The device comprises two titanium dip pipes, installed inside the separator through a flanged nozzle. One pipe holds an array of low-energy radiation emitters, and the other contains radiation detectors with a vertical array of up to 96 sensors, each approximately 1 in. in height and matched to the radiation source on the same plane. The density registered by each tube is transmitted to a signal processor above the dip pipes, converted into serial data, then transmitted by fiber-optic cable to the process controller. Radiation from dip pipes cannot be detected outside the separator.
Operators can monitor sand buildup within a separator and take appropriate action.
The effect of treating chemicals can be monitored and doses can be adjusted accordingly, and with a detailed profile of contents available continually, separators can be operated by automatic control. 1-Tracerco Profiler developed by Synetix Services. The system uses a single control line to penetrate the wellhead and packers. The control line enables an operator to monitor and control as many as 12 zones in a single well, and as many as 12 wells from a single surface control system. The operator is able to manage production and injection conditions in real time.