Uncertainties in Pipeline Water Percentage Measurement

Measurement of the quantity, density, average temperature and water percentage in petroleum pipelines has been an issue of prime importance. The methods of measurement have been investigated and have seen continued improvement over the years. Issues of pipeline integrity, product loss and production balances are placing further demands on the issues of accurate measurement. Water percentage measurement, often called water cut, is one area that has not received the attention necessary to understand the uncertainty of measurement. Work done with three major oil companies on pipeline measurement problems will be discussed. Spot sampling comparisons over a two-year period will be shown and uncertainty analysis for this data will be presented. Composite sampling versus on line water cut analyzer results will be described.