BP, Invensys tackle flow metering problem

London – Over 200 million tonnes of bunker fuel is delivered to ships each year. However, trapped air in the viscous oil often makes it difficult to measure and verify supplied quantities to ensure that ship owners only pay for the mass of fuel that is delivered.

Operators, therefore, have to carry out a potentially hazardous process of dipping barge tanks before and after delivery. They then have to carry out various calculations and corrections to convert the tank volume measurement into a delivered mass.

In its search for a safer and easier verification process, BP asked the three flow meter manufacturers to take part in a laboratory trial to determine the ability of their flow meters to measure the amount of bunker oil by mass excluding any suspended air.

From the trial, BP selected a Foxboro Coriolis Meter which was developed by Invensys in partnership with Oxford University. As well as accurate measurement, the system includes communications technology to enable a ship’s crew to "see" the fuel delivery data in real time without the need to climb down onto the barge.

Following laboratory trials, BP has asked Invensys to produce two test skids incorporating the Foxboro Coriolis Meters which will be used in sea trials off Singapore in the Summer of 2007. The test will ensure the performance measured in the laboratory can be effectively "scaled up" into a commercial application.