Measuring and testing – Volume or rate of flow – Of selected fluid mixture component
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-13
2001-07-10
Patel, Harshad (Department: 2855)
Measuring and testing
Volume or rate of flow
Of selected fluid mixture component
Reexamination Certificate
active
06257070
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a method and apparatus for obtaining real time measurements, with a high degree of accuracy, of the net liquid and net gas production rates of a hydrocarbon producing well.
Hydrocarbon producing wells typically produce a biphase stream of liquid and gas phase components. These phases are typically separated, for example in gas-liquid separators, so that each phase can be processed and used as desirable.
It is desirable to obtain accurate and up-to-date measurements of flow rates of the various products of hydrocarbon producing wells. Specifically, it is desirable to provide accurate and instantaneous or real-time measurements of the liquid and gas phase components of the produced biphase stream.
It is therefore the primary object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for determining real time liquid phase flow rate from a biphase stream.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a method and apparatus wherein accuracy of the measurements is within about 2% of actual production rates.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide such a method and apparatus wherein the liquid phase determination is corrected for entrapped gas, and an accurate total gas flow rate determination is also provided.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear hereinbelow.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, the foregoing objects and advantages have been readily attained.
According to the invention, a method is provided for determining real time liquid phase flow rate from a biphase stream, which method comprises the steps of: providing a stream of a biphase fluid including a gas phase having a known gas density and a liquid phase having a known liquid density; providing a separator having a known volume gradient corresponding to liquid level in said separator; feeding said stream to said separator so as to provide a separated liquid phase containing a portion of said gas phase as entrapped gas and a separated free gas phase in said separator; measuring density of said separated liquid phase; measuring change in level over time of said separated liquid phase in said separator; and determining a liquid phase flow rate from said change in level over time, said separated liquid phase density, said known gas density and said known liquid density.
In further accordance with the present invention, a system has been provided for determining real time liquid phase flow rate from a biphase stream including a liquid phase having a known liquid density and a gas phase having a known gas density, which system comprises: a separator having a known volume gradient corresponding to liquid level in said separator; means associated with said separator for determining a measured density of separated liquid phase in said separator; means associated with said separator for determining liquid level in said separator and for determining a change in liquid level over time; and processing means associated with said separator for determining a liquid phase flow rate from said change in liquid level over time, said measured density, said known liquid density and said known gas density.
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Colmenares Jose
Giallorenzo Mario
Gomez Francisco
Pernia Francisco
Rivas Oswaldo
Bachman & LaPointe P.C.
Intevep S.A.
Patel Harshad
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