Greyline Instruments DFM-5.1 User Manual

Non-Contacting Solution

for Plugged Off Flow Meters in The Oil Patch

For years Petrobakken Energy Ltd. used inline turbine flow meters to track the flow rate of oil recycled to treaters. But with a high concentration of wax and sand in the oil, the turbine meters were quickly plugging off. The line had to be shut down at least once a day and the turbine flowmeters disassembled for cleaning. This was troublesome and expensive. Petrobakken knew there had to be a better way.

Crude oil is delivered by tanker truck to the Petrobakken battery site in Drayton Valley, Alberta and offloaded to emulsion tanks and then pumped to treaters for processing where gravity, heat and chemical additives break down the oil-water emulsions.

Crude Oil Battery, Drayton Valley, Alberta

without obstructing flow. They contacted Carbon Controls Ltd. in Calgary for DFM 5.0 Doppler Flow Meters manufactured by Greyline Instruments. Three meters were originally installed. eadPetrobakken’s l operator, Terry Willoughby found that the Greyline DFM 5.0 meters measured flow reliably and were

“ When something

works, it works.”

Terry Willoughby

Petrobakken Energy Ltd.

Tanker Truck Offloading at

Petrobakken Crude Oil Battery

To maintain production without shut downs Petrobakken contacted Seidlitz Engineering of Cochrane, Alberta to help find a solution to their wax off problem. Seidlitz specified clamp-on ultrasonic meters because they work from outside the pipe

Sand, Wax and Solids

Removed in Crude Oil Treater

unaffected by wax and sand in the oil. Because they work from the outside of the pipe the Doppler ultrasonic flowmeters did not cause plugging off or pressure drop. With more than six months continuous operation with the new Greyline

Non-Contacting Solution

for Plugged Off Flow Meters in The Oil Patch

flowmeters there has been no shut downs for cleaning. Terry commented “when something works, it works”.

Seidlitz Engineering redesigned the pipe configuration for 1.5m straight runs for good optimum flow conditions. Each flowmeter's 4-20mA output is connected to Petrobakken's PLC for pump speed control. Flow rate and totalizer are displayed on the instrument's backlit LCD display. After three months of successful testing, Petrobakken installed three more Greyline DFM 5.0 flowmeters. All units are mounted on 3” steel pipes. The ultrasonic sensors do not require maintenance or cleaning and do not obstruct flow. Doppler works by injecting high frequency ultrasound through the pipe wall and into the flowing oil. It requires solids or gas bubbles in the fluid to reflect its signal so dirty crude oil is an ideal application for this technology.

The Greyline DFM 5.0 Doppler Flow Meter uses a single-head ultrasonic sensor mounted on the outside of a metal or plastic pipe. The clamp-on sensor works on ½” diameter or larger pipes and is rated for Div 2 locations, or it can be Div 1 with optional intrinsic safety barriers. It displays, totalizes and controls with settings entered through a simple keypad menu system.

Time is money in the oil business. Petrobakken's battery site is automated and runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They produce 350m3 of oil per day and are equipped to handle up to 1000m3 per day. By switching to Greyline DFM 5.0non-contacting Doppler Flow Meters keepPetrobakken can now production going without shut downs for flowmeter maintenance.

Clamp-on Ultrasonic Transducers

Links:

Petrobakken Energy Ltd. www.petrobakken.com

Greyline Instruments Inc. DFM 5.0 Doppler Flow Meter www.greyline.com/dfm5.htm

Carbon Controls Ltd.

www.carboncontrolsltd.com

Seidlitz Engineering Ltd.

www.seidlitzengineering.com

Greyline DFM 5.0

Doppler Flow Meter

” Steel PipeMonitoring Crude Oil Flow in 3