Metering of High-Vapor-Pressure Crude Oils: The Case for Mass Measurement in Shared Pipeline Systems

The paper discusses the relative merits of mass vs. volumetric measurement as the basis for equitable allocation of high-vapor-pressure (HVP) crude oils commingled in shared pipeline systems. Measurement uncertainties for both methods are compared. The problems of continuous density measurement and of automatic sampling for composition analysis and water content determination are discussed.