Tuesday, 22 September 2026 | 0900 CST (1400 GMT)

This SPE Methane Technical Section (MTS) and Flow Measurement Technical Section (FMTS) joint webinar bridges oil & gas flow measurement and methane emissions monitoring, with a focus on the terminology, metrology, validation, and practical use of methane measurement technologies.

The discussion will address:

• Terminology used across flow measurement and methane emissions monitoring
• Metrology and measurement principles
• Validation of methane measurement technologies
• Practical use of measurement technologies in methane emissions applications

Flow measurement systems are evolving beyond traditional measurement devices and increasingly becoming diagnostic platforms that support reliability, maintenance optimization, and operational decision-making.

As the industry moves away from fixed maintenance schedules and reactive troubleshooting, diagnostics, Condition-Based Maintenance (CBM), and Condition-Based Calibration (CBC) are playing a growing role in improving measurement confidence, reducing downtime, and optimizing calibration intervals.

This webinar discusses the practical application of diagnostics in flow measurement systems, including:

• Condition-Based Maintenance (CBM)
• Condition-Based Calibration (CBC)
• Meter reliability and performance monitoring
• Real field experience with gas ultrasonic meter diagnostics
• Emerging AI/ML applications in diagnostics and maintenance workflows

Production data is often treated as a direct measurement, but in practice it results from a chain of transformations linking reservoir conditions to reported flow rates. Fluid properties defined by pressure, temperature, and composition govern phase behavior and physical characteristics such as density and compressibility.

These properties directly influence how flow measurement technologies respond under operating conditions, regardless of measurement principle. The same fluid description is then used to translate measured quantities into engineering outputs such as phase rates, allocation, and well performance.

Any inaccuracy or inconsistency in fluid properties can therefore propagate through both measurement interpretation and reservoir analysis. As production conditions evolve, changes in fluid behavior can simultaneously affect measurement response and reservoir conclusions, even when the measurement system itself remains unchanged.

This panel examines the chain from reservoir conditions to reported production data, focusing on how fluid properties influence each step and how inconsistencies propagate into engineering decisions. The objective is to clarify the sources of uncertainty and improve alignment between measurement and reservoir workflows.

Gas flow measurement under challenging conditions—including high pressure, high-CO₂ mixtures, and highly explosive gases—is increasingly important in offshore operations and CCUS projects. Measurement integrity is constrained by the practical and economic difficulty of building calibration facilities that safely reproduce the full range of fluids and extreme operating conditions.

Ultrasonic meters are therefore often calibrated in controlled environments but deployed under substantially different field conditions. Calibration transferability is essential for bridging that gap.

The webinar addresses:

• The infrastructure bottleneck between laboratory conditions and field reality
• The concept and application of calibration transferability in ultrasonic meters
• Effects of fluid composition and pressure on acoustic properties and meter performance
• Strategies for maintaining measurement reliability and reducing uncertainty in extreme applications

As CCUS projects scale, measurement integrity and uncertainty control are critical for emissions accountability and regulatory compliance. CO₂ flows across gas, liquid, dense-phase, and supercritical states, often near the critical point, where pressure and temperature sensitivity directly affect measurement performance.

The technical discussion focuses on:

• Direct mass flow measurement using Coriolis technology
• Key uncertainty drivers, including pressure and velocity-of-sound effects
• Impurity tolerance and diagnostics
• Transferability of water calibration to CO₂ service

Surface Well Testing is a crucial process in oil and gas exploration, production, and development. It is used to assess well productivity and characteristics and to support reservoir characterization. Critical decisions and investments depend on correct measurements and complete, validated data.

This third webinar introduces correct methods, standard equipment, and methodologies for acquiring measurements in surface well testing while highlighting sources of error and operational hazards. It describes the processes and steps for acquiring different fluid samples, the necessary safety and technical precautions, and the fluid-property and parameter measurements associated with surface-well-test flow-rate calculations.

This is the third installment in the Practical Aspects of Surface Well Testing series, presented by Paul Budworth and Abdullah Tanira, co-authors of Surface Well Testing: A Practical Guide.

This presentation features experts discussing developments in virtual flow metering (VFM), including techniques that combine multiphase metering, advanced sensing technologies, and data-driven algorithms to improve reservoir monitoring and development planning.

Attendees gain insights into how VFM:

• Supports accuracy and reliability in flow measurement
• Enhances real-time decision-making in reservoir management
• Reduces dependency on hardware-intensive solutions through intelligent algorithms and performance metrics

The session also explores integration of live sensor data with predictive models, field implementation strategies for real-time surveillance, and data analytics applied to flow rates, pressures, and volumes.

Non-Newtonian fluids create additional processing and measurement challenges compared with traditional Newtonian fluids. In a Newtonian fluid, viscosity remains constant as applied stress changes. For non-Newtonian fluids, viscosity can vary significantly depending on the forces acting on the fluid, with direct implications for calibration, operation, and measurement-device performance.

This webinar discusses types of non-Newtonian fluids and how their physical properties change under different operating conditions, including increasing flow rates in pipes and other infrastructure. It introduces flow-mechanism challenges at different Reynolds numbers and examines their effects on different flow measurement devices.

The session also reviews published test work, common applications, and mitigation methods using examples involving heavy oils and drilling fluids. Test data illustrate the importance of accurate physical-property data and real-time Reynolds-number determination.

Wet gas has become an increasingly important topic across the oil and gas industry. Expanded production and advances in horizontal drilling, hydraulic fracturing, and unconventional extraction have increased the prevalence of wet-gas conditions in upstream, midstream, and downstream piping.

This webinar covers:

• Why wet-gas flow measurement matters to the oil and gas industry
• Wet-gas definitions and the fundamental forces governing the phenomenon
• Key parameters used to describe and characterize wet gas
• High-pressure, high-resolution video of wet-gas flow regimes in pipe
• Methods used to measure wet-gas flow rates
• Recent advances in wet-gas measurement

Accurate and reliable measurements are fundamental to oil and gas exploration, production, and development. Correct surface-well-test data acquisition supports the integrity of the parameters used for high-stakes operational and investment decisions.

This second webinar in the series focuses on how, why, and where commonly used surface-well-testing flow meters, measurement methods, and data-collection principles are applied. It emphasizes practices for correct measurement and data acquisition.

The session examines measurement fundamentals, supporting instruments and equipment, procedures used to derive flow rates, comparisons among flow-meter types and associated instrumentation, setup and flow conditioning, supplied parameters, and errors arising from functionality, specification limits, or flow conditions.

As plans advance for blending hydrogen into existing natural-gas infrastructure at concentrations up to 20% by volume, affected equipment and systems must be evaluated for proper performance. Southwest Research Institute, working with NYSEARCH and the Northeast Gas Association, conducted initial testing of existing natural-gas flow-measurement systems for hydrogen-blended service.

Flow-performance testing covered rotary, turbine, ultrasonic, and diaphragm meter technologies at different blend concentrations. A custom blended-gas test facility used precision Coriolis meters as high-pressure references for the separate hydrogen and natural-gas streams before mixing and pressure reduction into the test section.

The work also examined how hydrogen blending changes physical density and energy density and compared results with AGA and GERG equations of state. Because the four meter technologies provide volumetric flow measurements, accurate density is required to determine mass flow and energy delivery.

The presentation shares test methods, initial results, follow-on testing, and operational implications, including indications of possible negative measurement bias as hydrogen concentration increases.

The SPE Flow Measurement Technical Section hosted three subject-matter experts for an SPE Live discussion on greenhouse-gas emissions measurement. The panel examined advancements, challenges, and prospects for methane and CO₂ measurement technologies in the oil and gas sector.

The discussion considered how measurement technologies are adapting to increasing demands for precision and efficiency under evolving environmental regulations. It also addressed compliance challenges and the role of innovative measurement solutions in supporting credible and sustainable emissions-reduction targets.

Surface Well Testing is a crucial process in oil and gas exploration, production, and development. It provides the means to assess well productivity and characteristics and to support reservoir characterization. Critical decisions and investments rely on correct measurements and complete, validated data.

This first webinar introduces the standard surface equipment used to conduct a well test. It covers well and flow control, fluid processing, measurement, and effluent disposal. The presenters describe equipment combinations and variations for different purposes, testing-unit layouts, equipment installation, and standard operating procedures.

The webinar series aims to improve understanding of the equipment, processes, and techniques required to obtain correct measurements, readings, and calculations for flow rates, volumes, pressures, temperatures, and fluid compositions within safe, technically sound, and commercially practical operating limits.

Paul Budworth and Abdullah Tanira are co-authors of Surface Well Testing: A Practical Guide.