Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Flow Meter - NGL testing and certification analysis

Spin Echo, a UK based start-up, has developed an innovative flow measurement technology that is based on the principle of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), the same principle used in MRI scanners you see in hospitals.

Spin Echo's flowmeter technology enables significant opportunity to improve the environmental performance of existing fossil fuel production systems, in particular the reduction of associated gas that is otherwise flared. In hopes of providing further environmental benefit to the way in which hydrocarbons are produced, this A4I project will seek to determine the meters ability to measure natural gas liquids (NGL's) without separation. This capability, which does not exist in any known form today, will enable oil & gas operators to fine tune their production processes to maximise NGL yield and potentially justify capture of associated gas rather than flaring the gas to atmosphere.

Spin Echo's flowmeter technology also presents a unique opportunity to enable and potentially accelerate the adoption of hydrogen use within existing energy systems. Around the globe, projects are under way to add hydrogen to natural gas pipeline systems. At present, there exists no known technology that can accurately, and in near real time, characterise the composition of admixtures containing hydrogen and natural gas. The ability to characterise admixture flow will be vitally important as end users of the fuel supply, such as gas fired power generation facilities, will need to know what the composition of their supply is at all times such that they can protect equipment and ensure they are paying the right price for the fuel supplied.

In partnership with the National Energy Laboratory (NEL) and the National Physical Laboratory, Spin Echo will seek to delivery empirical evidence that the companies nuclear magnetic resonance based flowmeter is able to accurately characterise, in near real time and without any form of fluid separation, the compositional make-up of Natural Gas Liquids (NGL's) under static flow conditions.

The project will also include research and analysis activities to deliver an optimised pathway for meter certification in the application fields of a.) Hydrogen blending into existing natural gas pipelines, b.) Multiphase oil & gas production and c.) Wet gas/NGL monitoring in natural gas, natural gas + hydrogen and carbon capture storage pipelines. In the case of a.) and c.) above, the development of certification reqiurements will be entirely novel as no standards for certification exist today.