# US 2024/0201075 A1 · Method and system for water cut sensing in an oil-water flow

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- Number: US 2024/0201075 A1
- Document ID: US20240201075A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 18/535,983
- Filed: 2023-12-11
- Published: 2024-06-20
- Earliest claimed: 2022-12-19
- Assignees: Saudi Arabian Oil Company; King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
- Applicants: Saudi Arabian Oil Company; King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
- Inventors: Mhanna Mhanna; Muhammad Arsalan; Aamir Farooq
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20240201075A1

## CPC

- G01N 21/31: Investigating relative effect of material at wavelengths characteristic of specific elements or molecules, e.g. atomic absorption spectrometry {(G01N21/72 takes precedence)}
- G01J 3/42: Absorption spectrometry; Double beam spectrometry; Flicker spectrometry; Reflection spectrometry (beam switching arrangements G01J3/08)
- G01N 21/3577: for analysing liquids, e.g. polluted water
- G01N 21/359: using near infrared light
- G01N 33/1833: {Oil in water}
- G01N 33/2847: {Water in oils}
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)
- G01J: MEASUREMENT OF INTENSITY, VELOCITY, SPECTRAL CONTENT, POLARISATION, PHASE OR PULSE CHARACTERISTICS OF INFRARED, VISIBLE OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT; COLORIMETRY; RADIATION PYROMETRY (light sources F21, H01J, H01K, H05B; investigating properties of materials by optical means G01N)

## Abstract

A method for water cut sensing in an oil-water flow involves obtaining a composite absorbance spectrum of the oil-water flow, obtaining a reference absorbance spectrum of a reference fluid, computing a slope for data points associated with the composite absorbance spectrum of the oil-water flow vs corresponding data points associated with the reference absorbance spectrum of the known fluid, and based on the slope, determining the water cut of the oil-water flow.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for water cut sensing in an oil-water flow, the method comprising:
obtaining a composite absorbance spectrum of the oil-water flow;
obtaining a reference absorbance spectrum of a reference fluid;
computing a slope for data points associated with the composite absorbance spectrum of the oil-water flow vs corresponding data points associated with the reference absorbance spectrum of the known fluid; and
based on the slope, determining the water cut of the oil-water flow.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein computing the data points associated with the composite absorbance spectrum comprises computing a first derivative of the composite absorbance spectrum.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein computing the data points associated with the reference absorbance spectrum comprises computing a first derivative of the reference absorbance spectrum.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the known fluid is water.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to determining the water cut:
re-computing the slope after eliminating outliers in the data points associated with the composite absorbance spectrum.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the outliers are eliminated based on exceeding a distance from a linear fit line with the slope.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining a composite absorbance spectrum of the oil-water flow comprises performing a laser-based absorption spectroscopy.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein:
the computing of the slope is performed for a first region of the composite absorbance spectrum,
the water cut is determined to be above 10%,
and based on the water cut being above 10%, the computing of the slope is repeated for a second region of the composite absorbance spectrum.

### Claim 9

A system for water cut sensing in an oil-water flow, the system comprising:
a laser-based spectroscopy sensor; and
a computer system that:
obtains a composite absorbance spectrum of the oil-water flow from the laser-based spectroscopy sensor,
obtains a reference absorbance spectrum of a reference fluid,
computes a slope for data points associated with the composite absorbance spectrum of the oil-water flow vs corresponding data points associated with the reference absorbance spectrum of the known fluid, and
based on the slope, determines the water content in the oil-water flow.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein computing the data points associated with the composite absorbance spectrum comprises computing a first derivative of the composite absorbance spectrum.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, wherein computing the data points associated with the reference absorbance spectrum comprises computing a first derivative of the reference absorbance spectrum.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, wherein the known fluid is water.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, wherein the computer system further, prior to determining the water cut:
re-computes the slope after eliminating outliers in the data points associated with the composite absorbance spectrum.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The system of claim 13, wherein the outliers are eliminated based on exceeding a distance from a linear fit line with the slope.

### Claim 15 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, wherein:
the computing of the slope is performed for a first region of the composite absorbance spectrum,
the water cut is determined to be above 10%,
and based on the water cut being above 10%, the computing of the slope is repeated for a second region of the composite absorbance spectrum.

### Claim 16

A non-transitory computer readable medium (CRM) storing computer readable program code for water cut sensing in an oil-water flow, the computer readable program code causing a computer system to:
obtain a composite absorbance spectrum of the oil-water flow;
obtain a reference absorbance spectrum of a reference fluid;
compute a slope for data points associated with the composite absorbance spectrum of the oil-water flow vs corresponding data points associated with the reference absorbance spectrum of the known fluid; and
based on the slope, determine the water cut of the oil-water flow.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein computing the data points associated with the composite absorbance spectrum comprises computing a first derivative of the composite absorbance spectrum.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein computing the data points associated with the reference absorbance spectrum comprises computing a first derivative of the reference absorbance spectrum.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the computer readable program code further causes the computer system to, prior to determining the water cut:
re-compute the slope after eliminating outliers in the data points associated with the composite absorbance spectrum.

### Claim 20 (depends on 16)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein:
the computing of the slope is performed for a first region of the composite absorbance spectrum,
the water cut is determined to be above 10%,
and based on the water cut being above 10%, the computing of the slope is repeated for a second region of the composite absorbance spectrum.