Successful Trial Test of Multiphase Flow Meters in Unconventional Gas-Condensate Wells

Abstract The objective of this paper is to present and highlight the results of the first field trial testing of multiphase flow metering technology in unconventional gas-condensate wells. The paper will also describe the candidate wells selection process, the testing procedure, and the methodology applied to evaluate the multiphase flow meters' performance. Multiphase flow meters (MPFMs) are installed to measure the flow rates of the three phases —gas, condensate, and water —which are critical in evaluating a well’s performance. For this reason, field trials were conducted to evaluate the MPFMs' performance and assist in the selection process of a suitable meter for field-wide development. After screening process of all available MPFM in the market, two different MPFMs from different vendors were tested over five wells that had been selected based on variant range of gas rate, condensate to gas ratio (CGR), and water to gas ratio (WGR) that covered anticipated field conditions. The trial test was designed to include the use of a reliable portable test separator fitted with additional redundant measuring instruments to acquire further referential measurements. In addition, the MPFMs verification process involved a comparison between the data acquired from both MPFMs and the measurements collected from the test separator and the secondary instruments against a previously agreed upon performance criteria. In this trial test, a variation was observed in flowrate readings obtained from the MPFMs for each phase depending on altered conditions, which led to a better understanding of the limitations associated with each MPFM. The trial test was successful, and both MPFMs were accurate within the accepted performance criteria. A wide industry application of MPFM requires constant development of verification testing procedures to match the progression of new technologies. Furthermore, when accompanying a well-revised trial testing procedure with complete knowledge of fluid characteristics, error is minimized, leading to results with a higher degree of confidence.