“Multiphase flow measurement” is a term that has been increasingly heard since about
1980 amongst operators in oil companies and designers of oilfield facilities. For some,
it promised measurement capabilities under new and trying conditions. They saw a
need to simplify the design and improve the control of production facilities. They
considered that, unless multiphase measurement techniques were improved, it would
be virtually impossible to know what was happening in the advanced subsea systems
or on the unmanned satellite platforms that were being planned. In addition they could
not see how future enhanced oil recovery systems could be operated effectively
without these measurements. For others, multiphase flow measurement was less
appealing. They envisaged even more intricate measuring systems, which would be
difficult to maintain, and which would only complicate the design and operation of
the facilities - without producing a single extra barrel of oil.
It is now clear that the first view is being confirmed. After a long gestation period,
reflecting the technical difficulties involved, multiphase meters with adequate
performance for selected applications are now commercially available. Oil companies
are keen to deploy them. At present Shell Expro has operational multiphase meters on
four facilities in the North Sea and can show savings in capital expenditure of about
£40 million through their use. The second view must not be ignored however. As
multiphase meters are deployed in our operations unexpected difficulties will appear,
as with any new technology. If these are not addressed promptly and effectively,
multiphase metering will get a bad name, operator confidence will be lost and full
implementation of the technology could easily be delayed for, say, five to ten years.
Multiphase flow measurement is not new. Indeed, such measurements are made
routinely at most production facilities: a test separator combined with its
instrumentation in fact forms a multiphase flowmeter. What is new is the changed
attitude towards these measurements. Oil companies have decided on detailed
requirements for such measurements, and together with scientific and industrial
instrumentation specialists are working towards satisfactory multi-disciplinary
solutions for specific applications. The long-term aim is a low cost multiphase meter
per well.
Shell Expro has been proactive in the development of this technology, supporting
development at Shell laboratories, Universities, and in Joint Industry Projects. The
areas of application are varied and include wet gas metering, well testing, optimising
production to delay abandonment, and allocation metering. The biggest savings come
when it is possible to deploy subsea meters and performance is good enough to
allocate production to third parties. By 2010 Capex savings totalling £180-280 million
should have been made. Large savings in operating costs over field lifetimes should
also be achieved.
None of this will happen by itself. Currently expertise in multiphase flow
measurement resides in a few specialists in oil companies, manufacturers and testing
laboratories. Know-how must be transferred to project teams, metering consultants;
design contractors and operating staff before this technique can realise its full
potential.
In this paper, I will outline the types of multiphase meters now available to the oil
industry and consider a variety of applications. I think that this is the best way of
illustrating the challenges that face the oil industry in implementing multiphase
metering in a reasonable time scale, and also of illustrating the opportunities that
multiphase metering will continue to open up for well into the new millennium
1980 amongst operators in oil companies and designers of oilfield facilities. For some,
it promised measurement capabilities under new and trying conditions. They saw a
need to simplify the design and improve the control of production facilities. They
considered that, unless multiphase measurement techniques were improved, it would
be virtually impossible to know what was happening in the advanced subsea systems
or on the unmanned satellite platforms that were being planned. In addition they could
not see how future enhanced oil recovery systems could be operated effectively
without these measurements. For others, multiphase flow measurement was less
appealing. They envisaged even more intricate measuring systems, which would be
difficult to maintain, and which would only complicate the design and operation of
the facilities - without producing a single extra barrel of oil.
It is now clear that the first view is being confirmed. After a long gestation period,
reflecting the technical difficulties involved, multiphase meters with adequate
performance for selected applications are now commercially available. Oil companies
are keen to deploy them. At present Shell Expro has operational multiphase meters on
four facilities in the North Sea and can show savings in capital expenditure of about
£40 million through their use. The second view must not be ignored however. As
multiphase meters are deployed in our operations unexpected difficulties will appear,
as with any new technology. If these are not addressed promptly and effectively,
multiphase metering will get a bad name, operator confidence will be lost and full
implementation of the technology could easily be delayed for, say, five to ten years.
Multiphase flow measurement is not new. Indeed, such measurements are made
routinely at most production facilities: a test separator combined with its
instrumentation in fact forms a multiphase flowmeter. What is new is the changed
attitude towards these measurements. Oil companies have decided on detailed
requirements for such measurements, and together with scientific and industrial
instrumentation specialists are working towards satisfactory multi-disciplinary
solutions for specific applications. The long-term aim is a low cost multiphase meter
per well.
Shell Expro has been proactive in the development of this technology, supporting
development at Shell laboratories, Universities, and in Joint Industry Projects. The
areas of application are varied and include wet gas metering, well testing, optimising
production to delay abandonment, and allocation metering. The biggest savings come
when it is possible to deploy subsea meters and performance is good enough to
allocate production to third parties. By 2010 Capex savings totalling £180-280 million
should have been made. Large savings in operating costs over field lifetimes should
also be achieved.
None of this will happen by itself. Currently expertise in multiphase flow
measurement resides in a few specialists in oil companies, manufacturers and testing
laboratories. Know-how must be transferred to project teams, metering consultants;
design contractors and operating staff before this technique can realise its full
potential.
In this paper, I will outline the types of multiphase meters now available to the oil
industry and consider a variety of applications. I think that this is the best way of
illustrating the challenges that face the oil industry in implementing multiphase
metering in a reasonable time scale, and also of illustrating the opportunities that
multiphase metering will continue to open up for well into the new millennium
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