Historically, oil and gas companies have relied on in-house measurement expertise to support their operation, but those days are gone for most companies.

Today, we find that many companies lack the required field, engineering, and management personnel to properly integrate new assets, manage projects, and maintain the proper level of quality control over measurement.

What’s the solution? We believe it’s gas measurement consulting and advisory provided by our team of measurement operations experts. Find out how Gas Certification Institute (GCI) can address common challenges and deliver a right-size solution for your company.

The Need for Gas Measurement Consulting and Advisory

Organizational change typically leads to the need for expert support in measurement. As we know in the cyclical oil and gas business, there is constant change as companies look to take advantage of every boom and survive every bust.

– Have mergers, acquisitions, or divestitures left your company with a shortage of measurement expertise?

– Has downsizing and outsourcing stripped your company of measurement knowledge?

– Has the “silver tsunami” hit your company hard with Boomers retiring and taking their expertise with them?

– Have ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) initiatives created a greater emphasis on Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) and hydrogen that have prompted changes in your measurement operations?

No matter the cause of the change, we can help your operation formulate the appropriate response through our GCI Consulting services. Let’s examine some of the most common issues that we can help address.

Measurement Issues We Support Through GCI Consulting

Here are the most common issues that we see companies struggle with. Which issue – or issues – is your company fighting through right now?

1. Lack of Oversight for Contract Measurement Services

If your company is using a third party for field measurement services (installation, calibration, witnessing), then someone has to monitor those service providers.

• Are they keeping up with schedules and documentation?
• Are they meeting the contractual requirements?
• Is their testing equipment in good condition, with current calibration certificates?
• Are their technicians properly trained and following your measurement standard operations procedures (SOPs)?

If you are using measurement analysts from a third-party provider for data review and editing services, do you have sufficient oversight?

• Are Prior Period Adjustment (PPA) requests properly researched, or does your provider just accept the other party’s request?
• Are meters configured in agreement with your contracts/tariffs?
• Are edits being made intelligently and fairly?
• Is the analyst communicating with your field personnel to resolve issues at the source?

2. Excessive Loss & Unaccounted Volumes

Is your operation struggling with increasing loss and unaccounted volumes, or perhaps you have increased volume complaints from other parties?

• Do you have unacceptable balances, but you have no idea what is happening?
• Do you have the staffing necessary to maintain your balance configurations?
• Do you have the resources to investigate daily or hourly data when trying to identify changes from month to month?
• Are you still balancing on MCF or MMBTU alone?

3. Assistance with Measurement System Configuration

• Is your back-office measurement system configured properly?
• Within your system, are new meters being configured correctly?
• Are there features in your current system you would like to use but do not have the resources to implement?
• Do you have thousands of nuisance alarms or exceptions that are merely acknowledged in bulk…or ignored altogether?
• Are there configuration disconnects between your flow computers and your back-office measurement system configuration?
• Do your meter configurations align with your contracts or tariff requirements?
• Are you recognizing the full financial benefits allowed by your contracts, or are you leaving money on the table due to a lack of oversight?

4. Negative Audit Findings

Operators often face internal and external audit challenges, such as contractual audits or aligning with Sarbanes–Oxley controls. This is why companies need to ensure that their measurement SOPs support SOX audit compliance and contract terms.

• Do you have an audit finding that you do not understand or do not have the resources to address?
• Are you getting dinged for the same deficiencies year after year?
• Are you periodically auditing the custody transfer of your partners, or just hoping it’s right?
• Are your SOX control requirements aligned with your SOPs?

5. Lack of Faith in Measurement Data

Over time, you may come to believe that corporate management simply does not trust your measurement data.

• Are you routinely processing a large number of PPAs every month?
• Is your accounting group dissatisfied with the data?
• Does your measurement group routinely miss accounting deadlines?

6. Problems with Post-M&A Integration

A structural change to the organization such as a merger, acquisition, joint venture, or divestiture can leave behind a big mess. You could still be dealing with issues related to asset, personnel, or policy integration following M&A-related activity.

• Do you need to consolidate multiple measurement systems into one?
• Are you still operating with different policies and procedures for different assets?
• Do you have outstanding GAP analysis and procedural updates that are required following M&A activity?

Real Solutions to Your Measurement Challenges

For more than 20 years, GCI has utilized our measurement expertise to support the latest needs of operators.

We have natural gas, crude, and NGL measurements experts available to help tackle your measurement problems. Our roster of gas measurement consulting and advisory professionals can handle the biggest and most difficult challenging in your operation.

– We can provide project-oriented support in the following areas:

• Audits and audit response/remediation.
• Contract review to assure compliance with measurement language.
• Measurement system configuration or new feature implementation.
• Assistance with developing balances and troubleshooting gain/loss issues.
• Customized training for back-office or field personnel.
• GAP analysis of measurement procedures and/or software systems.
• Streamlining back-office procedures to help you close on time, with fewer PPAs.
• Assistance aligning your SOX controls, contracts, and SOPs.

– We also offer long-term contracted services to address the continuous challenges that your operation is facing.

• Oversight of third-party measurement services providers.
• Routine scrutiny of settlements from partner companies.
• Service as Part-Time Measurement Manager.
• Measurement SME services.
• Annual audits support.

GCI Consulting: Support for the Back-Office Staff

As part of our consulting service, we are introducing a new fundamentals training class this year specifically dedicated to Back-Office Gas Measurement. This training is specifically designed for the needs of measurement analysts and settlement accountants.

The question is, where do you need the most immediate help? We would appreciate hearing from you so that we can support measurement operations in your company.

Contact us today to schedule a consultation about GCI Consulting services. You can also give us a call at 281-598-7200 to let us know what measurement issues your company is facing. Let’s get started on a solution!