A system is provided for testing and sampling of crude oil that includes a crude oil sampler system with a circulation loop and a water cut meter incorporated into the circulation loop. The system provides for a water cut meter positioned downstream of a sample withdrawal point. As the sample of crude oil passes through the circulation loop, the water cut meter can be used to determine the percentage of water cut of the sample. After passing through the circulation loop and determination of the water cut, a secondary sub-sample of the crude oil may be drawn off from a draw-off valve. The secondary sub-sample may then be sent to a laboratory or testing center for further testing or verification of the initial water cut.

The water cut of a fluid used or produced in conjunction with wellbore operations may be measured or otherwise estimated using an ion selective fiber sensor. For example, a method may include flowing a fluid comprising an aqueous phase and an oleaginous phase through a sensor; contacting an ion selective fiber positioned in the sensor with the fluid, wherein the ion selective fiber has an intrinsic time constant (τ.sub.0) associated with an intrinsic color change of the ion selective fiber in response to contact with the aqueous phase; measuring a color change of the ion selective fiber in response to contact with the fluid as a function of time; deriving an effective time constant (τ.sub.eff) for the color change of the ion selective fiber in response to contact with the fluid; and calculating a water cut (Y) in the fluid based on $Y=\frac{{\tau }_0}{{\tau }_{\mathrm{eff}}}.$

Systems and methods for controlling desalting and dehydration of crude oil, one method including monitoring total dissolved solids (TDS) content at an outlet stream from a crude oil separation unit, the outlet stream comprising water; monitoring basic sediment and water (BS&W) content at an outlet stream from the crude oil separation unit, the outlet stream comprising processed crude oil; determining pounds per thousand barrels (PTB) salt content and volumetric water content of a dried, desalted crude oil product stream using the TDS content and BS&W content; and controlling a process input to the method from a comparison between the PTB salt content and volumetric water content of the dried, desalted crude oil product stream versus a maximum set value for PTB salt content and volumetric water content of the dried, desalted crude oil product stream.

Methods of evaluating a surfactant may include ultrasonicating a mixture of oil, water, and the surfactant to form at least one of the following: a sub-macroemulsion, a macroemulsion phase or a combination of the aforementioned; separating the sub-macroemulsion from the macroemulsion phase; introducing the sub-macroemulsion into a foam container; performing a first automated phase identification of the sub-macroemulsion; introducing a gas into the sub-macroemulsion to generate a column of foam, where the column of foam has a height in the foam container; performing a second automated phase identification of the sub-macroemulsion; and measuring the height of the column of foam in the foam container. In these methods, the first and second automated phase identifications may be configured to quantify one or more liquid phases and a foam phase in the column.

Techniques for monitoring a well clean-up process are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes routing a multiphase fluid having oil and water to a separator of a well testing apparatus, separating the multiphase fluid into separate fluids via the separator, and routing the separated fluids away from the separator. The method also includes measuring flow rates of oil and water leaving the separator and determining individual flow rates of oil and water entering the separator as part of the multiphase fluid based on the measured flow rates of oil and water leaving the separator. Additional systems, methods, and devices are also disclosed.

Embodiments are directed to methods, systems and user interfaces for assessing reservoir management competency for a petroleum producing field. In one scenario, a computer system measures, using various hardware-based sensors positioned in a petroleum reservoir supplying the petroleum producing field, physical or geological characteristics of the petroleum reservoir. The computer system establishes a reservoir management competency scoring system that evaluates a specific set of objective criteria that reflect a level of reservoir management competency at the petroleum producing field, and automatically generates, according to the objective set of criteria of the reservoir management competency scoring system, a reservoir management rating for the petroleum reservoir based at least in part on data measured by the sensors placed in the petroleum reservoir. Then, based on the generated reservoir management rating, the computer system controls operation of production units configured to direct extraction operations at the petroleum producing field.

A separation type multiphase flow meter apparatus (10) comprising a separation module (18) arranged to at least partially separate a multiphase stream comprising water, hydrocarbon liquid and hydrocarbon gas into a first sub-stream comprising a gas fraction and a second sub-stream comprising a liquid fraction. The apparatus comprises a first metering device (16) for measuring the flow rate of the first sub-stream, and a second metering device (17) for measuring the phase fraction and the flow rate of the second sub-stream, wherein the second metering device is arranged to measure the water-in-liquid ratio (WLR) of the second sub-stream, wherein the apparatus is arranged to use the WLR measured by the second metering device as a measure also for the WLR of the first sub-stream, and wherein the cross-sectional flow area of the first metering device is larger than the cross-sectional flow area of the second metering device.

The disclosure presents a technique for predicting the composition of a borehole mud using a thermal conductivity parameter of the mud and a dilution liquid. The mud can be altered by conditions within the borehole, such as material, fluid, and temperature affecting the original mud composition pumped into the borehole location. The mud can be an oil-based, water-based, or another type of mud of a well system. The technique can extract a measured quantity of mud and place it into a mud container. A first thermal conductivity parameter can be calculated for the extracted mud. A dilution liquid can be mixed into the extracted mud in the mud container and a second thermal conductivity parameter calculation can be performed. From the calculated first and second thermal conductivity parameters, the composition of the mud, as well as the fractional proportions of the major components of the mud, can be predicted and computed.

A method of determining polymerisation of transformer insulation within a transformer. The method includes the steps of measuring a first and second moisture activity of oil in a transformer, and a first and second temperature of the transformer. The method further includes calculating the ratio of the gradients of the moisture equilibrium curves associated with the moisture activity and the temperature. The calculated ratio can then be used to characterise the polymerisation of the insulation and age of the transformer.

An apparatus for determining, by electrical tomography, vertical profile of an electrical property of interest of material(s) in a target volume comprises a measurement probe to be positioned at a plurality of different measurement levels in a target volume and comprising a plurality of measurement elements each having an interface surface. Each interface surface has a size, shape, and rotational position. A measurement path is formed between two interface surfaces as dependent on the sizes, shapes, and rotational positions of the two interface surfaces, and the distance between the two interface surfaces. The locations, rotational positions, shapes, and sizes of the interface surfaces are selected to provide at least two different measurement paths differing from each other in one or more of said sizes of, shapes of, rotational positions of, and distances between the associated interface surfaces.