On Wednesday 24 March 2010 NMi’s new calibration facility EuroLoop was officially opened. Thanks to the unique design of the loop and a number of technical tours de force, EuroLoop has taken a major step forward with respect to the accuracy of measuring large gas flows.

Visitors at the calibration facility

Visitors to the opening and the following conference were given the opportunity to examine this special calibration facility from close by.

In the past months, the international oil and gas world has been looking forward to seeing EuroLoop come on line. No other facility in the world can assess and calibrate industrial oil and gas meters with such a low level of measurement uncertainty. The meters concerned are up to 30 inches in diameter and are built into the international trunk network for oil and gas, they form an important link in the oil and gas trade. Meters from throughout the world will be shipped to EuroLoop to be calibrated.

Thanks to the loop construction that allows an enormous volume of gas to be repeatedly reused, NMi is no longer dependent on the consumption of gas, which is the case with the current facility. In addition to the low level of measurement uncertainty, this allows NMi to offer its clients a faster service.

Technical tours de force

To guarantee the lowest level of measurement uncertainty, the EuroLoop facility includes various technical tours de force. Two large gasholders each with a capacity of 3500 m3, form an important part of the loop system. When a meter is being installed in or removed from the system or during low-pressure testing, the excess gas is stored here temporarily. As a result, it is unnecessary to flare off gas.Technology partner

For those who are relatively new to the subject: the NMi test system is located at the Botlek Rotterdam area and is the world's largest test facility for gas meters. Spirit IT is a technology partner for NMi, with our Calibration Management System which takes care of automated calibration of gas meters and the accompanying certification. The system measures many signals with highest available accuracy while offering the operators an automation and control system which allows for maximum accuracy, flexibility, tracebility and is ready for its daily usage.

Euroloop is located at the Botlek Rotterdam area in the Netherlands.	Flow-X/P web-server technology.	More than 95 valves under control of the CMS.	System overview for the operator with important components such as a Meter Under Test.

Spirit IT has relevant experience with complex measurement- and calibration systems and has delivered many large measurement and control systems for international oil and gas companies worldwide in recent years, and this expertise helped us to design the CMS such that the result is a system to be proud of.

For more information and an animation of EuroLoop please click [here].