Measurement professionals have the opportunity to advance in their careers in 2020 through developing a comprehensive understanding of the complete process of oil and gas measurement from field instrumentation through to accounting.
Whether your current area of focus is natural gas, crude, liquid, or NGL, gaining an understanding of how all hydrocarbons are processed and measured is critical for career advancement.
Consider a Checklist Review of Your Measurement Knowledge
We recommend that measurement professionals perform a checklist review of your knowledge and expertise in these 7 categories. Evaluate your current standing in these areas, then identify what gaps you need to close to support career advancement.
1. Understanding of Accurate and Reliable Measurement
Accuracy and reliability are two different concepts:
- Accuracy is being able to perform the measurement correctly.
- Reliability is being able to perform the measurement consistently.
Do you have a complete understanding of how to perform the measurement correctly and consistently? Take time to evaluate yourself and identify areas where you need to improve in correct and consistent measurement.
2. Understanding of Product Balancing
The ability to balance multiple hydrocarbons in a system is a critical skill for today’s measurement professionals. Many of today’s systems have gas, liquid, crude, and other products flowing through the pipeline, requiring measurement professionals to understand how to balance each of these products.
You may have specialized in one of these areas, but material balancing of all products is invaluable for operators that need highly-skilled measurement professionals to support accurate and reliable measurement of multiple products.
Take inventory of your understanding of balancing for each product and see if there are gaps in knowledge and experience that you need to close in 2020.
3. Understanding of Safety Factors in Measurement
One area that is becoming increasingly important is safety. Many measurement professionals grew up in the industry watching someone else perform the measurement in an informal training environment. Training was handed down without much emphasis on safety.
Now, safety is increasingly important to reduce incidents when performing measurements in the field. Measurement professionals that can demonstrate safety and help others perform safe measurements can provide value to operators.
Take an assessment of your safety understanding. Did you informally or indirectly learn how to perform measurements? Or, do you have an understanding of the safety requirements using equipment in the field to perform measurement?
4. Understanding of How to Minimize Lost & “Unaccounted For” Product
An accurate and reliable measurement directly impacts your operation’s ability to record the correct amount of product flowing in a system.
The measurement that you record and report will affect multiple measurement points in the chain of custody. The more accurate your measurement, the less risk of being unable to account for certain amounts of product.
This is especially important for systems with multiple products flowing through the system. Minimizing lost or unaccounted for product enables your operation to keep accurate records that affect multiple stakeholders.
5. Understanding of the Cost Factors in Measurement
Reducing the risk of unaccounted for product is part of a larger picture of understanding the cost factors of product measurement.
Measurement professionals need to understand how their role affects the complete measurement process from the field instrument to the back office.
An inaccurate or unreliable measurement sets in motion an entire chain of undesired events that affect third-party contracts, adherence to the BLM Onshore Orders, and compliance.
Take time to understand how your role fits into the greater picture of your operation’s success by delivering accurate and reliable measurements at the starting point.
6. Understanding of How to Be Efficient
Another cost factor in measurement is efficiency. Once you gain confidence in how to perform measurement accurately and reliably, you want to move toward being more efficient in achieving this desired result.
Efficiency helps reduce the time required to produce the measurement. As the starting point in the chain of events in measurement, other affected parties will appreciate faster delivery of measurements.
Efficiency also helps reduce the burden on equipment. This helps reduce the costs for repair, maintenance, and refurbishment to generate a higher ROI on the equipment investment.
To understand where you are in your career, take time to evaluate your ability to achieve an accurate and reliable measurement in an efficient manner.
7. Understanding of New Technology and Equipment
Finally, measurement professionals need to gain understanding of new technology and equipment that is coming into use or will soon be placed into use.
Technological advancements are happening at a rapid pace. It’s up to measurement professionals to stay on top of these advancements to be able to understand how to use the equipment and eventually help train other measurement professionals on how to use the equipment.
Being able to demonstrate knowledge of new equipment and technology will make you more valuable to your operation and enhance your ability to advance in your career.
Work with GCI to Advance in Your Career
After performing a checklist review of these seven areas, find the areas that you need to focus on the most in 2020. What areas do you training and more knowledge to gain a greater understanding of oil and gas measurement?
To help close the gaps you identify, consider receiving fundamental measurement training from Gas Certification Institute (GCI). We provide measurement training in gas, liquid, and crude measurement to ensure that you return to the field with confidence in your role.
You can use this confidence to advance in your career toward a measurement supervisor role to provide more value to your operation. Gain understanding now by registering for one of our 2020 classes.
View our class schedule and register today through our online registration option.