Coriolis
 Positive Displacement

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INTRODUCTORY MODULE TO THE OIL & GAS INDUSTRY
 V. Main Instrumentation Equipment
V.4 Custody Transfer Systems &Eng.Documentation

Liquid Custody Transfer

• All high accuracy metering require a representative product

quality measurement by sampling and analysis.
• Careful integration of this measurement into the metering
system as a whole is the key to accuracy whether it is ‘stand
alone’ or mounted within the metering package itself.
• Water-cut, density, viscosity, vapor pressure and composition
can all be featured in the arrangement

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INTRODUCTORY MODULE TO THE OIL & GAS INDUSTRY
 V. Main Instrumentation Equipment
V.4 Custody Transfer Systems &Eng.Documentation

Liquid Custody Transfer

• Meter Provers Required

• Any flowmeter’s indication of a volume represents an unknown

volume unless the volume can be compared to a known
volume. The known volumes are called “meter provers.”

• For a meter to be considered accurate, the meter must be

proved at the same conditions of flowrate, temperature,
pressure, and product viscosity.

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INTRODUCTORY MODULE TO THE OIL & GAS INDUSTRY
 V. Main Instrumentation Equipment
V.4 Custody Transfer Systems &Eng.Documentation

Liquid Custody Transfer

• Methods of Meter Proving

• Several methods are used for a proving application; typical

approaches include using the following:
 Unidirectional provers
 Bidirectional provers
 Small volume provers
 Master meter method (can be used for gas and liquid)

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INTRODUCTORY MODULE TO THE OIL & GAS INDUSTRY
 V. Main Instrumentation Equipment
V.4 Custody Transfer Systems &Eng.Documentation

Liquid Custody Transfer

• Methods of Meter Proving

• Pipe provers allow proving to occur under actual operating

conditions. The process does not have to be shut down when
proving a meter.

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INTRODUCTORY MODULE TO THE OIL & GAS INDUSTRY
 V. Main Instrumentation Equipment
V.4 Custody Transfer Systems &Eng.Documentation

Liquid Custody Transfer

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INTRODUCTORY MODULE TO THE OIL & GAS INDUSTRY
 V. Main Instrumentation Equipment
V.4 Custody Transfer Systems &Eng.Documentation

Metering Economic
Considerations
• Economic considerations are described in terms of:

 Cost of ownership
• Meter Cost – The initial purchase price of a meter is the most
obvious cost.
• Accuracy – The cost of accuracy (or inaccuracy) is best seen
in custody transfer operations
• Installation – Cost including labor and materials.
• Number of mechanical parts – as the number of moving and
exposed parts increases, so does the probability of repair.

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INTRODUCTORY MODULE TO THE OIL & GAS INDUSTRY
 V. Main Instrumentation Equipment
V.4 Custody Transfer Systems &Eng.Documentation

Metering Economic
Considerations
 Pumping costs

• Pumping costs account for the energy costs in overcoming the

pressure losses through a flowmeter.
• Calculations are available for determining the operating cost of
a flowmeter. For a simple orifice plate, these costs can reach
thousands of Dollars per year.

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INTRODUCTORY MODULE TO THE OIL & GAS INDUSTRY
 V. Main Instrumentation Equipment
V.4 Custody Transfer Systems &Eng.Documentation

Example of Meter Type &

Cost

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INTRODUCTORY MODULE TO THE OIL & GAS INDUSTRY
 V. Main Instrumentation Equipment
V.4 Custody Transfer Systems &Eng.Documentation

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INTRODUCTORY MODULE TO THE OIL & GAS INDUSTRY
 V. Main Instrumentation Equipment
V.4 Custody Transfer Systems &Eng.Documentation

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INTRODUCTORY MODULE TO THE OIL & GAS INDUSTRY
 V. Main Instrumentation Equipment
V.4 Custody Transfer Systems &Eng.Documentation

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INTRODUCTORY MODULE TO THE OIL & GAS INDUSTRY
 V. Main Instrumentation Equipment
V.4 Custody Transfer Systems &Eng.Documentation

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INTRODUCTORY MODULE TO THE OIL & GAS INDUSTRY