Oilfield production particulate monitoring assembly

A system for monitoring particulate in a production fluid flow at an oilfield, the system comprising:

• a production line configured to route the production fluid flow from at least one well at the oilfield;
• a monitoring unit coupled to the production line and configured to route the production fluid flow through a restriction in a flowline to a detector adjacently downstream thereof, the detector having a transducer disposed in a transducer housing to detect particulate impacting a face of the transducer housing, the transducer housing having a ribbed profile for attenuating acoustics from sources not impacting the face, the ribbed profile having at least one rib, and the detector having a detector housing that accommodates the transducer housing;
• a first metal seal located at an interface between the detector housing and a structure of the flowline;
• and
• a second metal seal located at an interface between the detector housing and the transducer housing;
• wherein the transducer housing is isolated from direct mechanical coupling to the structure of the flowline, the transducer housing has a peripheral portion extending to the face, the peripheral portion of the transducer housing extends within an opening in the structure of the flowline, the peripheral portion of the transducer housing is isolated from contact with the structure of the flowline by a fluid region in fluid communication with an interior of the flowline and extending from the peripheral portion of the transducer housing to the structure of the flowline at the opening, and the ribbed profile is formed on the peripheral portion of the transducer housing, such that an entirety of the at least one rib is disposed within the fluid region;
• wherein an entirety of the detector housing is positioned outside of the opening in the structure of the flowline, the transducer housing has a base, the peripheral portion of the transducer housing extends from the base, a radial extent of the base is greater than a radial extent of the peripheral portion, the base establishes an axial end of the fluid region, and a portion of the detector housing between the base of the transducer housing and the structure of the flowline bounds a portion of the fluid region;
• and
• wherein the detector housing accommodates electronics to obtain acoustic data representing the particulate impacting the face of the transducer housing from the transducer, and the electronics are positioned within the detector housing on an opposite side of the base of the transducer housing from the portion of the detector housing between the base and the structure of the flowline.

A method of monitoring particulate in a production fluid from a well at an oilfield, the method comprising:

• flowing the production fluid through a restriction;
• obtaining acoustic particle data from the production fluid at a detector having a transducer positioned adjacently downstream of the restriction, wherein the transducer is disposed within a transducer housing to detect particulate impacting a face of the transducer housing, and the detector has a detector housing that accommodates the transducer housing;
• attenuating acoustic noise generated at locations apart from the detector during the obtaining, wherein the attenuating comprises employing a ribbed profile of the transducer housing having at least one rib to mitigate detection of acoustics from the locations apart from the detector;
• sealing an interface between the detector housing and a structure of a flowline defining a fluid path for the production fluid flow with a metal seal;
• and
• sealing an interface between the detector housing and the transducer housing;
• wherein the transducer housing is isolated from direct mechanical coupling to the structure of the flowline, the transducer housing has a peripheral portion extending to the face, the peripheral portion of the transducer housing extends within an opening in the structure of the flowline, the peripheral portion of the transducer housing is isolated from contact with the structure of the flowline by a fluid region in fluid communication with an interior of the flowline and extending from the peripheral portion of the transducer housing to the structure of the flowline at the opening, and the ribbed profile is formed on the peripheral portion of the transducer housing, such that an entirety of the at least one rib is disposed within the fluid region;
• wherein an entirety of the detector housing is positioned outside of the opening in the structure of the flowline, the transducer housing has a base, the peripheral portion of the transducer housing extends from the base, a radial extent of the base is greater than a radial extent of the peripheral portion, the base establishes an axial end of the fluid region, and a portion of the detector housing between the base of the transducer housing and the structure of the flowline bounds a portion of the fluid region;
• and
• wherein the detector housing accommodates electronics to obtain acoustic data representing the particulate impacting the face of the transducer housing from the transducer, and the electronics are positioned within the detector housing on an opposite side of the base of the transducer housing from the portion of the detector housing between the base and the structure of the flowline.