directive 017 heavy oil gor testing requirements · oil gor test requirements 5 new single well...

Directive 017 Heavy Oil GOR Testing Requirements Colby Ruff, Senior Advisor (Measurement Specialist), Industry Operations

IMG General Meeting, January 10, 2017

AER

Background

Outline: Current Heavy Oil GOR Testing Requirements

Challenges With Current Requirements

Operator Work Undertaken to Date

Possible Next Steps

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Current Heavy Oil GOR Test Requirements

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Heavy oil is oil with a density greater than 920 kg/m3 and includes crude bitumen (except mines and in-situ).

Any single stream of produced, flared, or vented gas exceeding 2.0 103 m3/day must be measured.

If the annual average fuel gas usage exceeds 0.5 103 m3/day on a per site basis, the fuel gas must be measured.

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Emulsion Tank

Emulsion Trucked toTreatment Facility

Pumping Heavy Oil Well

Vented Tank Vapours(Measured or

Estimated)

Casing GasM

GOR or Hourly Rate Testing

Vent/Flare

FuelM

GOR = (vent/flare volume + fuel volume + tank vapour volume) ÷ oil production

Hourly rate = (vent/flare volume + fuel volume + tank vapour volume) / total test hours

Test Meters

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New single well batteries: • Monthly 24 hour tests for six

months or until gas production stabilizes

• If total gas production is > 2.0 103 m3/day then continuous metering is required.

• If total gas production is ≤ 2.0 103 m3/day then GOR test results may be used to determine well gas production

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Gas rate (103 m3/d)

Test frequency

≤ 0.1

Once every 3 years

> 0.1 but ≤ 1.0

Annually

> 1.0 but < 2.0

Semiannually

GOR test frequency based on initial GOR test results.

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Multiwell proration batteries • Wells with gas production rates >

2.0 103 m3/day must be GOR tested at the same frequency as proration testing unless metered during proration testing.

• If well gas production is ≤ 2.0 103 m3/day then single well GOR test procedures may be used.

Multiwell battery • If gas production at point of

collection is < 2.0 103 m3/day and not metered…facility level GOR may be used.

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Gaps in Current GOR Testing Requirements

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Requirements developed in early 1990s • Vertical wells only so gas response

was more predictable • Horizontal wells equate to larger

drainage areas which results in greater variation in gas response (changing production rates).

• Current testing requirements often do not capture increasing gas rates in a timely fashion.

• GOR testing requirements are viewed as arbitrary & outdated and often are not adhered to.

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Operator Work Undertaken to Date

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No work completed on new GOR testing frequency

Some work undertaken by one operator to better quantify production tank venting rates and methane component.

AER has received requests from two operators for an approach that would better quantify tank venting.

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Possible Next Steps

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Convene a IMG subcommittee to develop new GOR testing requirements. • Testing frequency requirements

that captures gas response in a timely fashion and minimizes “low value” GOR testing.

• Develop a broadly applicable GIS factor to estimate production tank venting.

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Possible Next Steps

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Convene a IMG subcommittee to develop new GOR testing requirements cont. • Assess production, flare and

vent rate thresholds above which metering is required.

• Assess full life cycle costs of GOR testing vs. continuous metering.

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THANK YOU [email protected]

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Climate Change Methane Emission Reduction Projects Proposed Fuel, Flare, Vent Gas Definitions

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Fuel Gas: • Natural gas that is combusted in

engines or heaters that are used in the production and processing of oil and gas at upstream oil and gas well sites and facilities.

• Other gas usage scenarios that must be reported as fuel gas include gas combusted in: – Catadyne and other building

heaters. – Sulphur recovery unit reaction

furnaces

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Flare Gas: • Natural gas that is intentionally

combusted in a flare stack or incinerator at upstream oil and gas well sites and facilities. Gas usage scenarios that must be reported as flare gas include: – Waste gas – Production tank blanket/purge/

sweep gas – Dilution gas mixed with H2S prior

to flaring or incineration.

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Flare Gas cont. – Make up gas added to a flare gas

stream to increase its’ heating value

– Gas from dehydrator still columns that is flared or incinerated.

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Vent Gas: • Natural gas that is intentionally

vented to the atmosphere at upstream oil and gas facilities. Vent gas usage scenarios that must be reported as vent gas include: – Waste gas – Gas used to operate pneumatic

devices – Compressor start up or blow down

gas – Fugitive emissions – Vapors off dehydrator still columns.

directive 017 heavy oil gor testing requirements · oil gor test requirements 5 new single well...

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