Alba Instrumentation, recently carried out a Full Flaregas Validation at Conoco Phillips’s GF868 Ultrasonic Flaregas Flowmeters.

 A full Health and Safety Risk Assessment was completed for site and all necessary checks and measurements were carried out over a two day period (including a ‘Zero flow check’) and the instruments were found to be within manufacturers specifications and a ‘Certificate of Validation’ was issued. Although stage 1 & 3 were still in process a ‘window of no flare’ was scheduled and the transducers were removed from the flare line under BA conditions, with all necessary cleaning, checks and measurements carried out again, This meters were found to be within manufacturers specifications and a ‘Certificate of Validation’ was issued.

A dimensional survey was carried out on stage 1 flaregas flowmeter, to accurately measure the angles of the nozzles, to enable accurate the Path and Axial lengths (P&L) to within 0.1mm. The use of this survey removes any inaccuracies in an otherwise theoretical measurement.

Alongside the Full Verification Certification process, Alba Instrumentation has developed the intermediate validation, in conjunction with several Oil Companies, as a way of demonstrating to the regulatory authorities that the meter is still within the specifications measured on the last full system validation without having to remove the Transducers from the Flare lines.

The validation ensures Environment Agency complicity and Alba will annually certify the operation and functionality of Flaregas flowmeter systems.