I came across a best practices document, Micro Motion Coriolis Oil & Gas Metering Recommended Practices for Upstream Allocation. It describes best practices for the selection and installation of these meters—both sensors and transmitters—based on performance level requirements and costs.

Sizing considerations:

…consists of choosing a meter size that optimizes the trade-off between measurement error at minimum flow rate and pressure loss and/or gas velocity at maximum flow rate. At a constant flow rate, pressure, and temperature, the pressure drop and gas velocity are higher through a smaller diameter meter and may give a higher (mass) accuracy measurement and turndown ratio.

When considering pressure drop versus accuracy, use the Micro Motion Sizing Tool to find the best fit for your application. When measuring volatile hydrocarbons, it is:

…is important to minimize pressure drop on live liquid hydrocarbons as any drop in pressure can cause gas to liberate from the oil resulting in measurement error.

Some considerations to avoid measurement errors include:

• Ensuring the separation system has enough retention time, pressure drop, and applied temperature as required to remove the free gas
• Limiting the pressure drop across the meter upstream of the level valve to 0.75 to 3 psid or less

For the Micro Motion 5700 transmitter, Advanced Phase Measurement can help reduce measurement errors caused by any free gas remaining in the liquid leg.

Another important consideration is to size the Coriolis flow meters:

…for the instantaneous rate at the meter rather than the production rate of the well for each fluid (water, oil or gas).

You’ll want to review the whitepaper for the detailed steps to determine the instantaneous rate across the meter or contact your local Emerson flow expert for additional guidance.

The whitepaper shares other considerations, including materials of construction, communications requirements, and verification requirements. Also, the sensor’s installation orientation will differ depending on whether gas or liquid is the primary measurement. The whitepaper highlights preferred and alternative orientations for gas and liquid.

The Micro Motion ELITE Series sensors are the highest-performing for flow and density accuracy and turndown. They are often used in fiscal metering custody transfer and net oil applications.

The F-Series compact sensors are high-performance sensors for accurate flow and density measurement and wide turndown capability.

R-Series sensors are general purpose and used:

…for measurements where mechanical or differential pressure meter accuracy and turndown performance are inadequate.

Transmitters for the sensors include:

• Series 5700. Its intuitive design ensures measurement confidence, valuable process insight, and productivity through simplified solutions. The data historian feature captures rich information about process events, fluid quality, and measurement stability over long and short periods of time. The Zero Verification tool provides confidence in the meter zero and analyzes process conditions to indicate potential issues for re-zeroing.
• Series 3000. Built for industry-focused solutions, including net oil computer, enhanced density, custody transfer, and marine fuel bunkering solutions.
• Series 1000 and 2000. Allow for the precise fit and integration for your Micro Motion Coriolis Flow and Density meters. Adaptability to installation needs and flexibility in output connections provide the proper fit for many applications.

You’ll find more best practices in the whitepaper and the Micro Motion section on Emerson.com, including the G-Series Coriolis flow and density meters, which are ideally suited for process monitoring and optimization applications across all industries.