(Newsletter: June 2025)
Pipeline Meter Skids: Your Custody Transfer Workhorse
At S&S Technical, we specialize in the design and fabrication of high-performance pipeline meter skids that serve as critical checkpoints for accuracy, compliance, and operational efficiency in oil and gas flow systems. This month, we’re unpacking everything you need to know – from core components to scope development – to ensure your next metering project hits the mark.
Where Pipeline Meter Skids Are Deployed
Pipeline meter skids are versatile systems used across upstream, midstream, and downstream segments. Common deployment areas include:
- Pipeline Injection and Takeaway Points – Ensures accurate flow control and legal measurement.
- Refineries and Chemical Plants – For blending operations, product accountability, and inventory tracking.
- Midstream Terminals and Storage Hubs – Managing transfers between tanks, trucks, railcars, and pipelines.
- Custody Transfer Points – Legally certifiable measurements between producers, processors, and end-users.
Codes, Standards & Regulatory Compliance
Compliance is non-negotiable. Our pipeline meter skid designs adhere to a suite of industry standards:
- ASME B31.3 / B31.4 – Piping design for process and pipeline transport systems.
- API MPMS Chapters 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 21 – For measurement, sampling, and proving practices.
- API 1104, 650, 620 – For welded pipe, storage tanks, and pressure vessels.
- NEC Class I, Div. 2 – Electrical safety for hazardous locations.
- EPA/OSHA Compliance – For environmental and operator safety.
Core Components of a Meter Skid
Each meter skid is custom-engineered but typically includes:
- Flow Meters: Coriolis for mass flow or turbine meters for volumetric flow.
- Strainers and Air Eliminators: Prevent debris and entrained air from affecting accuracy.
- Temperature & Pressure Transmitters: for real-time compensation.
- Block & Control Valves: Manual & actuated MOVs for product routing and system control.
- Backpressure Regulators: Maintain system pressure and reduce turbulence.
- Structural Frame: Hot-dip galvanized or painted carbon steel to ASME standards.
- Instrumentation & Panels: Fully integrated in NEMA 4X or explosion-proof enclosures.
Control & Automation Systems
Precision demands intelligence. Our meter skids incorporate robust automation platforms including:
- PLC Systems: Allen-Bradley CompactLogix or Siemens S7 for system logic.
- Flow Computers: for custody-grade computations.
- Remote Access: Ethernet, Modbus TCP/IP, and SCADA-ready interfaces.
- HMI Integration: Touchscreen operation, trending, alarming, and system diagnostics.
Engineer’s Scope Development Checklist
Here’s a comprehensive checklist to guide the front-end engineering design of your meter skid project:
- Product Type & Properties (API gravity, viscosity, temperature)
- Required Flow Range & Turn Down Ratio
- Line Pressure (Min/Max/Normal)
- Meter Type & Accuracy Class (A, B, C – API)
- Custody Transfer or Allocation Grade?
- Communications Protocol (Modbus, Ethernet/IP, Profibus, etc.)
- Environmental Classification (Class I Div. 1 or 2, Zone 1 or 2)
- Utilities Available (Air, Power, Heat Trace Requirements)
- Pipe Material, Class Rating (e.g., 300# ANSI)
- Controls: Local HMI vs. Remote Monitoring
- Skid Footprint Constraints
- Prover Integration Required?
- Documentation Deliverables (P&IDs, PE Stamp, Electrical, FAT Test Plan)
Optional Integrated Provers
For verification and calibration, meter provers are key. We offer:
✅ Small Volume Provers (SVPs)
- Ideal for compact skid footprints.
- API Chapter 4.9 compliance.
- Typically trailer or skid-mounted for ease of mobility.
✅ Bi-Directional Pipe Provers
- Larger, but more accurate for continuous service.
- Used in high-volume custody transfer and pipeline installations.
✅ Master Meters
- Good for allocation measurement or where space is limited.
- Requires periodic recalibration against a traceable standard.
Each prover system is designed for seamless integration with your metering controls and can be outfitted with flow computers and automatic calibration cycles.
Why Partner with S&S Technical?
- Turnkey Engineering: In-house CAD, SolidWorks, P&IDs, and electrical design.
- Fully Integrated Systems: Skids arrive FAT-tested and ready to install.
- Code Compliance: From API and ASME to NEC and CSA.
- Support Services: Startup, commissioning, documentation, and training.
Ready to scope your next meter skid project?
Call us at 678-250-9507 or email info@skidsolutions.com.
Or visit www.skidsolutions.com to view our portfolio.
Until next month – measure with confidence.
– The S&S Technical Team