Method and apparatus for measuring water content of petroleum fluids

Abstract

To measure the water content above saturation of a hydrocarbon, a liquid hydrocarbon sample is received from a flow line carrying the liquid hydrocarbon. The liquid hydrocarbon sample includes liquid hydrocarbon and liquid water at a concentration above the water saturation level. The liquid hydrocarbon sample is mixed with a solvent. The concentration of liquid water in the mixture of the solvent and the liquid hydrocarbon sample is below the water saturation level. After mixing the liquid hydrocarbon sample with the solvent, the water content in the liquid hydrocarbon sample is measured.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 575,082, filed September 18, 2019, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present disclosure relates to measuring the water content of hydrocarbons, such as petroleum fluids. [Background technology]

[0003] Hydrocarbons produced through a well from an underground reservoir may include oil, water, natural gas, or a combination thereof. Water cut is defined as the ratio of the volume of water produced to the volume of total liquids produced through the well. Water cut above a certain water cut threshold can result in inefficiencies in the processing, e.g., refining, of the hydrocarbons. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This disclosure teaches techniques relating to measuring the above-mentioned saturation water content of hydrocarbons.

[0005] Certain aspects of the subject matter described herein may be implemented as a method. A liquid hydrocarbon sample is received from a flow line carrying liquid hydrocarbons. The liquid hydrocarbon sample comprises liquid hydrocarbons and liquid water at a concentration greater than a water saturation level. The liquid hydrocarbon sample is mixed with a solvent. The concentration of liquid water in the mixture of the solvent and the liquid hydrocarbon sample is less than the water saturation level. After mixing the liquid hydrocarbon sample with the solvent, the water content in the liquid hydrocarbon sample is determined (measured).

[0006] An embodiment that can be combined with any of the other embodiments includes the following features: A liquid hydrocarbon sample is flowed into a measurement cell.

[0007] An embodiment that can be combined with any of the other embodiments includes the following feature: the temperature of the measurement cell is controlled to be substantially maintained before mixing the liquid hydrocarbon sample with the solvent and during determining the liquid water content in the liquid hydrocarbon sample.

[0008] An embodiment that may be combined with any of the other embodiments includes the following features: the temperature is 40°C.

[0009] An embodiment that can be combined with any of the other embodiments includes the following features: A solvent is flowed through the measurement cell to mix the liquid hydrocarbon sample with the solvent.

[0010] An embodiment that can be combined with any of the other embodiments includes the following features: prior to mixing the liquid hydrocarbon sample with the solvent, a water content of the solvent is determined to be greater than a water content threshold, and in response, a warning signal is sent to stop mixing the liquid hydrocarbon sample with the solvent.

[0011] An aspect that can be combined with any of the other aspects includes the following features: the moisture content is transmitted to a computer system, the moisture content is displayed on a display device connected to the computer system.

[0012] An embodiment that can be combined with any of the other embodiments includes the following features: A mixture of a solvent and a liquid hydrocarbon sample is caused to flow in a flow line.

[0013] An embodiment that can be combined with any of the other embodiments includes the following features: the liquid hydrocarbon sample is a first liquid hydrocarbon sample, the solvent is a first solvent, and the water content is a first water content. The first water content is determined at a first time point. A plurality of liquid hydrocarbon samples are obtained from the flow line at a plurality of time points following the first time point. Each sample is processed as described above to determine the liquid water content in each liquid hydrocarbon sample. A water cut profile of the first liquid hydrocarbon sample and the plurality of liquid hydrocarbon samples over a duration including the first time point and the plurality of time points is determined.

[0014] Embodiments that may be combined with any of the other embodiments include the following features: the solvent comprises dry xylene.

[0015] Certain aspects of the subject matter described herein may be implemented as a method. In step (a), a liquid hydrocarbon sample drawn from a flow line carrying the liquid hydrocarbon sample is mixed with a predetermined amount of a solvent. The liquid hydrocarbon sample comprises liquid hydrocarbons and liquid water at a concentration higher than the water saturation level. The amount of solvent is configured to reduce the liquid water below water saturation. In step (b), a percentage of liquid water in the liquid hydrocarbon sample is determined after mixing the liquid hydrocarbon sample with the solvent.

[0016] Embodiments that may be combined with any of the other embodiments include the following features: the solvent comprises dry xylene.

[0017] An embodiment that can be combined with any of the other embodiments includes the following features: A liquid hydrocarbon sample is drawn from a flow line into a measurement cell.

[0018] An embodiment that can be combined with any of the other embodiments includes the following features: A predetermined amount of solvent is flowed from a solvent storage tank into a measurement cell, and a liquid hydrocarbon sample is mixed with the predetermined amount of solvent.

[0019] An embodiment that can be combined with any of the other embodiments includes the following features: before mixing the liquid hydrocarbon sample with a predetermined amount of solvent, the solvent is dried to reduce the water content in the solvent.

[0020] An embodiment that may be combined with any of the other embodiments includes the following features: steps (a) and (b) are performed at a first time point; the steps are performed at multiple time points subsequent to the first time point; the water content is measured at the multiple time points; and the multiple water contents are plotted against the multiple time points to obtain a water cut profile for the liquid hydrocarbons flowing through the flowline during the multiple time points.

[0021] An aspect that can be combined with any of the other aspects includes the following features: The moisture content is transmitted to a computer system and displayed on a display device connected to the computer system.

[0022] An embodiment that can be combined with any of the other embodiments includes the following features: A mixture of a solvent and a liquid hydrocarbon sample is caused to flow in a flow line.

[0023] The details of one or more embodiments of the subject matter described herein are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the subject matter will become apparent from the description, drawings, and claims. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a system for measuring water cut in a liquid hydrocarbon sample.

[0025] [Diagram 2] 1 is a flow chart of an example of a process for measuring water cut in a liquid hydrocarbon sample.

[0026] [Diagram 3]FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a method for measuring water cut in a liquid hydrocarbon sample.

[0027] Like reference numbers and designations in the various drawings indicate like elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0028] Certain crude oil processing refineries stipulate that the maximum water content of export crude oil should be below a water content threshold, e.g., 0.2 weight percent (wt.%). A water content below such a threshold reduces the refinery's processing costs and the disposal of contaminated water. When the water concentration in the liquid hydrocarbon is below the water saturation level, a static (capacitance) probe can be used to measure the water content based on the water concentration being uniform. However, when the water concentration is above the above saturation, the above assumption is invalid and the capacitance-based measurement technique may be inaccurate. The present disclosure describes adding a known amount of a liquid hydrocarbon sample, including liquid hydrocarbon and liquid water, to a known amount of a solvent, e.g., a low dielectric constant solvent, such as dry xylene. In the context of the present disclosure, a low dielectric constant solvent is a solvent that has a dielectric constant less than 5. More generally, a low dielectric constant solvent is a solvent that provides good compatibility with the crude oil, facilitates mixing, and has a low affinity with water to avoid large water entrapment during storage that is difficult to remove with molecular sieves. The solvent and sample amount are selected such that the water concentration in the sample is below the water saturation level. The water cut in the mixture can then be measured, for example, using the capacitance-based measurement techniques described above. In the context of the present disclosure, water saturation refers to the saturation point, i.e., the threshold water concentration above which water can no longer dissolve in the solvent and is found in the form of dispersed droplets or as a precipitate in the solvent.

[0029] The on-line water cut measurement system described herein can provide the ability to control product streams closer to refinery specifications, for example, adjusting the flow rates of demulsifier and wash water. The techniques described herein can be implemented for continuous, real-time water content measurements that can alert operators to changes in the water content of liquid hydrocarbons carried in the flow lines. Such alerts can also allow operators to modify process operations or alert other operators to potential malfunctions of upstream equipment. The water cut measurement techniques described herein can provide accurate water cut data over the full range of water concentrations, i.e., 0%-100% range, more specifically, 0%-1% range. Additionally, the techniques described herein enable water cut measurements in liquid hydrocarbons that contain liquid water above the water saturation level.

[0030] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a system for measuring water cut in a liquid hydrocarbon sample. The system includes a flow line 102 carrying liquid hydrocarbons. In some embodiments, the flow line 102 can carry liquid hydrocarbons produced through a well (not shown). For example, the flow line 102 can extend from a wellhead to a different location, such as a Gas Oil Separation Plant (GOSP), or from a GOSP to a crude oil export terminal or stabilization plant. The liquid hydrocarbons flowing in the flow line 102 can include liquid water, such as liquid crude oil. A high velocity loop system 104 is fluidly coupled to the flow line 102 for obtaining a liquid hydrocarbon sample from the flow line 102. The high velocity loop system 104 can be any fluid system that includes an inlet and an outlet (e.g., a drain) and is fluidly coupled to a main line (here, the flow line 102). The high velocity loop system 104 can establish a continuous flow of fresh liquid hydrocarbon samples for analysis, as described below. The fast loop system 104 may be configured to draw a desired amount of liquid hydrocarbon sample and at a desired frequency that the sample should be drawn, for example, using solenoid valves or equivalent mechanisms. In some embodiments, the fast loop system 104 may include a flow metering system, a pump to allow reinjection into the flow line 102, or a filtration system (or a combination of any two or all three thereof).

[0031] The measurement cell 106 is fluidly coupled to the fast loop system 104. A predetermined amount of the liquid hydrocarbon sample drawn from the flow line 102 by the fast loop system 104 is passed to the measurement cell 106. The volume of the measurement cell 106 is determined by the volume of the liquid hydrocarbon sample used to measure the water cut. An excessively small volume may lead to measurement inaccuracies, while an excessively large volume may increase implementation costs. In some examples, the volume of the liquid hydrocarbon sample may be 10 milliliters (ml). In some embodiments, the fast loop system 104 may include a flow path that returns the sample to the flow line 102 before the sample is passed to the measurement cell 106. The fast loop system 104 allows adjusting the sampled hydrocarbons from the flow line 102, for example, with respect to pressure, flow rate and filtration requirements, and providing a new sample to the measurement cell 106. In some embodiments, the fast loop system 104 may provide a new sample at a frequency that matches the required measurement frequency, thereby avoiding product loss. Any product not used for measurement is returned to flow line 102 .

[0032] The liquid hydrocarbon sample drawn into the measurement cell 106 contains a concentration of liquid water that is higher than the water saturation level. The concentration of liquid water is reduced by adding a solvent, for example, a dielectric solvent such as xylene. Generally, water and oil do not mix. However, a dielectric solvent such as xylene can solubilize a minimal amount of water. Table 1 lists the water solubility of certain solvents at reference temperatures. For example, xylene has a water solubility of 391 parts per million (ppm) at 25 degrees Celsius (°C). This means that up to 391 microliters (μl) of water can be solubilized per liter of dry xylene. Above this concentration, water falls out of solution in the form of droplets and eventually forms a sedimentary layer. In this disclosure, the solvent-to-oil ratio is specified to meet the solubility requirements in the measurement range of interest. [Table 1]

[0033] At higher temperatures than those reported in Table 1, solubility values ​​are expected to be higher, thereby expanding the range of water content that can be measured. One study measured the solubility of water in p-xylene versus temperature at 689.5 kilopascals (kPa). For each increase in temperature, the solubility was found to increase by approximately 0.7% between 25°C and 100°C. Thus, the range of water measurements is 30% wider when measured at 60°C instead of 25°C.

[0034] In some embodiments, the solvent is stored in a solvent storage tank 108 that is fluidly coupled to the measurement cell 106. The solvent in the solvent storage tank 108 can be xylene or other low dielectric solvents listed in Table 1, depending on the application. The solvent in the storage tank 108 is in liquid form. The solvent can be flowed from the storage tank 108 to the measurement cell 106 using a pump (not shown). Alternatively, a pressure fluctuation between the measurement cell 106 and the storage tank 108 can be used to draw the solvent from the storage tank 108 to the measurement cell 106. For example, the pressure fluctuation can be created by pressurizing the storage tank 108 with a dry gas (e.g., nitrogen from a gas cylinder or dry instrument air from a plant). In this way, a specified, e.g., metered, amount of solvent can be flowed from the storage tank 108 to the measurement cell 106.

[0035] The amount of solvent drawn into the measurement cell 106 can be selected based on the volume of the liquid hydrocarbon sample drawn into the measurement cell 106 as well as the expected water cut as measured by BS&W. For example, as shown in Table 1, in order to measure up to 0.782% water in a wet crude oil / xylene system, the crude oil / xylene ratio should be 1:20. For a measurement cell with a volume of 10.5 ml, this translates to approximately 0.5 ml of crude oil and 10 ml of xylene.

[0036] In some embodiments, the storage tank 108 and the measurement cell 106 are fluidly coupled directly, i.e., without intermediate elements through a pipeline. Generally, the low dielectric solvent in the storage tank 108 is substantially free of water or at least has a water content below a water content threshold. In some embodiments, the water content of the solvent can be further reduced by flowing the solvent through a drying chamber 110 before flowing the solvent through the measurement cell 106. For example, the drying chamber 110 can be fluidly coupled at one end to the measurement cell 106 and at the other end to the storage tank 108. The solvent can flow from the storage tank 108 to the drying chamber 110. Drying can be performed using silica gel, activated alumina, zeolites, or combinations thereof. For example, the drying chamber 110 can include or be implemented as a crystalline metal aluminosilicate having a three-dimensional interconnected network of silica and alumina tetrahedra. Such implementations are effective for removing water from organic liquids.

[0037] In some embodiments, the drying chamber 110 need not be a separate container in which a desiccant is placed. Rather, the drying chamber 110 can be implemented as a 3 Angstrom (3A (Å)) to 5A type molecular sieve placed in a flow path, i.e., tube or pipe, through which the solvent flows from the storage tank 108 to the measurement cell 110. Such a molecular sieve can remove water from xylene because water molecules have a size of 1.93A and xylene has a molecular size in the range of 6.5A to 7.5A.

[0038] In some embodiments, a drying gas (e.g., dry nitrogen or a similar inert gas) is injected into the measurement cell 106 along with the solvent. An overpressure is created to avoid water contamination in the solvent. This can reduce the strain on the desiccant and improve the efficiency of the dehydration process. In some embodiments, a cartridge containing molecular sieves or other desiccant can be placed at the inlet of the storage tank 108 to prevent water from entering the tank. In such implementations, the drying chamber 110 can function as a second cartridge to ensure complete drying of the solvent before it enters the measurement cell 106. Both the cartridge at the inlet of the storage tank and the drying chamber 110 can be replaced periodically to ensure that water is efficiently collected. Certain types of cartridges (or drying chambers) can be regenerated by heating to above 120° C. under an inert sweep to displace the water from the molecular sieves.

[0039] After the amount of liquid hydrocarbon sample drawn from the flow line 102 and the amount of solvent drawn from the storage tank 108 are flowed into the measurement cell 106, the water cut of the mixture is measured. In some embodiments, a dry inert gas can be bubbled into the measurement cell 106 to facilitate mixing between the solvent and the sample. To do so, the measurement cell 106 is maintained at a specific temperature, for example, 40° C. In some embodiments, the measurement cell 106 can be connected to a heater (not shown) or placed in a heating chamber (not shown) to maintain the measurement cell 106 at a specific temperature.

[0040] With the temperature of the measuring cell 106 maintained at a desired temperature, the water cut of the mixture in the measuring cell 106 is measured. The water cut can be measured with a capacitance meter.

[0041] In some embodiments, the measurement cell 106 is operably coupled to a computer system (not shown). The computer system includes a computer readable medium (e.g., a transitory or non-transitory computer readable medium) that stores instructions executable by one or more processors to perform operations. The operations include receiving a water cut measurement from the measurement cell 106. For example, a sensor can be installed inside the measurement cell 106 to measure the water cut. The sensor can be operably coupled to the computer system and can transmit the water cut to the computer system. The computer system is operably coupled to a display device (not shown). The computer system can display the water cut of the sample or generate a water cut profile (described below) of multiple samples and display it on the display device. In some embodiments, the water cut (or BS&W) can be displayed on an electronic enclosure of the water cut analyzer itself or can be remotely transmitted to a plant control room via a plant information (PI) system or similar data transmission system.

[0042] After the water cut of the sample is measured, the sample is collected from the measurement cell 106 and returned to the flow line 102. In some embodiments, a sample collection system 112 is fluidly coupled to the measurement cell 106 on one end and to the flow line 102 on the other end. In some embodiments, the sample collection system 112 includes a tank that receives the solvent-hydrocarbon mixture from the measurement cell 106. The sample collection system 112 is connected to a pump and can be periodically emptied into either a drain or the flow line 102.

[0043] FIG. 2 is a flow chart of an example of a process 200 for measuring the water cut in a liquid hydrocarbon sample. In 202, a liquid hydrocarbon sample is received from a flow line, e.g., flow line 102. In 204, the liquid hydrocarbon sample is mixed with a solvent, e.g., from a solvent stored in a storage tank 108. The mixing is performed, e.g., in a measurement cell 106. In 206, the water cut of the sample is determined. In 214, the water cut is displayed, e.g., on a display device of a computer system. In 208, it is determined whether additional samples should be measured for water content. If additional samples are to be measured (decision branch "YES"), steps 202, 204, and 206 are repeated to determine the water cut of a plurality of respective samples. In particular, each additional sample is drawn from the flow line at a respective time and its water cut is measured. The frequency at which various samples are taken and the water cut is measured may depend on the operation being performed or the process being controlled. For example, four samples may be taken and measured periodically, i.e., evenly spaced every hour. In this manner, the water cut of the multiple samples drawn from the flow line over a period spanning multiple time points is obtained. If no additional samples remain (decision branch "no"), then at 210, a water cut profile of the liquid hydrocarbon is determined. The water cut profile is a plot of the water cut of the multiple samples versus each of the times when the multiple samples were drawn from the flow line 102 or when the water cut was measured for the multiple samples. The computer system may use any plotting or graph generating software to generate the water cut profile. At 214, the water cut is displayed on a display device.

[0044] In the embodiment described with reference to Figures 1 and 2, liquid hydrocarbon samples were withdrawn from the flowline 102 at a particular height measured from the bottom of the flowline 102. In such an embodiment, the water cut of each sample or the water cut profile of the multiple samples represents the water cut in the liquid hydrocarbon flowing through the flowline 102 at the measured height. In some embodiments, the techniques described herein can be implemented to identify the water cut at different heights in the separation vessel. Recognizing that the water cut may be different at different heights in the vessel, multiple samples can be withdrawn from the vessel at different heights measured from the bottom of the vessel. By doing so, the water cut profile throughout the height of the vessel can be identified. Using the water cut or water cut profile (or both) measured as described in this disclosure, the control system can be programmed to create a relationship between the water cut, i.e., BS&W reading, and specific actions, such as wash water flow rate, demulsifier flow rate, opening of recirculation valves, heating requirements in the presence of heat exchangers or similar wells, flowline or plant operations. Off-spec crude oil can be separated and sent to a different tank. In some embodiments, a mixing element, such as a static mixer, can be placed in the flow line 102 and the hydrocarbons can be sampled downstream of the mixing element to ensure mixing of the hydrocarbons and to obtain a representative sample.

[0045] Working Example

[0046] FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a method for measuring the water cut in a liquid hydrocarbon sample. In 302, dry xylene was injected into a 10 ml measurement cell together with dry nitrogen. In 304, the temperature of the measurement cell was controlled at 40° C. In 306, the water content in the dry solvent was measured. The water content was found to be 50 ppmv by volume. In 308, it was confirmed that the dry solvent water content was below the water content threshold of 200 ppmv. If the dry solvent water content was greater than the water content threshold, an alarm was triggered requiring replacement of the solvent or molecular sieve cartridge at the inlet of the solvent storage tank. In 310, 1 ml of crude oil was injected into the measurement cell from a fast loop system containing dry nitrogen. In 312, the temperature of the measurement cell was maintained at 40° C. In 314, the water content of the mixture of dry solvent and liquid hydrocarbon sample in the measurement cell was measured to be 300 ppm. In 316, the water cut of the liquid hydrocarbon sample was measured. In particular, the water cut of the crude oil samples was measured using the following equation:

number

[0047] In some embodiments, the water cut measurement system described herein can be calibrated. To do so, two samples can be drawn either at the same time or at different times. The samples can be variously diluted. For example, the first sample can be diluted in a ratio of 1:10 and the second sample can be diluted in a dilution fluid, e.g., a low dielectric solvent, in a ratio of 1:20. A measurement of the water cut can be performed on both samples as described above. If the system works as intended, the water cut of the first sample will be twice the water cut of the second sample. If a similar calibration is performed on multiple samples in the linear range of dilution ratios, the water cut profile for the samples will also be linear. Alternatively or additionally, two water samples of the same concentration (1:10 ratio or 1:20 ratio) can be processed in parallel to allow the solution of a system of two equations with two unknowns (original water content in the hydrocarbon and solvent), allowing the measurement of the water content of the mixture components.

[0048] In summary, the technique described in this disclosure makes it possible to measure the water content of water-saturated petroleum fluids containing dispersed droplets. By implementing this technique, the water present in the crude oil in the form of droplets can be dissolved in a dry solvent and easily measured as part of a homogenous mixture. By varying the volume ratio of solvent to petroleum fluid, it is possible to cover a very wide range of water concentrations in the petroleum fluid (e.g., 0% to 100%).

[0049] Thus, specific embodiments of the subject matter have been described. Other implementations are within the scope of the following claims. In some cases, the actions recited in the claims can be performed in a different order and still achieve desirable results. Moreover, the processes depicted in the accompanying figures do not necessarily require the particular order shown, or sequential order, to achieve desirable results. In some embodiments, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous.

Claims

1. receiving a liquid hydrocarbon sample from a flowline carrying liquid hydrocarbons, the liquid hydrocarbon sample comprising liquid hydrocarbons and liquid water at a concentration greater than a water saturation level; mixing the liquid hydrocarbon sample with a solvent, wherein a concentration of liquid water in the mixture of the solvent and the liquid hydrocarbon sample is less than a water saturation level; determining a water content of the liquid hydrocarbon sample after mixing the liquid hydrocarbon sample with the solvent. method.

2. receiving the liquid hydrocarbon sample comprises flowing the liquid hydrocarbon sample through a measurement cell; The method of claim 1.

3. and controlling the temperature of the measurement cell to remain at a substantially constant temperature before mixing the liquid hydrocarbon sample with the solvent and during determining the liquid water content in the liquid hydrocarbon sample. The method of claim 2.

4. The temperature is 40° C. The method according to claim 3.

5. mixing the liquid hydrocarbon sample with the solvent comprises flowing the solvent through the measurement cell; The method of claim 2.

6. Prior to mixing the liquid hydrocarbon sample with the solvent, determining that the water content of the solvent is greater than a water content threshold; and sending a warning signal to stop mixing of the liquid hydrocarbon sample with the solvent if the water content of the solvent is determined to be greater than the water content threshold. The method according to claim 5.

7. transmitting said moisture content to a computer system; and displaying the moisture content on a display device connected to the computer system. The method of claim 1.

8. flowing a mixture of the solvent and the liquid hydrocarbon sample through the flow line; The method of claim 1.

9. The liquid hydrocarbon sample is a first liquid hydrocarbon sample, the solvent is a first solvent, and the water content is a first water content, the first water content being determined at a first time point, the method comprising: at each of a plurality of time points subsequent to the first time point: receiving a plurality of liquid hydrocarbon samples from the flow line, each of the liquid hydrocarbon samples comprising liquid hydrocarbons and liquid water at a concentration greater than a water saturation level; mixing each of the liquid hydrocarbon samples with a solvent; determining a liquid water content in each of the liquid hydrocarbon samples after mixing each of the liquid hydrocarbon samples with the solvent; and developing a water cut profile of the first liquid hydrocarbon sample and the plurality of liquid hydrocarbon samples over a period of time including the first time point and a plurality of time points. The method of claim 1.

10. The solvent comprises dry xylene; The method of claim 1.

11. (a) mixing a liquid hydrocarbon sample withdrawn from a flowline carrying liquid hydrocarbons with a quantity of a solvent, the liquid hydrocarbon sample comprising liquid hydrocarbons and a concentration of liquid water above a water saturation level, the quantity of solvent being configured to reduce the liquid water below the water saturation level; (b) measuring the liquid water content in the liquid hydrocarbon sample after mixing the liquid hydrocarbon sample with the solvent. method.

12. The solvent comprises dry xylene; The method of claim 11.

13. drawing the liquid hydrocarbon sample from the flow line into a measurement cell. The method of claim 11.

14. mixing the liquid hydrocarbon sample with the amount of solvent comprises flowing the amount of solvent from a solvent storage tank into the measurement cell; The method of claim 13.

15. and drying the solvent to reduce the water content in the solvent prior to mixing the liquid hydrocarbon sample with the amount of solvent. The method of claim 11.

16. steps (a) and (b) are performed at a first time; performing steps (a) and (b) at multiple time points subsequent to the first time point; determining a plurality of moisture contents at the plurality of time points; and plotting the plurality of water contents against a plurality of time points to generate a water cut profile for the liquid hydrocarbon flowing through the flowline between the plurality of time points. The method of claim 11.

17. transmitting said moisture content to a computer system; and displaying the moisture content on a display device connected to the computer system. The method of claim 11.

18. flowing a mixture of the solvent and the liquid hydrocarbon sample through the flow line; The method of claim 11.

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