MMSCFD stands for Million Standard Cubic Feet per Day, which is a unit of measurement commonly used in the oil and gas industry to measure the flow rate of natural gas or other hydrocarbons. This unit of measurement represents the amount of gas that flows through a pipeline or other system in a single day, with the volume of gas being standardized to a set of specific conditions (i.e., temperature, pressure, and humidity) to ensure consistency in measurement.
Table of content:
Million Standard Cubic Feet per Day
MMSCFD conversion calculation
Use of MMSCFD
Million Standard Cubic Feet per Day
MMSCFD is a unit for gas flow rates expressed at standard temperature and pressure conditions. Volumetric flow of a gas depends strongly on the temperature and pressure conditions. Hence the standard temperature and pressure conditions provide a very convenient reference point with commonly known temperature and pressure value. Volumetric gas flow expressed at standard conditions can be readily converted to mass or molar flow of that gas which is independent of pressure or temperature values.
The volume of gas is standardized to a set of specific conditions, including temperature, pressure, and humidity, to ensure consistency in measurement. By standardizing the volume of gas to these specific conditions, MMSCFD allows for accurate comparison and calculation of gas flow rates across different systems and locations.
MMSCFD conversion calculation
Following sample problem demonstrates how MMSCFD value can be calculated based on its volumetric flow and pressure, temperature values at which this flow rate is expressed.
Problem statement
What is the MMSCFD (Million Standard Cubic Feet per Day) flowrate corresponding to 100m3/hr of nitrogen flowing through a pipe? Operating temperature of nitrogen stream is 800C. Operating pressure at the point of flow measurement is 25 bar.
Standard conditions defined by NIST to be used.
Solution
The calculation of MMSCFD, first requires the standard temperature and pressure conditions to be fixed. Standard temperature and pressure conditions defined by NIST are to be used, as specified in the problem statement.
Standard Temperature TS = 00C = 273.16 K
Standard Pressure PS = 101.325 kPa
The operating conditions are,
Volumetric gas flow V = 100m3/hr
Gas temperature T = 800C = 353.16 K
Gas pressure P = 25 bar = 2500 kPa
Gas volume is directly proportional to temperature and inversely proportional to pressure.
Gas flow at standard conditions is calculated as,
VStandard = V×(TS/T)×(P/ PS)
= 100×(273.16/353.16)×(2500/101.325) m3/hr
= 1908.4 SM3/hr
= 1908.4×(3.28)3/(1/24) ft3/day
= 1616226.3 ft3/day
Gas flow = 1616226.3/106 MMSCFD = 1.6162 MMSCFD
Alternatively, you can also use this 'MMSCFD conversion calculator' to quickly convert a gas flowrate to MMSCFD unit.
Use of MMSCFD
Million standard cubic feet per day is a widely used unit of measurement in the oil and gas industry to measure the flow rate of natural gas or other hydrocarbons in pipelines and other systems. Its use is important for several reasons which are as given below.
- Accurate measurement of natural gas flow: MMSCFD allows for accurate and consistent measurement of the volume of natural gas flowing through a pipeline or other system on a daily basis.
- Calculating reserves: MMSCFD is often used to estimate the reserves of natural gas in a given field or well. By measuring the flow rate of gas over time, operators can estimate the amount of recoverable gas in a particular location.
- Determining equipment sizing: MMSCFD is used to determine the size and capacity of equipment such as compressors and pipelines needed to transport natural gas. This is important for ensuring that the system can handle the required flow rate of gas without being overloaded.
- Comparing gas flow rates across systems and locations: Because MMSCFD standardizes the volume of gas to specific conditions, it allows for accurate comparison of gas flow rates across different systems and locations.
