Is your flow meter healthy and in good condition?
The Roxar 2600 Multiphase Flow Meter is an enormous upgrade from the typical test separator system in unconventional oil. We’ve talked about the operational benefits of making the switch to MPFMs, but would you believe there are even more untapped advantages to using MPFMs in upstream production? Remote connectivity and performance monitoring have enabled real-time data collection in these applications on a scale never seen before. Even with the excitement for digitalization in industrial applications, the potential of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is still a new frontier. It’s thrilling to realize that the benefits of the vast data resources available with the MPFM technology are yet to be explored.
At Emerson, we are always discovering new methods for our customers to leverage these emerging technologies in their operations. One of the ways our customers can begin capturing more of these IIoT benefits is by taking full advantage of the Roxar 2600 Multiphase Flow Meter’s enhanced monitoring and diagnostics to optimize unconventional oil systems in exciting new ways. Regular ongoing data sharing and evaluation of meter performance aid the operator in an effective maintenance strategy, by focusing attention where and when it is needed.
What Does it Mean to be Remotely Connected?
Every one of our MPFMs is connected services ready. This means that once a Roxar 2600 MPFM is installed, you can opt to securely access your flow meter data from anywhere in the world. Test separators, on the other hand, have the complexity of integrating different measurement systems (sometimes with different communication protocols) to set them up for remote monitoring, making online visualization extremely challenging. And without remote monitoring, regular visual inspections are required at least once a month to ensure functionality. If something goes wrong, someone has to drive all the way out to the site to investigate. Technicians spend many hours on traffic-heavy roads going to manage these separators, which incurs extra costs and risks to health and safety.
Remote access to your measurement data eliminates the need for visual inspections. Because all parameters are integrated into one unit with a multiphase flow meter, full remote access is possible. Hours-long trips to the site are no longer necessary unless a problem has already been identified. If something is off with your data, an Emerson solutions expert is available to help you analyze the situation and advise you on any actions you need to take. Hours and hours of drive time are saved, your technicians spend their time more efficiently, and you significantly lower your HSE risk.
Enabling Peak Performance and Driving Field Action Efficiency
Emerson’s trained and certified multiphase experts are able to actively monitor every Roxar 2600 MPFM. Depending on our customer’s needs, this performance monitoring capability provides multiple levels of support to help ensure that these advanced flow meters are operating at peak performance. Emerson experts will analyze operational data and generate actionable insight for your meters. Real-time data analytics reports are run at regular intervals and sent to our customers for further analysis and action. We utilize this data to closely collaborate with stakeholders, to troubleshoot any issues that arise, and identify when a field action is actually needed, providing operational continuity for your team.
The preventative maintenance diagnostic capability helps lower OPEX spend by maximizing the timing for scheduled maintenance. Working with Emerson experts, a comprehensive action plan is built to continuously improve meter performance, turnaround, and shutdown activities. Knowing when maintenance is actually needed based on data-powered insights and analysis through an extensive Care Review Plan allows for optimization of these operational processes like never before. When so much is saved from transitioning to MPFM from legacy technology, cleaning and maintaining your equipment becomes a much easier and cost-effective undertaking.
The Future of Performance Monitoring is Here
When multiphase flow meters are operating at peak performance, the information available from direct wellhead monitoring can benefit our customers in countless ways. Real-time production data provides high resolution analytics to assist management and optimization of oil and gas production across multiple teams, over the entire field. Utilization of legacy technologies, such as test separators, sometimes results in wellhead production intelligence being significantly underutilized, but this is rapidly changing.
One recent example of these untapped capabilities occurred during a gas lift well optimization. Data from a Roxar 2600 MPFM indicated that the levels of gas coming out of the well were much lower than what the customer was actually injecting into the well. The multiphase flow meter identified the irregularity based on injection rate settings, allowing the operator to investigate the injection system and identify the root cause of the problem. How many more efficiencies could be identified by leveraging these insights?
Technological innovations to improve well performance, increase safety, and decrease environmental risks are available today. As the industry evolves at lightning speed, processes of the past will give way to the exciting benefits cutting-edge technology like the Roxar 2600 Multiphase Flow Meter can offer us. Speak with a member of the Emerson Connected Services team today to learn more.
