# US 2014/0150520 A1 · System and method for measuring flow rates for individual petroleum wells in a well pad field > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0150520 A1 - Document ID: US20140150520A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/127,499 - Filed: 2011-07-04 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2011-07-04 - Assignees: Schlumberger Technology Corporation - Inventors: Vladimir Konstantinovich Khan - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140150520A1 ## CPC - G01F 25/10: of flowmeters - E21B 47/10: Locating fluid leaks, intrusions or movements - G01F 1/36: the pressure or differential pressure being created by the use of flow constriction - G01F 1/58: by electromagnetic flowmeters - G01F 1/74: Devices for measuring flow of a fluid or flow of a fluent solid material in suspension in another fluid - G01F: MEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUID LEVEL; METERING BY VOLUME - E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS ## Abstract A dynamic calibration system and method for measuring flow rates for individual petroleum wells in a well pad are provided. The dynamic calibration system and method include means for performing custom-calibration of said pressure sensor for each individual well to enhance the accuracy of the resulting flow rate measurements. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for measuring flow rates for effluents of individual petroleum wells in a well pad, comprising: a multiphase flowmeter comprising a pressure sensor; a valve assembly connected between each of the individual petroleum wells and the multiphase flowmeter that connects and disconnects an effluent from a single selected individual well to the multiphase flowmeter; and means for performing custom-calibration of said pressure sensor for each individual well to enhance the accuracy of the resulting flow rate measurements. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein said custom-calibration means include a digital controller operably connected to the differential pressure sensor and the valve assembly that determines a pressure drop range for each of the wells in the well pad, selects an individual well for flow rate measurement, and calibrates the flow meter with the pre-determined pressure drop range corresponding to the selected well. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein said digital controller is an integral part of said multiphase meter. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the valve assembly includes a rotary valve having a valve body with a plurality of passages, each of which is connected to the flow from a single, individual well, and a rotor rotatable within the annular valve body having a passage mechanically compliant with the plurality of passages of the valve body that serially connects the flows from the individual wells to the multiphase flowmeter where the position of the rotor can be registered. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the multiphase flowmeter further includes means for creating a pressure drop across the measurement section said pressure drop to be measured by said pressure sensor. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein said pressure drop means is a Venturi or a choke and said pressure sensor is a differential pressure sensor. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein said multiphase meter further comprises a fraction meter for measuring the individual fractions of the oil, water and gas in the effluent. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein said fraction meter is a gamma ray densitometer having a source of gamma rays positioned at a first window of the effluent pipe and a detector at second window of said effluent pipe positioned opposite said first window. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein said fraction meter is an X-ray fraction meter. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the pressure sensor has a basic uncertainty ranging from about 0.1% to about 0.50% of the pressure range that it is calibrated with. ### Claim 11 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the digital controller determines the pressure range for a particular well by determining the highest expected pressure measurement of a particular well. ### Claim 12 A method for measuring flow rates for individual wells in a well pad by a single multiphase flowmeter, comprising: determining a pressure drop range for each of the wells in the well pad; selecting a first individual well for which a pressure drop range has been determined; calibrating a differential pressure sensor of said multiphase flowmeter with the pre-determined pressure drop range corresponding to the selected well, and measuring the flow rate of a fluid from the first selected well. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein a second individual well is selected, the flow meter is re-calibrated with the pre-determined pressure range corresponding to the second selected well, and the flow rate of the second selected well is measured. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the recited steps are repeated until the flow rate of all of the wells is measured. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the pressure drop range determined for a particular well corresponds to a range between zero and the highest expected pressure drop measurement of a particular well. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the pressure drop range for each of the well is periodically updated. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the differential pressure flow meter has a basic uncertainty of from about 0.1% to about 0.5% of the pressure range span that it is calibrated with.