Innovative gas metering station brings its developers top Gazprom’s Science and Technology Prize 2022

The award ceremony for the 2022 edition of Gazprom's Science and Technology Prize took place at the meeting of the Company's Management Committee.

The total economic benefit from the award-winning solutions and technologies exceeds RUB 36 billion.

The top prize went to the paper entitled “Single-line gas metering station equipped with ultrasonic flow transducers and checked for accuracy by means of an intra-facility verification unit.” The work was presented by Gazprom Transgaz Moscow. Two patents for invention were received with regard to the research paper topic.

The concept introduced by the authors utterly changes the conventional approach that implies a multiple-line structure of gas metering stations. Usually, a gas flow transmitted via a large-diameter trunkline is divided into several flows transmitted via pipes of a smaller diameter which are equipped with their own flow meters, in order for the volume and other physical and chemical properties of gas to be measured.

The new approach introduces the use of an ultrasonic metering complex of a large diameter (up to 1,400 mm) to be installed directly on the gas trunkline. This solution enables fully automated operation of the gas metering station, reduces its metal consumption, and allows repair and maintenance works to be performed without stopping the transmission of gas. Moreover, there is no need to dismantle the flow meter for scheduled calibration, as the complex includes a reference flow meter.

Russia's first prototype of the single-line gas metering station is installed on the section of the Yamburg – Yelets 2 gas trunkline. Next-generation metering equipment, which is characterized by higher-accuracy measurement results, was developed and implemented under the project jointly with Scientific Production Association Vympel. All component parts of the equipment used in new gas metering stations are manufactured in Russia.

Second place went to Sakhalin Energy for the paper entitled “Development and implementation of a unique set of technical and engineering solutions for performing 4D seismic monitoring to optimize the control over offshore hydrocarbon field development on the continental shelf of the Russian Federation.”

The author teams of the following papers were also awarded:

• “Development and implementation of the methodology and economic-and-mathematical model for strategic planning across the Gazprom Group and in separate businesses” by NIIgazeconomika.
• “High-efficiency repair technology for gas trunklines that are prone to stress corrosion cracking” by Gazprom VNIIGAZ.
• “Technology for the creation and operation of the 'well-underground reservoir' system in UGS facilities that are built in rock salt deposits” by Gazprom Transgaz Belarus.
• “Development and commercial introduction of jet units equipped with vortex devices to be used in treatment, processing and storage of oil and petroleum products” by Gazprom Neft.
• “Application of Data Science tools in petroleum engineering” by Gazprom Neft.
• “Creation of a set of technical solutions for sustainable development of the Bolshoy Urengoy field's infrastructure on the basis of flexible process flows used for hydrocarbon treatment and transmission” by Gazprom Dobycha Urengoy.
• “Development of a combined ultrasound cleaning method for burner devices” by Gazprom Transgaz Saratov.
• “Automated information system for the control and management of innovations development” by Gazprom Dobycha Astrakhan.

The meeting also approved the Comprehensive Target Program for the reconstruction and re-equipment of gas and liquid hydrocarbon processing facilities of Gazprom and the Comprehensive Target Program for the reconstruction and re-equipment of automated process control systems at the facilities of Gazprom. The documents cover the period from 2023 through 2027.