The Oil & Gas Industry operates in hostile and hazardous locations. Maintaining equipment is essential, while regular calibration helps guard against incorrect measurement.
The calibration process involves a comparison between the readings taken from a device and an industry standard. This standard is a pre-determined measurement that is decided as an ideal for the calibrated device.
All measurements during calibration must show traceability to national and international standards.
Standards
National and international standards are pre-determined values maintained by individual countries or global organisations. They are obtained by laboratories performing time consuming and costly experiments to determine the measurements a calibrated device should be reading. Calibration engineers then set devices according to these standards. National and international standards often have years, or even decades, of history associated with them. They have a proven and accepted degree of stability and uncertainty.
Traceability
The Oil & Gas Industry considers the definition of the standard to be fixed and correct. Traceability is the procedure used to demonstrate that calibrations made on-site accurately represent national and international standards. To achieve this, three points are set:
- World-wide adoption of an International System of Units (SI) as the basic system of units of weights and measure
- The establishment of national laboratories which are responsible for the maintenance of the representations of the SI units
- Definition, implementation and use of methods and procedures that allow individual calibration engineers to compare their local standards with those of national laboratories
Why adhere to national and international standards?
When installed Fluenta’s flare gas monitor delivers accurate measurement of volumes of flare gas, but when flare gas meters are not properly calibrated accuracy can be greatly reduced over time.
Failing to regularly service and calibrate equipment can result in measurement tools malfunctioning needlessly due to wear and tear. Diminished meter accuracy impacts the safe disposal of excess gas and increases the likelihood of accidents.
Periodic calibration of key instruments prevents unplanned repairs and shutdowns. If a plant shutdown does occur, repairs can last weeks and cost companies millions of dollars in lost revenue.
Maintaining excellence
Fluenta is committed to providing customers with the most robust, reliable and accurate flare gas meters on the market.
UFM Manager software can be provided as a part of a service and maintenance agreement. It enables field engineers to carry out regular maintenance activities such as yearly calibrations of the FGM 160 and removal and inspection of the transducers. From firmware updates to calculation checks, the UFM Manager Software ensures the FGM 160 continues to perform reliably and provide accurate flare gas measurement for years to come.
