Manual of Petroleum
Measurement Standards
Chapter 4—Proving Systems
Section 9—Methods of Calibration for
Displacement and Volumetric
Tank Provers
Part 3—Determination of the Volume of
Displacement Provers by the Master
Meter Method of Calibration
FIRST EDITION, APRIL 2010
Manual of Petroleum
Measurement Standards
Chapter 4—Proving Systems
Section 9—Methods of Calibration for
Displacement and Volumetric
Tank Provers
Part 3—Determination of the Volume of
Displacement Provers by the Master
Meter Method of Calibration
Measurement Coordination
FIRST EDITION, APRIL 2010
Special Notes
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Copyright © 2010 American Petroleum Institute
Foreword
This multi-part publication consolidates and standardizes calibration procedures for displacement and volumetric tank
provers used in the metering of petroleum liquids. It provides essential information on the operations involved in
obtaining a valid, accurate and acceptable prover volume by different calibration methods. Units of measure in this
publication are in the International System (SI) and United States Customary (USC) units consistent with North
American industry practices. This section consists of the following four parts:
— Part 1—Introduction to the Determination of the Volume of Displacement and Tank Provers;
— Part 2—Determination of the Volume of Displacement and Tank Provers by the Waterdraw Method of
Calibration;
— Part 3—Determination of the Volume of Displacement Provers by the Master Meter Method of Calibration;
— Part 4—Determination of the Volume of Displacement and Tank Provers by the Gravimetric Method of
Calibration.
Throughout this document issues of traceability are addressed by references to the National Institute of Standards
and Technology (NIST). However, other appropriate national metrology institutes (NMIs) can be referenced.
Nothing contained in any API publication is to be construed as granting any right, by implication or otherwise, for the
manufacture, sale, or use of any method, apparatus, or product covered by letters patent. Neither should anything
contained in the publication be construed as insuring anyone against liability for infringement of letters patent.
This document was produced under API standardization procedures that ensure appropriate notification and
participation in the developmental process and is designated as an API standard. Questions concerning the
interpretation of the content of this publication or comments and questions concerning the procedures under which
this publication was developed should be directed in writing to the Director of Standards, American Petroleum
Institute, 1220 L Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005. Requests for permission to reproduce or translate all or any part
of the material published herein should also be addressed to the director.
Generally, API standards are reviewed and revised, reaffirmed, or withdrawn at least every five years. A one-time
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Washington, DC 20005, standards@[Link].
iii
Contents
Page
1 Scope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
2 Normative References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
3 Terms and Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
3.1 Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
3.2 Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
4 Pre-calibration Planning and Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
4.1 Fluids used for Master Meter Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
4.2 Master Prover/Master Meter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
4.3 Calibration Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
4.4 Inspections. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
4.5 Venting and Circulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
4.6 Temperature, Pressure, and Density Device Verification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
4.7 Calculations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
4.8 Readings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
5 Other Preliminary Considerations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
6 Calibration Procedures for Field Provers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
6.1 Considerations Common to all Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
6.2 Methods for Determining the Calibrated Prover Volume for a Calibration Run Set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
6.3 Calculation Methods for Proving the Master Meter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
6.4 Repeatability and Uncertainty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Annex A (informative) Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Annex B (normative) Connections. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Figures
B.1 Flow Path Throughout Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
B.2 Master Meter Calibration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
B.3 Field Prover Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Tables
1 Base Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
2 Comparison of the Three Methods for Prover Calibration using the Master Meter Method. . . . . . . . . . . 11
3 Estimated Uncertainty. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
v
Chapter 4—Proving Systems
Section 9—Methods of Calibration for Displacement and Volumetric Tank Provers
Part 3—Determination of the Volume of Displacement Provers by the Master Meter
Method of Calibration
1 Scope
This standard covers the procedures required to determine the field data necessary to calculate a Base Prover
Volume (BPV) of a field displacement prover by the master meter method of calibration.
2 Normative References
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this document. For dated references,
only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any
amendments) applies.
API Manual of Petroleum Measurement Standards (MPMS) Chapter 4.2, Displacement Provers
API MPMS Chapter 4.4, Tank Provers
API MPMS Chapter 4.6, Pulse Interpolation
API MPMS Chapter 4.8, Operation of Proving Systems
API MPMS Chapter 4.9.1-2005, Methods of Calibration for Displacement and Volumetric Tank Provers, Part 1—
Introduction to the Determination of the Volume of Displacement and Tank Provers
API MPMS Chapter 4.9.2-2005, Methods of Calibration for Displacement and Volumetric Tank Provers, Part 2—
Determination of the Volume of Displacement and Tank Provers by the Waterdraw Method of Calibration
API MPMS Chapter 12.2.3-1998, Calculation of Petroleum Quantities Using Dynamic Measurement Methods and
Volumetric Correction Factors, Part 3—Proving Reports
API MPMS Chapter 12.2.5-2001, Calculation of Petroleum Quantities Using Dynamic Measurement Methods and
Volumetric Correction Factors, Part 5—Base Prover Volume Using Master Meter Methods
NOTE For readability, references to API Manual of Petroleum Measurement Standards are abbreviated as API MPMS.
Reference to parts of chapters will follow the convention of “[Link]”. For example, this standard, American
Petroleum Institute Manual of Petroleum Measurement Standards, Chapter 4, Section 9, Part 3, would be called API MPMS
Chapter 4.9.3.
3 Terms and Applications
3.1 Terms
No definitions are unique to this document. Unfamiliar terms not explained in adjoining text are found in the
publications listed in Section 2 and the Bibliography, chiefly API MPMS Ch. 1, API MPMS Ch. 4.9.1, and API MPMS
Ch. 12.2.
