MULTIPHASE FLOWMETER SUCCESSFULLY MEASURES 3-PHASE FLOW AT EXTREMELY HIGH GAS-VOLUME FRACTIONS - GULF OF SUEZ, EGYPT

A multiphase flowmeter (MPFM) installed in offshore Egypt has accurate ly measured three-phase flow in extremely gassy flow conditions. The m eter is completely nonintrusive, with no moving parts, requires no flo w mixing before measurement, and has no bypass loop to remove gas befo re multiphase measurement. Flow regimes observed during the field test of this meter ranged from severe slugging to annular flow caused by t he dynamics of gas-lift gas in the production stream. Average gas-volu me fraction ranged from 93 to 98% during tests conducted on seven well s. The meter was installed in the Gulf of Suez on a well protector pla tform in the Gulf of Suez Petroleum Co. (Gupco) October field, and was placed in series with a test separator located on a nearby production platform. Wells were individually tested with flow conditions ranging from 1,300 to 4,700 B/D fluid, 2.4 to 3.9 MMscf/D of gas), and water cuts from 1 to 52%. The meter is capable of measuring water cuts up to 100%. Production was routed through both the MPFM and the test separa tor simultaneously as wells flowed with the assistance of gas-lift gas . The MPFM measured gas and liquid rates to within +/- 10% of test-sep arator reference measurement flow rates, and accomplished this at gas- volume fractions from 93 to 96%. At higher gas-volume fractions up to 98%, accuracy deteriorated but the meter continued to provide repeatab le results.