Purchasing natural gas or oil requires accurate readings of product volume at the point of custody transfer, which is the location where natural gas or oil is measured for sale. Buyers usually purchase natural gas or oil at a particular money amount per cubic foot or cubic meter, so even small measurement errors can potentially cost them millions of dollars per year in lost revenue. For both buyers and sellers, one factor is especially important in the custody transfer metering process: measurement of water content.

The presence of water in a given volume of natural gas or oil complicates the task of getting an accurate reading during custody transfer. For example, natural gas contains water vapor. However, if the temperature of the gas drops below the dew point, the water becomes liquid, which can cause not only transport problems but also adds mass to the gas. While procedures exist to “dehydrate” natural gas, an accurate measurement of moisture content is needed to ensure that these procedures effectively reduce water concentration to an acceptable level.

Mitchell Instruments analyzers can help you meet both legal and contractual measurement requirements for custody transfer. They offer the latest technological advances in water detection, including Tuneable Diode Laser Analyzers (TDLAS) as well as highly sensitive ceramic sensors and optical detection systems capable of sensing extremely low trace amounts of moisture. If you are looking for a new analyzer, consider the Condumax II Hydrocarbon Dew-Point Analyzer. Some noteworthy features of this model include the following:

• Online analysis that is completely automatic
• Dew-point readings with an accuracy within 0.5°C hydrocarbon
• Cooling or purge gas not required

In addition, the Condumax II comes in a transportable model that is perfect for the analysis of field samples. Please contact us for more information.