UFM 500-EEx for Caspian Oil Pipeline Project

25 KROHNE double beam ultrasonics delivered

In total 25 KROHNE double beam ultrasonic flowmeters, UFM 500 K/EEx, are now delivered for flow measurements in the Caspian Oil Pipeline. CPC, the Caspian Oil Pipeline Consortium, is building a 1,500 km (932-mile) oil pipeline transport system from Kazakhstan to Russia. The pipeline is expected to be ready in October 2001 and will have a total capacity of 1.34 mm bpd. Crude oil is transported from the huge Tengiz field in eastern Kazakhstan, around the northern coast of the Caspian Sea and across southern Russia, to an oil loading terminal near the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk. UFM 500‘s will be installed at both the Kazackstan part of the Caspian pipeline and the Russian part of the Caspian pipeline. Another group of UFM 500‘s will be in operation at the Novorossiysk marine terminal. The new export oil loading terminal will be the largest oil terminal in Russia.

The ordered ultrasonic flowmeters have large diameter sizes in the range of 40“ to 56“. Special measures have been taken to handle the low ambient temperatures. The flowmeters will be directly welded to the pipeline to prevent possible leakages. The main reasons for the customer to choose KROHNE‘s ultrasonic flowmeters is their robust sensor construction, the fact that they do not cause any pressure drop, thereby saving on energy costs, and have no moving parts. Contrary to turbine meters and PD meters, ultrasonic flowmeters do never cause any obstruction or blocking of the flow. In addition the UFM 500 is maintenance-free, an important criteria for the customer, because the flowmeters along the pipeline are difficult to reach.

Key Words: Flow, ultrasonic, oil, turbine, PD meter


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