Natural gas extracted from wells always contains water. Before it can be sent into a pipeline, that water must be removed to prevent corrosion, hydrate formation and costly operational issues.
The Challenge of Achieving Pipeline-Quality Gas
While separators at processing facilities are designed to remove water and other liquids, achieving truly "pipeline-quality" dry gas is challenging. Variability in pressure, temperature and fluid characteristics means that even well-designed systems can experience water carryover.
Gas dehydration, typically through absorption or adsorption, plays a major role, but separators still need careful control. If temperature drops below the dew point, water can condense on equipment surfaces; if flow conditions shift, separators may not provide adequate retention time. Because these issues can be subtle, operators often rely on instrumentation to infer process health rather than observe water directly.
A New Generation of Detection
A new generation of ultrasonic flowmeters enhances this capability. Endress+Hauser's Prosonic Flow G combines pressure, temperature and acoustic measurements to calculate accurate flow and detect water carryover in real time.
Its diagnostics reveal changes in flow symmetry, signal strength and moisture indicators — signs that a mist eliminator may be overloaded, damaged or that separation efficiency has declined.
Prosonic Flow G 300/500 Capabilities
The Endress+Hauser Prosonic Flow G 300/500 ultrasonic flowmeter measures:
- Flow rate
- Temperature
- Pressure
- Mass flow
- Methane content
- And more...
Early Detection Benefits
Detecting water carryover early allows operators to adjust dump cycles, retention time or back-pressure before problems spread downstream. As gas plants are optimized for specific moisture levels, preventing wet gas reduces energy waste and avoids unnecessary reprocessing.
Modern flowmeters also consolidate data that previously required a dedicated flow computer, making it easier for engineers to monitor separator performance and maintain safe, efficient operations.