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Having Trouble Pulling Good Samples?
Automated Sampling
Composite Sampling
Phil Harris
Insight Analytical Solutions
Gratitude Moment
Oil Field Workers
Wednesday, Alberta, with wind chill values
between ‐40 and ‐55 expected.
Our homes stay warm
Oil
Natural Gas
Pipelines
Operating Plants
Thank you to the brave souls
that keep the power on
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2021‐02‐12
The story goes that
cannonballs used to be stored
aboard ship in piles, on
a brass frame or tray called a
'monkey'. In very cold
weather the brass would
contract, spilling the
cannonballs: hence very cold
weather is 'cold enough
to freeze the balls off a brass
monkey'.
Agenda
Who Are We ?
Automated Sampling
Grab or Spot Sampling
Composite Sampling
Sampling over time / flow
Who are We ?
Calgary Based Integrator and Distributor
20,000 sq ft accessible, 9 bay doors, ten ton
overhead crane
AB83 compliant fabrication – CRN for
Alberta, BC, Ontario, Saskatchewan
Excellent documentation, drafting
and design resources
Journeymen electrical
Full Factory Acceptance Tests
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Insight Integration
Full Systems Integration Capabilities
Custom Sample Systems
Process Analyzer Integration
PLC and Automation
Full Analyzer Buildings
We know analyzer sample systems
and teach others how to do them !
Sampling given little thought relative
to how we analyze it, but is critical
Large errors in results from Sampling
Samples are taken:
At the wrong place
At the wrong time
With the wrong procedure
Result: Non‐Representative info
Grab Sampling is still the accepted
method to assure compliance
Automated sample panels designed
to capture samples according to best
practices
Triggered from analyzer, or remotely
Sample pulled same way each time
Reduce need to physically handle
samples
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Automated Samplers
As many cylinders as necessary Trigger
From DCS
Remote
Local
Electric or Pneumatic Actuation
Date and time log with PLC Automation
Interfaces to online analyzer
Reliable, repeatable grab sampling with
full chain of custody and no human
intervention
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Types of Samples
Grab (Spot) Sample
Collect all of the material at once
A grab sample reflects performance only at the
point in time that the sample was collected, and
then only if the sample was properly collected.
Composite Sample
Take samples periodically and
accumulate them
Composite sampling reflects the average
performance or composition over a period of
time –often days or weeks
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Sample acquired at known time and under
known conditions
Product quality measurement under
operating conditions
May be used with inferential analyzers to
build models
May be used to determine product
specification
May be used to validate online analyzer
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Proper sampling procedures not followed
Incorrect data recorded:
Date, Time, Location, Conditions
No one available to pull samples when
needed
Plant upset
Middle of night
Analyzer Model trigger
Human error
Safety and Exposure
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For volatile liquids – two common
methods:
Floating Piston Cylinders (FPC)
Constant Pressure Cylinders (CPC)
Fill by pushing against a piston
backpressured with gas
Glycol (water) Displacement Cylinders
Fill by pushing other liquid out
Both can be fully automated
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Pre‐charge cylinder with gas (usually
nitrogen) to above process pressure
Open to process fluid & purge the lines
Bleed pre‐charge pressure off until the
process fluid fills the cylinder to 80 %.
Internal method of mixing
See ASTM D3700
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Standard grab sample vessel
Fill with water or glycol (denser than
sample & immiscible)
Open valves to sample and drain
Open needle valve
Process pressure fills vessel under
pressure
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PLC Control
COMPANY
User Configurable Stream Name
Live Process Data
Primary component values
Alarm Detail soft key
Analyzer results soft key
Operate/ Maintenance Status
Cylinder Serial Numbers indicator
Alarm Reset
Next Autograb cylinder identification
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User Configurable Stream Name
Cylinder Status
Present/Removed
Enabled/Disabled
Local Fill Trigger
Cylinder Alarms
Fill Permissive
Fill Results from SD card
Chain of Custody data
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User Configurable Stream Name
Cylinder Status
Present/Removed
Enabled/Disabled
Local Fill Trigger
Cylinder Alarms
Piston Position Sensing
Fill Permissive
Fill Results from SD card
Chain of Custody data
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Customized controls for any
application
Full Chain of Custody Information
Diagnostics and data records for
every fill
Automated sampling for lab analysis
and custody transfer
Integrates with any inferential
analyzer for model building
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AutoSampler Applications
Process Grab Sampling NGL’s
Reduce exposure, sample when needed
Truck / Rail loading and offloading
Sample trucks at custody transfer
Grab sampling crude during blending
Taking difficult samples:
Rich and lean amine
Rich and lean glycol
Bitumen and Raffinate
With ANY inferential analyzer
Grab samples to expand modelled ranges
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Composite Samples acquired over time
Time proportional – take a small sample
every xx minutes
Flow proportional – take a sample for
every xx barrels (or liters or cubic meter)
of fluid that moves by
Represents the average of the fluid
over the sampling interval
On AVERAGE ‐ was my product
meeting specification and what was
the value of my product ?
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Industry Measurement Group revising
best practices for Composite Sampling
Representation from Pembina, Keyera,
Secure, CNRL and others
MPMS Chapter 8.2 – Manual of Petroleum
Measurement Standards, Chapter 8.2 – Standard
Practice for Automatic Sampling of Petroleum and
Petroleum Product, Fourth Edition, November 2016
AER Directive 17 – Measurement Requirements for
Oil and Gas Operations, Chapter 8 – Gas Liquid
Sampling and Analysis, as well as, Chapter 14 –
Liquid Measurement
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Product flows past the injection
pump
A control signal is applied to the
pump to inject a small amount of
sample in the accumulator
The accumulator is kept pressurized
by the pre‐charge vessel
The fluid is pushed under pressure,
maintaining phase, into the
accumulator
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Main components
Accumulator Vessel
Precharge cylinder
Level Transmitter
Lab Grab Sample Cylinder
Operational Valve Assembly
Injection pump (not shown)
Mixing Valve
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“Normal” Operation
For the majority of the time, there is
continuous flow in the sample loop
and past the pump head
NOTE – many systems do NOT ensure
continuous flow
Since the pump only moves a few
cubic centimeters per minute ‐ can
lead to very slow response and non‐
representative samples
Talk to us about fast loop probes !
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The sampling pump mounted external
to enclosure and on fast loop line.
Adjustable injection volume
Volume determined by number of
injections desired per vessel fill and
vessel volume (see API 8.2)
Pushes sample to accumulator
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Accumulator Vessel
Collects the sample over time
Floating piston
Nitrogen backpressure on piston
Pump pushes fluid into bottom –
raising the piston
“French Press” to mix the cylinder
before sampling
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Accumulator Fill
The Sampling pump pushes
individual aliquots of sample to the
accumulator
Lines slope down so no low spots for
denser fluids to settle out
Repeat until vessel full (typically
80% fill)
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Accumulator Level
API 8.2 requires that an accumulator
have feedback on the level
Visual and electronic
This lets one determine if the pump
is working – one can compare
measured level to predicted based
on number of pump cycles and size
of injections
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Accumulator Mixing
Before sampling, assure
accumulator is thoroughly mixed
The Accumulator has another piston
assembly on top
The mixing control valve is manual
actuated to move the piston and the
“French press” up and down six
times to assure a well mixed sample
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We incorporate a lab sample cylinder
into the package, with a valve
assembly for proper sample fills
(manual)
Operational instructions written
around color coded valves
Helps ensure proper sequence
occurs and makes life easier for
operators
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When the accumulator is “full” we
need to pull a sample for the lab
We first open the red valve –
allowing the pressure in the
accumulator to purge the head of FILL MODE
the cylinder ( bypass )
Closing the red valve and bleeding
the nitrogen in the lab cylinder off
allows the lab sample to be filled
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A Packaged Solution to Composite Sampling for
Pipeline and Ship Loading Custody Transfer
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Insight Analytical Solutions Product Lines and Partners
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Acknowledgements
Thank you all for attending !
Oil Field Workers Gratitude Moment
A big thank you to Chelsey and her
team that makes these webinars work !
Next webinar February 18th !
ZEGAZ Hydrocarbon and Water
Dewpoint Analyzer for Nat. Gas
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Capabilities
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What Next ?
Contact Us !!!
Scott Galenza ‐ sgalenza@insight‐analytical.com
Chris Lefaivre ‐ clefaivre@insight‐analytical.com
Phil Harris ‐ pharris@insight‐analytical.com
New Line Card Available
New Website Coming February 15th !
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