System and method for flow control for high watercut oil production

A method for measuring net oil production from a source of a mixture of oil and water comprising:

• providing a vessel including a conduit for admitting an oil-water mixture to said vessel, said vessel including a space for holding a quantity of oil and water to allow a separate oil layer to accumulate above a volume of water in said vessel, a discharge conduit for discharging liquid from said vessel, valve means interposed in said discharge conduit for controlling the flow of liquid from said vessel and control means for controlling the operation of said valve means to discharge liquid from said vessel, said control means including first sensor means for sensing a first liquid level in said vessel, second sensor means for sensing a second liquid level in said vessel below said first sensor means, oil detector means for sensing said oil layer and third sensor means for sensing a third liquid level below said second sensor means;
• causing said valve means to discharge liquid from said vessel if the liquid level increases in said vessel to the level of said first sensor means;
• and
• causing said valve means to close at a selected one of a condition wherein said liquid level decreases to a level sensed by said second sensor means and said liquid level decreases to a level sensed by said third sensor means if said oil detector means senses said oil layer prior to the liquid level decreasing to the level sensed by said second sensor means.

A method for measuring net oil production from a source of a mixture of oil and water comprising:

• providing a vessel including a conduit for admitting an oil-water mixture to said vessel, said vessel including a space for holding a quantity of oil and water to allow a separate oil layer to accumulate above a volume of water in said vessel, a discharge conduit for discharging liquid from said vessel, valve means interposed in said discharge conduit for controlling the flow of liquid from said vessel and control means for controlling the operation of said valve means to discharge liquid from said vessel, said control means including first sensor means for sensing a first liquid level in said vessel, second sensor means for sensing a second liquid level in said vessel below said first sensor means and oil detector means for sensing said oil layer;
• causing said valve means to open to discharge liquid from said vessel when said liquid level increases to the level of said first sensor means;
• and
• causing said valve means to close when a selected one of a condition occurs wherein said oil layer is detected at said oil detector means and said liquid level decreases to the level of said second sensor means when a cycle of opening said valve means and closing said valve means occurs more than once during a predetermined period of time.

A method for measuring net oil production from a source of a mixture of oil and water comprising:

• providing a vessel including a conduit for admitting an oil-water mixture to said vessel, said vessel including a space for holding a quantity of oil and water to allow a separate oil layer to accumulate above a volume of water in said vessel, a discharge conduit for discharging liquid from said vessel, valve means interposed in said discharge conduit for controlling the flow of liquid from said vessel and control means for controlling the operation of said valve means to discharge liquid from said vessel, said control means including first sensor means for sensing a first liquid level in said vessel, second sensor means for sensing a second liquid level in said vessel below said first sensor means, oil detector means for sensing said oil layer and third sensor means for sensing a third liquid level below said second sensor means;
• causing said valve means to open when the liquid level in said vessel increases to the level of said first sensor means;
• and
• causing said valve means to close at a selected one of a condition wherein said oil layer is detected by said oil detector means after the liquid level has decreased to a level below said second sensor means and said liquid level decreases to a level sensed by said third sensor means when said oil layer is detected at said oil detector means before said liquid level has decreased to the level of said second sensor means.