ASTM E1675-04(2012)

4.1 The objective of this practice is to obtain representative samples of the steam and liquid phases as they exist in the pipeline at the sample point, without allowing steam condensation or additional liquid flashing in the separator. A significant feature of the practice is the use of a cyclone-type separator for high-efficiency phase separation which is operated at flow rates high enough to prevent significant heat loss while maintaining an internal pressure essentially the same as the pipeline pressure.

4.2 Another significant feature of the practice is to locate the sampling separator at a point on the pipeline where the two-phase flow is at least partially stratified to aid in the separation process. It is neither necessary nor possible to pass representative proportions of each phase through the sampling separator to obtain representative samples. The separator is usually attached to an appropriately oriented port to collect each specific phase—normally on top of the line for steam and at the bottom for liquid. In some cases, piping configurations can generate unusual flow regimes where the reverse is required. If the ratio of one phase to another is not extreme, representative samples of each phase can often be obtained from a horizontal port on the side of the pipeline.

4.3 This practice is used whenever liquid or steam samples, or both, must be collected from a two-phase discharge for chemical analysis. This typically includes initial well-testing operations when a well is discharged to the atmosphere or routine well production when a well discharges to a fluid gathering system and power plant. The combined two-phase flow of several wells producing through a common gathering system may also be sampled in accordance with this practice.

4.4 This practice is not typically employed when individual wells produce to dedicated production separators. In these cases, the separated steam and liquid at the outlet of the production separator is sampled in accordance with single-phase sampling methods (Specification E947).

1.1 The purpose of this practice is to obtain representative samples of liquid and steam as they exist in a pipeline transporting two-phase geothermal fluids.