Gas company finds measurement solution with Coriolis flowmeter

The Promass I 300 provides accurate flow readings for non-Newtonian fluids

Measuring the viscosity of non-Newtonian fluids is a challenge. Since non-Newtonian fluids adjust with temperature and pressure fluctuations, it can be difficult to obtain repeatable and accurate measurements. This is the challenge Gore Nitrogen was facing when they reached out to Endress+Hauser. The company specializes in hydraulic fracturing, acidizing and nitrogen services for industrial, pipeline and oilfield service industries where they deal with non-Newtonian fluids each day. The team needs to have accurate viscosity measurements so they can adjust their process before pumping fluid and frac gel down the wellbore, so inaccurate readings could cause product damage.

Automating a manual sample process

To compensate for viscosity fluctuations, Gore Nitrogen initially used a manual measuring process which required personnel to take manual samples every 10 minutes and run multiple tests. To find another solution, Brandon Bensch, Gore Nitrogen’s IT Director, reached out to Mason Flannery, Endress+Hauser Flow Product Business Manager. Flannery recommended using the Promass I 300 Coriolis flowmeter and worked with the team to get the new technology implemented and running smoothly.

Since the Coriolis measuring principle operates independently of physical fluid properties such as viscosity or density, the team could trust the measurements from the Promass I are accurate and repeatable. The setup now eliminates the need for manual testing and frees up their resources, saving valuable time and manpower. Instead of running manual samples, the team makes the corrections automatically via the control system, providing improved control and overall quality for each job.

“The Promass I 300 has been an extreme blessing and benefit for us. Our customers love seeing the real-time data of the gel measurements and appreciate that next level of transparency.”

Brandon Bensch, Gore Nitrogen

Multivariable measurements from smart flowmeter increases usefulness

The Gore Nitrogen team has seen impressive results from the Promass I 300 Coriolis flowmeter. Since the Promass I 300 provides multivariable measurements including flow, density, temperature and viscosity, Bensch was pleased to be able to gather all the data from a single device. This eliminated the need for multiple transmitters and enhanced the overall usefulness of each measurement.

Finally, Gore Nitrogen was able to reduce the overall manpower for each job, free up the technicians so they could focus on other improvements, pull live readings and real-time data from the digital technology, and reduce overall costs. Bensch was pleased to share that these improvements provided a greater level of transparency and cost savings for their customers.

“The more automatic the process is, the better. With the web server built in, we can now see everything remotely. At any given time, we can log in and check settings and see how the system is reading. That provides big savings on technicians in the field, greater transparency for the customer, and allows for additional observations to prevent issues like leaks and spills.”

Brandon Bensch, Gore Nitrogen

Download the full case study!