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Saturated Steam VorCone Meter at Oil Pad Injection Site

An oil field operator using Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) saturated steam injection wished to improve the control of steam quality injection. Optimal production requires precise control of the saturated steam quality. However, traditional methods of estimating the steam quality were rudimentary so the operator wished to test the VorCone meter’s ability measure the quality.

A 3” saturated steam VorCone meter inclusive of the diagnostic system ‘Prognosis’ was installed at the injection point, see Figure 1, as was a portable reference separator system, see Figure 2. Field operators repeatedly changed valve settings to trend a change in steam quality. Figure 3 shows the VorCone meters steam quality predictions compared to the reference system. The primary VorCone meter system measured the changing quality far more accurately than the operator’s estimates by valve setting, see Figure 3. For example, the operators set what they estimated should be about 60% quality, the VorCone meter showed 42%, and the reference showed 39.5%.

The VorCone meter diagnostic suite Prognosis independently trended the change in quality, as required, see Figure 4. That is, the VorCone meter has the rare capability to trend steam quality using two independent physical principles, it has steam quality trending redundancy.