View PDF version

Bulletin 2009-38

October 22, 2009

Revised Edition of Directive 017: Measurement Requirements for Upstream Oil and Gas Operations Issued

The new Sections 12 and 13 described below and clarifications for the existing eleven sections of the Energy Resources Conservation Board (ERCB) Directive 017: Measurement Requirements for Upstream Oil and Gas Operations are incorporated into the revised edition of the directive and are effective October 23, 2009. Due to the complexity of consolidation and clarification of existing requirements and updating them to meet the current technological advancement and operating environment, this directive is being developed in stages, with new sections added as they become available.
Directive 017 is available from ERCB Information Services, 640 – 5 Avenue SW, main floor; telephone: 403-297-8190; fax: 403-297-7040; e-mail: infoservices@ercb.ca. The directive is also available on the ERCB Web site www.ercb.ca.

In the version available on the ERCB Web site, all changes made in editions published from 2007 to February 2009 appear in red type and all changes made since the previous edition (February 2009) appear in blue type.

Clarifications and New Requirements in Sections 1 to 11

• Enforcement clause changed to refer reader to Directive 019: ERCB Compliance Assurance—Enforcement.
• Section 4.2.4: Clarifies gas plant inlet measurement.
• Section 4.3.1: Absolute pressure transmitter is required for any vacuum measurement.
• Section 4.3.3.1: Reported total flare volume must exclude any fuel volumes.
• Section 4.3.3.2(a): All existing gas electronic flow measurement (EFM) requirements in Directive 046: Production Audit Handbook have been transferred to this section.
• Section 4.3.5.2: Clarification on GOR and GIS applications if criteria are met, no specific approval is required.
• Section 4.3.5.3: Produced gas measurement with heavy oil/crude bitumen has been changed to refer to Section 12.3.2
• Section 6.2.2.1: Clarifies Petroleum Registry of Alberta battery code requirements for oil well tests.
• Section 6.4.4.3: Field header well identification requirement has been transferred from Directive 046.
• Section 6.8: All existing oil EFM requirement in Directive 046 have been transferred to this section.
• Section 7.2.4: Clarifies use of “ABMC” at SE Alberta shallow gas batteries.
• Sections 7.3.2 and 7.4.2: New calculation procedures have been added and existing calculation procedures have been modified.
• Section 8.4.1: Clarifies exceptions on sampling to match Section 8.4.2

New Sections

Section 12: Heavy Oil Measurement: This section presents the requirements and exceptions for heavy oil and crude bitumen facilities, but does not cover crude bitumen production through mining. Some of the highlights are

• measurement of heavy oil production
• blending and flashing shrinkages
• paper batteries
• produced gas determination
• well testing requirements
• single point measurement uncertainties for various applications not covered in Section 1

Section 13: Condensate Measurement: This section presents the requirements and exceptions for condensate reporting associated with gas well production. Some of the highlights are

• definition of types of condensate
• condensate reporting requirements and scenarios
• condensate volume determination

Appendix 3: Glossary—definitions have been added.

Appendix 8: Blending Shrinkage Calculation Example has been added.

Further Information
Please forward comments and questions to Bill Cheung, of the Field Surveillance and Operations Branch, directly at 403-297-8798 or by email at bill.cheung@ercb.ca.

<original signed by>

Dwayne Waisman, B.E.S., C.E.T.
Executive Manager
Field Surveillance and Operations Branch