The ability to utilise physical effects to create a matching measuring solution is one of the reasons why KROHNE is highly valued by clients worldwide, Frank Janssens, VP Middle East and Africa, KROHNE, tells OGN

Having specialised in industrial process measurement, KROHNE’s application knowledge is integrated into its products, solutions and services.

"The ability to utilise physical effects to create a matching measuring solution is one of the reasons why KROHNE is highly valued by clients worldwide," says Frank Janssens, VP Middle East and Africa, KROHNE.

For the oil and gas pipeline industry, KROHNE offers process instrumentation, turn-key custody transfer and process metering solutions, and a state-of-the-art pipeline management and leak detection software package.

In addition, it offers services from project management and engineering during FEED, up to on-site commissioning and training.

• Custody transfer metering systems and flowmeters: In 1996, KROHNE introduced the Altosonic 5, the world’s first custody transfer ultrasonic flowmeter that was completely independent of viscosity.

Back in the days this was a true innovation that rocked the world of mechanical CT flowmeters. Today, custody transfer ultrasonic and Coriolis flowmeters are fully accepted in the oil and gas industry.

Not having moving parts means virtually no maintenance or shift in measurement uncertainty due to wear of bearings and other mechanical parts.

Janssens ... focus on monitoring

KROHNE’s current portfolio includes bend and straight tube coriolis meters as well as full bore ultrasonic flowmeter for custody transfer or crude oil, refined products, LPG, natural gas and LNG. KROHNE is also actively looking into renewables such as high accuracy measurement of hydrogen.

Besides manufacturing instrumentation, KROHNE is a well-recognised supplier of metering systems.

The systems it manufactures are typically skid based with one or more duty meters and a dedicated master meter run.

This design enables early detection of potential contamination in the duty meters during a periodical comparison against the master meter, which has seen far less contamination as it is only used periodically.

A central metering supervisory cabinet controls the metering system, including all custody transfer calculations and instrument validations. The skid is operated from a central supervisory computer that is installed in a central control room.

• Separator interface measurement: Where multiphase and wet-gas meters have replaced test separators, production separators are used to split the oil, gas and water mixture into individual phases.

To avoid water entering the oil skimmer or oil entering the water evacuation, the water interface level of the separator needs to be continuously regulated.

Installed on top of the separator, KROHNE’s Optiflex Guided Radar Level Transmitters detects the water interface below the oil layer, helping to optimise the separation process and stock management.

Using Hart communication, the measured data are continuously transmitted to the control room, making manual checks obsolete.

• Well water injection, co2 injection and gas lift: To maintain an efficient oil production rate in oilfields, pressure can be increased by injection water.

A 24-inch Altosonic V12 ultrasonic flowmeter for custody transfer of natural gas

KROHNE offers a series of Optiflux electromagnetic and Optisonic ultrasonic flowmeters for water injection pressures up to 1,500 bar (22,000 PSI), in a full rating design for temperatures up to 180 deg.

Another method to increase well output is injecting CO2. This facilitates easier oil flow inside the reservoir and the riser.

Also artificial gas lift, where gas is injected into the riser to aerate the oil to reduce its density, is a common technique that is part of enhanced oil recovery (EOR).

Specifically for these applications KROHNE has developed a series of Optimass Coriolis and Optisonic ultrasonic flowmeters, each with their distinct benefits to provide the most optimal solution.

• PipePatrol pipeline management and leak detection software: To guarantee safe and efficient pipeline operation, KROHNE offers a comprehensive suite of PipePatrol pipeline management solutions, based on the E-RTTM (Extended Real Time Transient Modelling) principle.

These include modules for leak and line break detection, monitoring of tightness and lifetime pipeline stress.

PipePatrol can work with existing KROHNE or third party field instrumentation, or can be offered as a one-stop-shop where KROHNE takes full responsibility for the supply of instrumentation, cyber security and field data acquisition systems.

PipePatrol has been successfully installed on many applications, such as crude oil, refined products, water and natural and chemical gasses.

One of the benefits of the E-RTTM core is that PipePatrol remains operational during transient pipeline operations, where more conventional mass balancing systems see a significant increase in minimum detectable leak rate and worst case might even trigger false alarms.

The newest innovation among the PipePatrol solutions is the Predictive Modeling module, which forecasts pipeline operation (next 24 hours) and identifies possible threats such as shortage in supply or pressure violations.

The PipePatrol Theft Detection module uses dedicated pattern recognition to provide fast localisation of unauthorised product discharges. Even for small volumes the system initiates an alarm within minutes enabling to stop theft in the act.

PipePatrol’s Line Break Detection is a dedicated module to efficiently detect pipeline ruptures instantly, raise an alarm and initiate emergency pipeline shutdown procedures. The system consists of a local PLC with a unique rupture pattern recognition algorithm.

Two dedicated pressure transmitters act as the pipeline rupture detection sensors. These include a self-learning feature for easy commissioning and tuning to the local pipeline conditions.

PipePatrol Tightness Monitoring has been specifically designed for the detection of gradual leaks while using standard pressure and temperature instrumentation according to TRFL 2017 and VdTÜV Bulletin 1051.

The Tightness Monitoring module can be used as an alternative to a classical pressure tests with water, resulting in significant savings as it can be done with the actual gas or liquid in the pipeline.

* KROHNE is a world-leading manufacturer of process instrumentation and metering solutions for various industries, such as oil and gas, chemicals, water and waste water, and food and beverage.

Founded in 1921 in Duisburg, Germany, the company today employs more than 4,000 people, operates 15 production facilities and has local presence in over 100 countries, while remaining an independent family owned and managed company.