A new method has been developed which is suitable for remote in-line calibration of water fraction meters. The method utilizes settling of water in a vertical line under no-flow conditions. As water is allowed to settle in a hydrocarbon liquid, a repeatable, low, amount of water will remain solved in the hydrocarbon liquid. This amount of water can be determined, and the water in oil meter can be zero-point calibrated at this point. The method is suitable for installations where water cut meters are installed in a vertical pipe section, and where no flow conditions can be provided manually or happens in occasional shut downs without depressurization. Current methods for calibration require entering a well-defined test fluid or air into the meter and/or that representative samples are taken and analyzed in a laboratory. This is especially challenging with unstable hydrocarbon liquid or low-density condensates. Current methods also require the presence of competent personnel at the site. This new method is suitable for remote operation, and only requires available trend curves and remote access to the metering system / water fraction meter. The new method for inline calibration represents relatively large cost reduction and reduction of HES risks relative current methods. It is expected that the uncertainty of the method can be within fiscal requirements (0.05 [vol %]) for well-known fluids.
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