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Case Study

Flow Metering of Natural Gas at Compressor Station

    Aquip were approached to assist a client with restoring a flow meter at a compressor station.  

    With the existing clamp-on flow meter unable to perform under the process conditions, our team restored stability.

    Specifications

    Project

    Flow Metering of Natural Gas at Compressor Station

    Project Overview
    • Our customer has a major Natural Gas Processing Hub in Fairview, Queensland. Natural gas and water from surrounding coal seams is piped to this hub via gathering networks. The water is removed and the gas is compressed, where it is fed into a 420km gas transmission pipeline to LNG facilities on Curtis Island.
    • The hub services an area of approximately 7,000km2 and processes 820 TJ of natural gas per day.
    • Our team performed a 3-day trial, utilising the FLUXUS G608 with Lambwave F transducers.
    • The results were compared with calculated throughputs from the DCS.
    • The customer was very impressed by the measured results and accuracy. However, they also required a reliable and accurate gas flow measurement to maintain operational MAOP. A stable output was required to reduce fluctuations in the control loop. The DCS needed a Modbus TCP connection via a fibre optic cable.
    • To meet these requirements, a Dual Channel FLUXUS 7 Series G722 with Synchronised Channel Average was selected for the task.
    • 70 meters of damping tape was applied to the pipe. Lambwave F Transducers were mounted in Dual Channel, Reflex mode (2-Path) using Variofix C.
    • G722 Transmitter was mounted nearby with a sunshade to protect it from the harsh Australian conditions.
    Project Challenges
    • The flow rate in the Transmission Manifold Facility is critical to operate the pressure control system and manage the pipeline pressure.
    • To achieve maximum efficiency and throughput, operating the facility as close to the pipeline Maximum Allowable Operating Pressure (MAOP) is crucial.
    • A competitors clamp-on flow meter was installed and unable to perform under the process conditions leading to frequent supply disruptions.
    • To restore stability, the flow meter was switched-off and the MAOP lowered.
    • Operating at a lower MAOP lead to significant losses in revenue due to reduced gas throughput.
    Project Results
    • SCNR averaged 45dB on both channels and amplitude remained above 45%.
    • Fluid sound speed between channels measured within 0.2m/s.
    • SCA negated the effects of transient cross flows, providing a very stable averaging Y output.
    • Utilising the Modbus TCP communications protocol, the customer monitors all critical diagnostics via the DCS to identify and mitigate process issues proactively, ensuring a stable and reliable measurement!
    • We were able to replace the existing unreliable flowmeter without causing process interruptions for the customer.
    • By comparing the combined flow of the processing facility, it was determined the meter achieved an accuracy of 1.1485%.
    • By replacing the existing non-operational flowmeter, the customer is now able to increase the MAOP back to the operational specification, delivering significant savings and a reduction in lost revenue.
    • Exceptional diagnostics were achieved in the field by our team!

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