How many times have you heard the old adage “Use the right tool for the job”? For quite some time, oil and gas separators have been considered the “right tool” for well fluid separation as well as flow metering. In fact, it’s not uncommon to find a separator dedicated to every well at a drill site, in spite of the large footprint, inherent downtime – for inspection, recalibration or other maintenance – and extraneous piping that’s required.
Optimizing midstream production efficiencies relevant to current standards and the never-ending drive to cut costs are compelling oil and gas enterprises to use multiphase meters instead. In fact, more than 10,000 multiphase flowmeters are installed worldwide, and the market for multiphase flow metering solutions (MPFM) is projected to grow steadily, according to a 2015 study by the ARC Advisory Group.
Why? Here are three good reasons why multiphase meters are the right tool for today’s oil and gas operations:
- CAPEX Control: Installing a separator can cost anywhere between $80,000 to $1.5 million. Installing a multiphase meter at each wellhead, instead of a separator, can reduce the CAPEX for initial well pad construction by 50%.
- Accuracy and Continuous Monitoring: The flow indicator, flow transmitter and the flow controller in separators need to be recalibrated regularly, and changes in liquid or gas flow rates can go unnoticed. Uncertainties as low as 2-3% can be achieved with Emerson’s meters, and the meter can be monitored on-site or remotely.
- OPEX Reduction: Well testing contracts and flow interruption for testing degrade profitability, especially in aging and marginally producing wells. Intelligent field management allows for OPEX to be reclaimed, with real-time information about the dynamic behavior of each well leading to more cost-efficient operations and reservoir management.
Roxar MPFM 2600 M – Not Just the Right Tool, the Best Tool
Thirty years of technology development and real-world application are built into Emerson’s multiphase flow meters. The Roxar MPFM 2600 M, along with Roxar Fieldwatch software, enables direct, continuous multiphase flow measurement of oil, gas and water flow rates individually — without the need for separation at the individual well. It’s compact, reducing the footprint by as much as 40%, eliminates well testing contracts and enhances environmental health and safety conditions.
You can learn a lot more about its measurement capabilities, easy installation, data reporting and general specifications by downloading this Product Data Sheet.
We’ve also put together an infographic you can use to show colleagues why multiphase monitoring isn’t just the right tool, it’s the best tool for demanding midstream applications.
