High water cut conditions often occur in water or steam flood operations and in mature reservoirs. Under such circumstances, the measurement uncertainty of Net Oil using a conventional 2-Phase separator increases significantly, particularly when water cut exceeds 85%.
Entering 3-Phase Measurement
The Accuflow 3-Phase separation metering system effectively reduces measurement uncertainty at high water cuts by incorporating an additional step to separate water from oil. The system features interconnected vertical and horizontal pipe sections, engineered for optimal phase separation. Production fluids — oil, water, and gas — enter the vertical section tangentially, generating a cyclonic action that separates the majority of gas, which rises into the gas flow line above. Any remaining gas, in the form of small bubbles, travels with the liquid stream into the horizontal section, where it is further separated to ensure accurate measurement.
Process
As the liquid flows through the horizontal pipe, remaining gas bubbles are fully separated from the liquid stream. The liquid phase is further divided using a weir, with the oil/water interface controlled below the weir to collect all free water in front. Oil is skimmed over the top of the weir and collected behind it. The interface level determines whether the water or oil leg is dumped, allowing free water to exit through the waterline and be measured by the flow meter. This control process operates continuously, adjusting based on the oil/water interface position. Liquid flow is typically measured using a Coriolis flowmeter combined with a capacitance-type water cut meter, while gas flow is measured using ultrasonic, vortex, or Coriolis meters, ensuring precise and reliable multiphase measurement.
Features
- Measurement uncertainties:
- Water cut / water-liquid ratio (WLR): 0.25% absolute
- Liquid flow rate: 0.25% of reading
- Gas flow rate: 3% of reading
- Works in 0-100% GVF and all flow regimes
- 100% separation efficiency and complete separation of the gas and liquid phases
- Less than 5 psi / 0.3 bar pressure drop across entire skid
- Uses the most accurate flowmeter technologies (Coriolis for liquid, ultrasonic for gas) with high turndown ratios (>100:1)
- Water cut determination and flow corrections to standard according to API MPMS, ISO, and AGA standards
Benefits
- Smaller, lighter, lower cost, and lower maintenance than conventional well test separators
- High quality, continuous well test data with extra diagnostic data for:
- Evaluating reservoir properties, well performance, and fluid characteristics
- Production optimization
- Reservoir modeling
- Guiding economic decisions
- AI/ML model training
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