Oil and gas companies have experienced tremendous headwinds in 2020. Headwinds such as market volatility, the pandemic, and political uncertainty have made it challenging to achieve production objectives at various points during the year.

These circumstances have made it increasingly important to get measurement “right.” Operators that focus on the quality of their measurement operations can create results in the following areas:

• Control risk.
• Achieve consistency and accuracy in measurement.
• Meet the requirements of contracts.
• Validate compliance with regulations.
• Increase profitability.

Through a well-defined and consistent approach to measurement, measurement personnel can confidently and consistently complete measurement tasks. This can be achieved by supporting your people through the provision of measurement tools.

*** Download Our White Paper: how to build the appropriate infrastructure for measurement quality ***

Tools That Optimize the Human Factor in Measurement

Measurement personnel need to be supported by a measurement infrastructure that includes the following tools:

• Measurement standard operating procedures (SOPs) that define how measurement operations should be performed.
• Measurement training that builds understanding and competencies (why and what).
• Measurement software that streamlines measurement processes, helps to create consistent and timely records, and facilitates sharing records throughout the operation.

Also, this measurement infrastructure must be dynamic to adapt to internal changes in your operation, technological changes, or external changes such as the headwinds experienced in 2020 and the ever-changing regulatory environment such as the requirements from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

That’s where Gas Certification Institute can help by meeting the rapidly changing needs of operators and producers as you strive to elevate measurement quality.

Measurement SOPs: Gas, Liquid, and BLM Onshore Orders

We provide measurement standard operating procedures (SOPs) for oil and gas companies that answer the question of “how” measurement is to be performed. SOPs are based on the guidelines and requirements for measurement according to industry standards, best practices, and regulations.

We build out SOP manuals that specify the requirements for the measurement of natural gas, natural gas liquids (NGL), and crude. Our manuals include procedures for companies that produce on Federal and Indian lands to support compliance with the BLM Onshore Orders.

The SOPs optimize the human factor in measurement by providing guidance to measurement personnel on how to complete their measurement tasks in alignment with company objectives. Procedures create consistency, and consistency leads to accuracy in measurement. Additionally, SOPs can be used as a source of measurement training.

Measurement Training: Gas, Liquid, and Crude

To increase measurement knowledge and understanding, we offer instructor-led measurement training classes covering the fundamentals of natural gas measurement, liquid measurement, and crude measurement.

Our classes focus on comprehension so that measurement personnel understand why certain procedures should be followed, how their actions in the field help to reduce measurement uncertainty, and their role supporting measurement integrity for the overall operation.

Measurement professionals who complete our training classes will return to the field with confidence to perform tasks in a manner that increases accuracy and reduces costly time spent in the field.

Measurement Software: Streamline and Record

Cloud-based measurement software can be used to streamline the measurement process, helping to increase efficiency and accuracy. Primarily, the technology can be used in the field to directly support the implementation of measurement SOPs and natively create records supporting conformance to SOPs.

Measurement software can also be used to maintain regulatory compliance, schedule and record meter calibrations, create measurement reports, and communicate measurement changes to affected groups in the operation.

Adopting the measurement software tools offered by GCI will help measurement personnel understand exactly what they’re looking at in the field, help them use their training in an efficient manner, and allow your operation to gain control and achieve certainty that your operation’s measurement is accurate.

Download Our White Paper on Achieving Measurement Quality

The measurement infrastructure of SOPs, training, and software is increasingly valuable in today’s oil and gas environment. We can help your measurement personnel understand what to do in the field, how to replicate their measurement tasks, and how to produce accurate measurement that can be tracked across the operation.

Download our White Paper to gain a deeper understanding of the value of blending the “how,” “why,” “what,” and tools of measurement. We believe this is the ideal path to achieve measurement quality by supporting the human factor of measurement.