Latest News

Proven P35-2 Small Wind Turbine- Update
MCS certification of the Proven Energy P35-2 small wind turbine was suspended on 23 September 2011 following a small number of main shaft failures and the subsequent administraion of the Proven Energy business.

We are pleased to report that a meeting was held at NEL (the MCS accredited Certification Body) with a number of stakeholders on Thursday 12 January 2012. The primary purpose of the meeting was to address the legacy issues with the P35-2. As a result of the meeting, a way forward has been identified and agreement with all relevant parties is expected to be reached in a matter of weeks. Once the agreed solution has been finalised, MCS will instruct the Installation Companies to advise their customers of the remedial work that will be required to restart the turbines. NEL would advise that owners keep their turbines on brake until further advice is given.
13 January 2012

Investing in the Future of Multiphase
Oil is extracted in the form of a multiphase fluid which includes water and gas but accurately measuring a mixture of oil, water and gas in field conditions is a major challenge. Over the past 20-30 years, the use of multiphase flow meters has become more popular as they are less expensive to purchase and operate, compared with test separators.

Multiphase meters are now reasonably well-accepted for allocation and reservoir control purposes when installed on surface wellheads. However, the use of multiphase meters subsea is a more challenging proposition as subsea operations require higher pressures.

A programme of work, supported by the UK’s National Measurement System, will upgrade the multiphase flow measurement facility at NEL to allow higher operating pressures and expand the high-pressure testing capability. Multiphase technologies can then be tested in conditions closer to those found in the field, opening the door to the development of marginal assets and promoting more efficient exploitation of larger fields.
For further information please contact us.
15 Dec 2011

Small Wind Turbine Standards
The UK’s ambitious climate change agenda will only be achieved with a focus on well engineered, efficient, renewable energy technologies. Wind turbine technologies are a key element of this strategy and improved metrology underpins technology developments.

NEL continues to be active in its support to the development of national and international standards in the wind energy sector.

Alistair Mackinnon, NEL’s Wind Energy Manager, attended the final meeting of an IEC Standards Committee in Ningbo, China earlier this month. The meeting (Technical Committee 88 – Maintenance Team 2 - design of small wind turbines) was combined with IEA Task 27 (small wind turbine labelling and the setting up of Small Wind Association of Testers).

The purpose of this final IEC meeting was to agree the text for a new edition of a draft standard (Committee Draft for Voting Edition 3). This new edition, amongst other issues, revisits the simplified load models of the previous edition and provides guidance on more complex wind regimes including those experienced in Asia where typhoons are prevalent.

The main changes between Edition 2 and this new Edition 3 are highlighted below:

Now restructured into two parts – design evaluation and testing which harmonises with IEC 61400-22 (conformity testing and certification)
Caution on the use of simplified loads – none for VAWTs but an Annex on ‘other wind conditions’
Annex on tropical storms
Annex on extreme environmental conditions
Annex on EMC testing
Annex on dynamic behaviour
Annex on standardised consumer label
Changes to duration testing requirements

In addition, work on the new UK Medium Wind Standard is nearing completion with a final draft being presented to the RenewableUK Board early in December 2011.
For further information please contact us.
22 Nov 2011

Working to improve the efficiency of wind farms
Many factors can be optimised to improve wind turbine performance and maximise yield of a wind farm. One of these factors is the characterisation of the flow regime in the wake of a turbine rotor which is seen as one way to increase energy yield by optimum spacing of turbines.
NEL is currently undertaking research, supported by the UK’s National Measurement System, to examine the issue and to help improve the power performance and fatigue lifetime of large wind turbines.
The projects will use Lidar (Light detection and ranging), a remote sensing technology, to measure the wind field, both upstream and in the wake of a large MW sized wind turbine. Measurements gathered in the wake will be used to validate Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) models designed to determine the required spacing of wind turbines for both wind farm installations and test purposes.
The combination of LIDAR with CFD in wind flow metrology is novel and will lead to a more of complete understanding of the flow regime in the wake of a turbine rotor. The knowledge and experience which will be gained through this research will advance methodology of the technique, and will help to provide traceability on wind data measurements and determine the uncertainties arising from the use of Lidar instruments.
Following completion of the projects, wind farm developers should have a greater insight into optimal spacing of wind turbines in order to ultimately increase efficiency and profitability of wind farms. To find out more please contact us.
20 Oct 2011

Save the Date!
NEL announces a major two-day energy and low carbon technology conference, "Measurement Makes Business Sense", taking place 18-19 September 2012 in London. The event is being organised in conjunction with technical partners including NMS, BMTA, EI, GAMBICA, IET, InstMC, IMechE and IOP. To find out more about participating in this key event, please click here.

NEL Opens New Densitometer Calibration Facility
NEL is pleased to announce the launch of the UK's first densitometer calibration facility to comply with the Department of Energy and Climate Change's (DECC) interim policy guidance for fiscal applications in the UK oil industry.
The new facility is capable of calibration across a temperature range from 10o to 110oC, at pressures from 1 to 100 bar. The facility can control the temperature of the densitometer under calibration to within 0.01 oC, while controlling the pressure of the fluid within 0.02 bar. As all measurements are traceable to national standards, this provides the overall traceability required to ensure confidence in the calibration of densitometers and will significantly improve the measurement accuracy of density measurement throughout the North Sea oil industry.
For further details on the facility please click here.
Click here for information on the DECC Policy Statements on Traceable Density Measurement.
1 Sept 2011

The 2012 South East Asia Flow Measurement Conference
Exhibitor booking is now open for this prestigious event! Equipment manufacturers are now invited to exhibit and attend.
The Conference is the successor to the previous Hydrocarbon Flow Measurement Workshop series. Topical and relevant technical presentations from world renowned industry experts will be presented as well as the running of parallel training sessions. This format will suit all skill levels from those new to the oil & gas industry through to seasoned industry experts. The exhibition will once again operate an 'open doors' policy to local companies giving vendors access to a wider local audience.
Full details are available in our Events Listings.
1 Sept 2011

NEL has awarded an MCS certificate to Proven Energy for its Proven 11 wind turbine
NEL is delighted to have worked with Proven Energy to achieve full MCS certification of its Proven 11 small wind turbine. This is the third certificate that NEL has issued to Proven Energy. NEL has now certified the largest number of small wind turbines of any certification body. Certification is a requirement of receiving the UK FIT (Feed-in Tariff).
18 Aug 2011

TUV SUD NEL Ltd acquires Wallace Whittle Holdings Ltd
See Press Release.
26 Jul 2011

Launch of the new NEL Produced Water and Environmental Club
NEL is pleased to announce the launch of our new NEL Produced Water and Environmental Club. This new club combines our existing Emissions, Oil-in-Water and Produced Water Clubs and aims to bring together a cross-section of industry representatives to have discussions on topical issues challenging the energy sector via meetings, events and information on our website. The inaugural meeting will be held in Aberdeen on Thursday 22 September. For more information on Club membership, or if you are interested in making a presentation at our inaugural meeting, please contact us.
29 Jun 2011

NEL has awarded an MCS certificate to quietrevolution for its v1.3 qr5 wind turbine.
NEL is delighted to have worked with quietrevolution to achieve full MCS certification of its V1.3 vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT). Certification is a requirement of receiving the UK FIT (Feed-in Tariff). This turbine is the first to have been MCS certified in the VAWT category.
28 Jun 2011

Densitometer Calibration Facility
Following a Joint Industry Project (JIP) that investigated issues surrounding the calibration of liquid densitometers, DECC, the UK Regulator, has issued policy guidance proposing that from early 2012, densitometers used in fiscal applications should be calibrated following the procedures set out the JIP report.

The most significant change is that densitometers should be calibrated at their anticipated operating conditions, i.e. simultaneously at temperature and pressure, using one or more transfer fluids, the density of which has been determined across the required temperature and pressure range with an uncertainty not exceeding 0.01%, directly traceable to national standards.

In anticipation of this change, NEL is modifying its existing Industrial Densitometer Calibration Facility to enable it to undertake calibrations to the new procedure. For more details on the facility click here.
9 Jun 2011

NEL holds special session at Americas Workshop dedicated to flare and vent gas measurement
The challenges associated with flare and vent gas measurement and reporting, and the associated difficulties in meeting regulatory requirements, was discussed during a special session held at NEL’s Americas Workshop in Houston last month. The session was attended by operators, regulators, meter vendors and contractors from around the globe. Of particular interest was metering at low flows (Reynolds numbers), the validation and verification of flare meters, uncertainty and methods of determining the molecular weight (density) of the gas flared.

In response to these industry needs, NEL is currently in the process of launching a Joint Industry Project (JIP) dedicated to addressing the issues with flare and vent gas measurement. To express an interest in this project please contact us.
26 May 2011

US regulator issues update to flare and vent gas regulations
The Bureau of Ocean Energy, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) (formerly the Minerals Management Service) issued Final Rule 30 CFR Part 250 in the US Federal Register in 2010. These regulations state that, for all platforms located in the Gulf of Mexico and US Offshore Continental Shelf (OCS) producing more than 2000 barrels of oil a day, all flare and gas vent emissions must be measured to within ± 5% uncertainty. For the first time, flare and vent quantities must also be reported separately.

NEL visited BOEMRE’s offices in New Orleans recently to discuss the impact of these regulations and the challenges faced by the operator in achieving the uncertainty targets. Metering best practise, uncertainty and the issues with verification of flare meters was also discussed during a presentation to the Surface Commingling and Production Measurement Section. BOEMRE have recently issued a notice to licensees (NTL 2011-N04) with further clarification on the uncertainty requirements for flare and exemptions for atmospheric vents, sumps and relief systems. Click on the following link for more information.
25 May 2011

All Energy Event 18-19 May 2011, Aberdeen
See our On The Road page for details.

Sub-sea Sampling Systems
NEL was contracted by a Houston-based consultancy group to investigate the potential for wax and hydrates forming on their new sub-sea sampling system when used under challenging conditions to obtain representative samples from a crude oil pipeline situated on the sea floor. The risk of hydrates and waxing forming from the temperature differential between the hot fluid being extracted from the wellhead and the sea temperature could have a detrimental effect on the sampling system and results.

NEL conducted process modelling using a combination of software including NEL’s proprietary PPDS physical properties software. This modelling allowed a number of scenarios and representative conditions to be investigated including an examination of a range of operational crude-oil flow rates and system line pressures to predict phase behaviour, wax deposition and sample distortion.

From the thermodynamic and pipeline flow simulations carried out, it was confirmed that the change in temperature could in fact lead to the formation of waxes and hydrates in the sampling system and to subsequent distortion of the samples. In order to prevent these potential problems a number of recommendations were proposed by NEL, including the incorporation of insulation.

The work provided the client with a cost-effective and comprehensive assessment of their sampling system and workable solutions without having to conduct an experimental programme with the associated costs and time constraints. The failure to obtain representative samples can have significant financial impact. Therefore, the work that NEL has conducted will help mitigate the risk of obtaining unrepresentative samples and build confidence in subsea sampling.

If you are interested in obtaining further information, please contact us.

Best Paper Prize awarded at the South East Asia Hydrocarbon Flow Measurement Workshop
Congratulations to Mark Jackson of BHP Billiton Petroleum who was awarded the Best Paper Prize by the Workshop Technical Committee at the event earlier this month. The award was presented to Mark on the technical relevance and content within both his technical paper and accompanying presentation on "Pyranees Subsea Multiphase Flowmeters Field Performance Case Study". Plans for next year's Workshop are currently in the early stages. Please contact us to register your interest.

The manufacture of small wind turbines is a global industry and NEL is helping manufacturers to meet international standards.

The UK’s introduction of a generous FIT (Feed-in tariff) in April 2010, required that all micro-generation products meet the exacting criteria in International Standards through the MCS Scheme in order to be FITs eligible. Based on its in-depth knowledge of these standards, NEL has been invited to conduct a training course in the far east to help global small wind turbine manufacturers understand MCS certification and its requirements. This will take place in Taiwan at the end of March. To find out more about training on small wind turbines contact us.

The International North Sea Flow Measurement Workshop is the premier event for oil & gas flow measurement specialists. This year's Workshop is being organised by Tekna, Norway and will take place from 25 - 28 October in Norway. There is still time to submit an abstract as the deadline has been extended to 10 March. Click here for details.

Gas entrainment is a serious consideration in highly viscous fluids.
Due to the highly viscous nature of bunker fuel oils, gas entrainment is a serious consideration in terms of flow measurement. It is already known that gas can become entrained in flowing viscous liquids during the transfer process. It is believed that this has the potential to lead to substantial mis-measurement of the quantity of fuel traded. NEL will be presenting on this subject at the 10th South East Asia Hydrocarbon Flow Measurement Workshop is Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in March 2011.

Supported by the UK Government's National Measurement System, TUV NEL is currently upgrading the UK National Standards oil flow measurement facility to handle fluid viscosities from 2 cSt up to 1500 cSt at flow rates up to 150 litres per second. TUV NEL can therefore reproduce the conditions currently experienced in the oil and gas industry. For further information click here.

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of TUV NEL's South East Asia Hydrocarbon Flow Measurement Workshop, we are opening the doors of the exhibition at the event to interested parties from the local oil & gas community. The open session will take place on Wednesday 9 March from 10.00 til 12.00. Delegates will have the opportunity to meet the exhibitors and find out about the latest technologies on the market. To register to attend the open exhibition click here. To find out more about the Workshop, click here.

This year's North Sea Flow Measurement Workshop has been voted by many delegates as the "best ever"! Over 300 flow measurement specialists attended from all around the world and the technical quality of the papers was applauded by many. The closing speech by Dag Flolo concentrated on the sharing of information and the importance of workshops such as the North Sea Flow Measurement, and he encouraged active participation for the 2011 event. The Best Paper prize, sponsored by Elster Instromet, was won this year by Mark Skelton of BP who delivered a paper on "Developments in the Self-Diagnostic Capabilities of Orifice Plate Meters". The Technical Committee agreed that this paper best reflected the spirit of the Workshop and its relevance to improving the industry.
For a flavour of the event, view a short video here on

TUV NEL is leading a project, funded by DECC, to explore the potential for streamlining the certification process for small wind turbines from product testing through to final certification. As part of this initiative, a workshop is being held on 3 November with project participants including manufacturers, testing organisations, and Certification Bodies. The workshop will focus on experience to date with the certification process, and will seek to identify areas where improvements can be made, with the aim of reducing the costs to manufacturers. To find out more please contact us.

Highlights from Day 1 of the North Sea Flow Measurement Workshop:
We were delighted to welcome over 300 delegates to the 28th Workshop. In the keynote speech, Gordon Stobie, ConocoPhilips (UK) Ltd, spoke about the importance of primary measurement and the extensive use of DP devices. Reflecting on the last 25 years of metering technology, he remarked on the shift towards multiphase metering. On the topic of LNG, he said that there was a lack of traceable flow measurement, however there is a move towards more dynamic measurements.

New Best Practice Guides now available.

TUV NEL now has a permanent presence in North America to support continuing operations within the energy and environmental sector.

Don Miller has been appointed Business Development Manager, North America, and will be based in Houston full time. Don brings with him extensive experience of offering client solutions to a range of industries across North America. He has worked for various corporations including Endress & Hauser.

Don is looking forward to the challenge. "TUV NEL is a world-class organisation with a track record of providing independent performance testing and production technology services to many blue-chip companies. I am looking forward to meeting our customers and finding out how we can further assist their business."

"We are delighted to welcome Don to the role. He will complement our existing teams based in the UK. With his experience and expertise of the North American market, he will make a significant contribution to growing the business globally." said Jim Holt, Business Sector Manager, Energy & Environment.

The second CCS club meeting, which was attended by over 35 delegates from across industry, took place in Edinburgh on the 8 September. A presentation by Ian Philips from CO2Deepstore looking at the CCS infrastructure kicked off a lively group discussion on the wide ranging technology needs. The recent CASSEM research project presented by Eric Mackay from the Scottish Centre for Carbon Storage/Heriot-Watt discussed a methodology for storage site evaluation and monitoring. Lynn Hunter from TUV NEL closed the meeting with an overview of a Joint Industry Project (JIP) designed to address the unknown physical properties of CO₂ mixtures.

Click here to find out about the Carbon Capture & Storage Club.

TUV NEL is pleased to launch a Joint Industry Project to examine some of the measurement technologies in CCS schemes. See our Joint Industry Projects for more details.

Building on the success of TUV NEL's initial heavy oil joint industry project, TUV NEL is planning further research into the challenges of measuring heavy oil. See our Joint Industry Projects for more details.

We are pleased to announce that TUV NEL's Monitored Professional Development Scheme, our scheme to develop our engineering graduates, has been accredited by the IMechE (the Institution of Mechanical Engineers). This is the Institution's endorsement that our scheme meets their rigourous standards for the provision of quality training, support and opportunities for developing engineering graduates to achieve Chartership. This accreditation will enhance our ability to attract and retain high calibre engineering graduates through the support this provides towards meeting their professional development needs.

TUV NEL has launched a new multiphase measurement Joint Industry Project (JIP). The MULTIFLOW project is the 4th generation in the series of multiphase flow measurement JIPs. See our Joint Industry Projects for more details.

MCS testing - click to download the news update on progress and development of MCS testing at TUV NEL's wind turbine test site.

A TUV NEL research project, supported by the National Measurement System Engineering & Flow Programme, is currently trying to address the issues encountered when metering non-Newtonian fluids.

Non-Newtonian fluids - those in which viscosity either increases or decreases with changes in shear rate - are widely used in industries such as chemicals, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, food and oil & gas.

Despite many important industrial uses, information on the flowmetering of non-Newtonian fluids is very limited and their performance not fully understood - particularly as flow meters are normally calibrated in Newtonian fluids such as water, oil or gas.

Read the full article in Process Engineering, July 2010.

New/revised Guidance Documents and Best Practice Guides now available.