Current through Supplement No. 392, April, 2024
1.
Application of section. This section is applicable to all
allocation and custody transfer metering stations measuring production from oil
and gas wells within the state of North Dakota, including private, state, and
federal wells. If these rules differ from federal requirements on measurement
of production from federal oil and gas wells, the federal rules take
precedence.
2.
Definitions. As used in this section:
a. "Allocation meter" means a meter used by
the producer to determine the volume from an individual well before it is
commingled with production from one or more other wells prior to the custody
transfer point.
b. "Calibration
test" means the process or procedure of adjusting an instrument, such as a gas
meter, so its indication or registration is in satisfactorily close agreement
with a reference standard.
c.
"Custody transfer meter" means a meter used to transfer oil or gas from the
producer to transporter or purchaser.
d. "Gas gathering meter" means a meter used
in the custody transfer of gas into a gathering system.
e. "Meter factor" means a number obtained by
dividing the net volume of fluid (liquid or gaseous) passed through the meter
during proving by the net volume registered by the meter.
f. "Metering proving" means the procedure
required to determine the relationship between the true volume of a fluid
(liquid or gaseous) measured by a meter and the volume indicated by the
meter.
3.
Inventory filing requirements. The owner of metering equipment
shall file with the commission an inventory of all meters used for custody
transfer and allocation of production from oil or gas wells, or both.
Inventories must be updated on an annual basis, and filed with the commission
on or before the first day of each year, or they may be updated as frequently
as monthly, at the discretion of the operator. Inventories must include the
following:
a. Well name and legal description
of location or meter location if different.
b. North Dakota industrial commission well
file number.
c. Meter information:
(1) Gas meters:
(a) Make and model.
(b) Differential, static, and temperature
range.
(c) Orifice tube size
(diameter).
(d) Meter station
number.
(e) Serial
number.
(2) Oil meters:
(a) Make and model.
(b) Size.
(c) Meter station number.
(d) Serial number.
4.
Installation
and removal of meters. The commission must be notified of all custody
transfer meters placed in service. The owner of the custody transfer equipment
shall notify the commission of the date a meter is placed in service, the make
and model of the meter, and the meter or station number. The commission must
also be notified of all metering installations removed from service. The notice
must include the date the meter is removed from service, the serial number, and
the meter or station number. The required notices must be filed with the
commission within thirty days of the installation or removal of a meter.
All allocation meters must be approved prior to installation
and use. The application for approval must be on a sundry notice (form 4 or
form provided by the commission) and shall include the make and model number of
the meter, the meter or station number, the serial number, the well name, its
location, and the date the meter will be placed in service.
Meter installations for measuring production from oil or gas
wells, or both, must be constructed to American petroleum institute or American
gas association standards or to meter manufacturer's recommended installation.
Meter installations constructed in accordance with American petroleum institute
or American gas association standards in effect at the time of installation
shall not automatically be required to retrofit if standards are revised. The
commission will review any revised standards, and when deemed necessary will
amend the requirements accordingly.
5.
Registration of persons proving or
testing meters. All persons engaged in meter proving or testing of oil
and gas meters must be registered with the commission. Those persons involved
in oil meter testing, by flowing fluid through the meter into a test tank and
then gauging the tank, are exempted from the registration process. However,
such persons must notify the commission prior to commencement of the test to
allow a representative of the commission to witness the testing process. A
report of the results of such test shall be filed with the commission within
thirty days after the test is completed. Registration must include the
following:
a. Name and address of
company.
b. Name and address of
measurement personnel.
c.
Qualifications, listing experience or specific training.
Any meter tests performed by a person not registered with the
commission will not be accepted as a valid test.
6.
Calibration requirements. Oil
and gas metering equipment must be proved or tested to American petroleum
institute or American gas association standards or to the meter manufacturer's
recommended procedure to establish a meter factor or to ensure measurement
accuracy. The owner of a custody transfer meter or allocation meter shall
notify the commission at least ten days prior to the testing of any meter.
a. Oil allocation meter factors shall be
maintained within two percent of original meter factor. If the factor change
between provings or tests is greater than two percent, meter use must be
discontinued until successfully reproven after being repaired or
replaced.
b. Oil custody transfer
meter factors must be maintained within one-quarter of one percent of the
previous meter factor. If the factor change between provings or tests is
greater than one-quarter of one percent, meter use must be discontinued until
successfully reproven after being repaired or replaced.
c. Copies of all oil allocation meter test
procedures are to be filed with and reviewed by the commission to ensure
measurement accuracy.
d. All gas
meters must be tested with a minimum of a three-point test for static and
differential pressure elements and a two-point test for temperature elements.
The test reports must include an as-found and as-left test and a detailed
report of changes.
e. Test reports
must include the following:
(1) Producer
name.
(2) Well or CTB
name.
(3) Well file number or CTB
number.
(4) Pipeline company or
company name of test contractor.
(5) Test personnel's name.
(6) Station or meter number.
f. Unless required more often by
the director, minimum frequency of meter proving or calibration tests are as
follows:
(1) Oil meters used for custody
transfer shall be proved monthly for all measured volumes which exceed two
thousand barrels per month. For volumes two thousand barrels or less per month,
meters shall be proved at each two thousand barrel interval or more frequently
at the discretion of the operator.
(2) Quarterly for oil meters used for
allocation of production in a diverse ownership central production facility.
Semiannually for oil meters used for allocation of production in a common
ownership central production facility.
(3) Semiannually for gas meters used for
allocation of production in a diverse ownership central production facility.
Annually for gas meters used for allocation of production in a common ownership
central production facility.
(4)
Semiannually for gas meters in gas gathering systems.
(5) For meters measuring more than one
hundred thousand cubic feet [2831.68 cubic meters] per day on a monthly basis,
orifice plates shall be inspected semiannually, and meter tubes shall be
inspected at least every five years to ensure continued conformance with the
American gas association meter tube specifications.
(6) For meters measuring one hundred thousand
cubic feet [2831.68 cubic meters] per day or less on a monthly basis, orifice
plates shall be inspected annually.
g. All meter test reports, including failed
meter test reports, must be filed within thirty days of completion of proving
or calibration tests unless otherwise approved. Test reports are to be filed
on, but not limited to, all meters used for allocation measurement of oil or
gas and all meters used in crude oil custody transfer.
h. Accuracy of all equipment used to test oil
or gas meters must be traceable to the standards of the national institute of
standards and technology. The equipment must be certified as accurate either by
the manufacturer or an independent testing facility. The certificates of
accuracy must be made available upon request. Certification of the equipment
must be updated as follows:
(1) Annually for
all equipment used to test the pressure and differential pressure
elements.
(2) Annually for all
equipment used to determine temperature.
(3) Biennially for all conventional pipe
provers.
(4) Annually for all
master meters.
(5) Five years for
equipment used in orifice tube inspection.
7.
Variances. Variances from all
or part of this section may be granted by the commission provided the variance
does not affect measurement accuracy. All requests for variances must be on a
sundry notice (form 4).
A register of variances requested and approved must be
maintained by the commission.
General Authority: NDCC 38-08-04
Law Implemented: NDCC
38-08-04
