Patent ID: 7623975

Claim:
A method of measuring a dry gas flow from hydrocarbon wells, said hydrocarbon wells producing liquids and natural gas so that a stream is produced, the method comprising: (a) providing an orifice device, said orifice device having an elliptical throat, and wherein said orifice device is located at a well site containing the hydrocarbon wells; (b) testing the stream for gas composition and physical characteristics; (c) measuring a flowing temperature of the stream; (d) measuring a flowing pressure; (e) measuring a pressure differential in said orifice device; (f) computing the liquid to gas ratio (LGR) of the stream; (g) computing the wet gas flow rate of the stream; (h) computing a first dry gas flow rate (Qd 1 ) utilizing a first model means, the first model means includes the following computation: wet flow rate/dry flow rate=Qwet/Qdry=(term 1 )×(term 2 )×(term 3 )+(term 4 )+(term 5 ); wherein term 1 is a correlation for volumetric flow rate of the fluid in terms of mass; wherein term 2 is a correlation for the differential pressure; wherein term 3 is a correlation for the static pressure; wherein term 4 is a correlation for the beta ratio of the flow meter; wherein term 5 is a correlation for the beta ratio of the flow meter; (i) computing a second dry gas flow rate (Qd 2 ) utilizing a graphical representation of a second model means; (j) correcting the first dry gas flow rate (Qd 1 ) and the second dry gas flow rate (Qd 2 ) in order to obtain a derived dry gas flow rate (Qd).