Check measurement of volumetric flow in natural gas pipelines is essential for system pipeline monitoring and control. Although the custody of natural gas is not transferred at a check meter, the calculated flow rate through the meter must be reliable and repeatable while remaining cost effective. Various check meter options are available when check measurement is required. Orifice, turbine, and ultrasonic meters are often specified at an approximate installed cost of $3,000 to $10,000 per inch. As an alternative to traditional check measurement, averaging pitot tube meters can be used in many applications. Averaging pitot tube meters were installed and studied for a one-year period. The average cost for the installation was $1,200 per inch. This paper addresses issues regarding the installation of the Averaging Pitot Tube Meter for check measurement in four natural gas transmission pipelines, which include the following: 1. Basic design and operation of the averaging pitot tube 2. reasons for installation 3. reasons for installing Standardized Electronic Flow Measurement for check meters 4. discussion of the method used for standardizing the installation system integration. 5. summary of the reliability and accuracy of the averaging pitot tube as check meters from the field study
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