The Ventbuster® samples and records the flow rate, flowing temperature, flowing pressure, and shut-in pressure data every 10 milliseconds.

These samples are then averaged into 10-second packets for data transmission and storage on the secure Ventbuster® IoT Platform.

The pressure sensor is located above the shut-in valve on the Ventbuster®. It is exposed to the upstream vent gas before the flow channel.

Taring the pressure is the process of setting the pressure sensor's reading to zero, relative to the dynamic barometric pressure when initiating a vent flow test. This effectively removes any offset or bias in the sensor's reading, ensuring accurate measurements relative to the current barometric pressure.

This is just another example of why the Ventbuster® is so precise and immune to transient and temporal effects.

Here's more detail:

Setting a Baseline:
Taring establishes a zero point for the pressure sensor, allowing the operator to measure repeatable and consistent flowing pressures, regardless of changes in weather and altitude.

Removing Offset:
Pressure sensors can have slight variations or offsets that cause them to read differing values even when exposed to the same pressure. Many pressure sensors are calibrated to a set standard condition. Outside of that condition the pressure sensor will have a margin of error that must be corrected. Taring corrects for this by setting the reading to zero at the tare point.

Example:
With our flow measurement tech, taring our pressure sensor allows you to accurately measure the flowing pressure changes, even as the atmospheric pressure is fluctuating.

Distinction from Zeroing:
While "zeroing" might seem similar, it's often used more broadly, while taring is a more specific term for setting the zero point at a known pressure.

The pressure sensor is accurate to 5.0 kPag (0.7 psig).

The temperature sensor reports the temperature of the gas flow stream.

It is located below the shut-in valve on the Ventbuster® and is exposed to the vent gas stream in the flow channel.

Yes. Industry and Regulators asked us to formulate the 'one bubble in 10 minutes' equivalent flow rate through our Ventbuster® and report. Under laboratory conditions, with gas flowing through the Ventbuster®, we concluded that this volumetric equivalent was 0.0029 sm3/day (0.1024 scfd). We could not manifest a bubble in one inch of water below this flow rate over the 10-minute duration guideline. As such, a flow rate recorded on a Ventbuster® below 0.0029 sm3/day would represent the AER Directive 20 “no bubbles in 10 minutes.”

Fact: The Ventbuster® first flow detection is 0.04 ml/min, equivalent to 0.000058 sm3/day (0.002 scfd), and it can detect and measure bubbles at any time.

Yes, all the resultant gas volumes or flow rates are expressed in terms of sm3/day or SCF/day. 

 The Ventbuster® computes its flows to STP as per the International Standard (ISO) Metric Conditions and the American Petroleum Institute reference conditions of 15°C (60°F) at 101.3 kPaa (14.7 psia).

NIST stands for the National Institute of Standards and Technology. NIST is the National Measurement Institute (NMI) for the United States. It is also sometimes called a national metrology institute. The NMI is a unique organization authorized by a country's government to:

• maintain the country’s primary measurement standards

• provide traceability for all national measurement needs

• represent the country in the international system of units for trade and science

• advance measurement science to support the country's economic competitiveness

• use measurement expertise to support the development of technically sound documentary standards

Traceability is a complex scientific concept, but NIST sets specific standards. Then, others carefully trace their measurements back to our standards by direct comparisons. The process of tracing those measurements back is called calibration.

 All Ventbuster Instruments’ technology is NIST traceable.

No, the Ventbuster® incorporates a proprietary and unique calibration firmware.

This calibration firmware is distinctively designed to compensate for "transient temperature effects.” Differing from all other mass flow meters, The Ventbuster® is insusceptible to swings in ambient temperature caused by high and low-level radiant heating, atmospheric weather fronts, cooling precipitation, and relative humidity.

Being highly portable and quickly deployed, the Ventbuster® is often used to test numerous wells and vents throughout a shift. As such, it may be exposed to atmospheric temperature swings and rotated in and out of a crew vehicle with the heat or air conditioning on. Such rapid and repeated temperature cycling may cause havoc with the accuracy of typical gas flow meters operating outside their calibration parameters. Because of the proprietary onboard calibration firmware, the Ventbuster® is not prone to such resultant transient temperature errors.

Other gas meters are calibrated to accurately measure only a singular gas or singular gas mixture to which its installation point has been designed. Every gas has different physical properties that impact thermal dispersion. For this reason, thermal mass flow meters can be calibrated to accurately measure the specific gas stream and are the engineering choice for precisely quantifying atmospheric gas emissions.

In the laboratory, the specific or designated cal-gas flows past the meter’s thermal sensor multiple times over the meter’s turndown ratio on a flow prover. The electronic response is measured and programmed into the meter under these controlled calibration conditions.

The Ventbuster® has eclipsed these traditional calibration limitations with a quantum leap in the science of thermal dispersion technology. Unlike conventional gas calibration techniques, our innovative, cutting-edge, and auditable field calibration enables Users to program the Ventbuster® to a particular gas component or stream with unparalleled precision.

The Ventbuster® can be programmed pre or post-test to report the resultant flow rate to stable and dynamic flowing temperature, flowing pressure, and gas density.

The Ventbuster® comes calibrated to 100% methane (CH4) from the manufacturer. 

 Our new proprietary calibration enables a field calibration “reset” by the user.  The Ventbuster® can be re-calibrated to measure CO2 at any concentration.  If there are other hydrocarbon gases within the stream, they too can be encoded into the Ventbuster® along with the specific CO2 concentration.

Important Note: The Ventbuster® Unit tolerates “dry” concentrations CO2 only! Do not expose the Ventbuster® to “wet” CO2, as this creates carbonic acid (H2CO3).  Carbonic acid is formed from the reaction of carbon dioxide dissolved in water, which when exposed to the flow channel, would harm the flow channel electronics.

The Ventbuster® Unit tolerates relatively “low” concentrations of H2S, up to 1.0% or 10,000 ppm, in a “short duration” exposure, should it inadvertently encounter it and direct it through the Ventbuster® flow channel.

Disclaimer: Ventbuster Instruments Inc. does not endorse testing gas emissions with any concentration of H2S. The primary reason is that sour gas being vented into the atmosphere is highly corrosive, toxic, and fatal. Ventbuster Instruments Inc. has absolutely no control, direction, or direct involvement with our client’s field-testing procedures, safety protocols, or operations. Thus, our official position with the public and published information is that the Ventbuster® is a sweet gas flow, pressure, and temperature monitoring and measurement device.

The main reason is to optimize data collection, memory, storage and downloading.

During remote testing, where there is no cellular connectivity on site, the low-speed monitoring mode uses the least amount of storage space on the Communications Unit’s hard drive.

For “short-term” vent leak monitoring, such as obtaining baseline SCVF tests before abandonment or throughout the well abandonment operations, or to confirm a negative SCVF post abandonment or before cutting and capping, it is recommended to place the Ventbuster® in high-speed monitoring for instantaneous flow, pressure, and temperature readings, with the highest level of granularity.

For "medium-term" vent leak monitoring sessions, ranging from more than one week to less than one month, we recommend placing the unit on medium-speed monitoring to optimize data storage and downloading from the Ventbuster® IoT Platform.

For "long-term" (for more than one month) vent leak monitoring sessions, we recommend placing the unit on low-speed monitoring to optimize data storage and download from the Ventbuster® IoT Platform.

Note: If sustaining the solar power supply may be a concern, such as low daylight in the far north or south in winter or a forest canopy mottling the sunlight, we recommend setting the Communications Unit to low-speed monitoring, which conserves battery power consumption.

A CSV (comma-separated values) file saves data in a tabular format. CSVs look like your everyday spreadsheet but with a .csv extension. CSV files or data can be used with almost any spreadsheet program, such as Microsoft Excel or Google Spreadsheets. They differ from other spreadsheet file types because you can only have a single sheet in a file, and they cannot save cells, columns, or rows, thus requiring them to be converted to a spreadsheet format.

CSV data serves several different business purposes:

• It enables companies to export a high volume of data to a more concentrated database.

• CSV files are plain-text files, making them easier for the website developer to create.

• Since they're plain text, they're easier to import into a spreadsheet or another storage database, regardless of the specific software used.

• Enables better organization of large amounts of data.

When fully charged, the lithium-ion battery onboard the Communications Unit provides power for the Ventbuster® System for between 24 and 36 hours. Such is intended for short-duration, single-day, or overnight testing and monitoring.

If longer duration testing and monitoring is required, the auxiliary solar battery kit will provide an unlimited power supply for the Ventbuster® System.

A positive SCVF indicates that downhole containment or zonal isolation of wellbore fluids and pressures has failed. This condition is often referred to as wellbore integrity failure.

This wellbore integrity failure condition is typically a result of poor primary cementing techniques, improper blending or application of cement, degradation of the cement sheath, or simply a lack of primary cement in the annular space inside the surface casing and outside the inner casing string. Indirectly, a positive SCVF can result from a production casing or intermediate casing leak, wellhead seal failure, or, on occasion, decaying organics trapped within the surface casing vent assembly.

With a positive SCVF, jurisdictional regulators will dictate whether the SCV assembly valve is left open to the atmosphere or closed. 

If the SCV assembly valve is left in an open position, appropriate precautions must be adhered to, ensuring that there is no imminent danger or risk to the public, animals, property, or the environment.

If the SCV assembly valve is left in a closed position, appropriate precautions must ensure that there will not be an excessive pressure build-up (e.g. sustained pressure) in the surface casing annulus, which may cause a mechanical wellbore failure. To assess this risk, a stabilized shut-in pressure build-up test is critical.

Within the oil and natural gas industry, venting gas emissions are distinct and not to be confused with fugitive gas emissions:

• Methane that is released into the atmosphere from designed, intentional, or control mechanisms such as wellhead surface casing or casing head vent assemblies, pressure relief valves, compressor seals, instrument gas, flares, combustors, incinerators, and the like are called “vented emissions."

• Methane that is released into the atmosphere from unintentional leaks emanating from process equipment such as faulty valves, failed welds, leaking seals, ruptured/split piping connections, or pressurized vessels that have lost integrity and the like is called "fugitive emissions."

The Ventbuster® Unit is Hazardous Area Certified as a Class 1 Division 1 or Zone 0 Device and engineered as Intrinsically Safe for working in all hazardous areas and explosive gas environments.

Class 1 Division 1 (C1D1) Hazardous Area Classification indicates an explosive atmosphere under normal operating conditions, requiring equipment specifically designed to prevent ignition sources.

 On the other hand, Class 1 Division 2 (C1D2) Hazardous Area Classification indicates that explosive atmospheres are less likely to be present but may occur under abnormal operating conditions.

Both classifications have unique features, benefits, and considerations that safety professionals and industry experts must be aware of when selecting hazardous area-rated equipment.

Important:

Regardless of Jurisdictions, all equipment utilized for on-site detection, monitoring, and measurement of vented or fugitive atmospheric methane (CH4) emissions testing is required to be Hazardous Area or Hazloc “Certified” and must be clearly “Marked” and displayed as such by an accredited organization such as Underwriters Laboratory (UL), Intertek (ETL), or Canadian Standards Association (CSA), for example.

Be aware of the dangers of using devices that are stated to be "constructed with" Class 1 Division 1 or Division 2 components or statements alluding to the device being Hazardous Area "Classified." Such descriptions do not qualify the device as “Certified,” intrinsically safe, or explosion-proof. All devices must be marked by the accredited certification body.