While inaccuracies in measurement can be costly and common, they are also avoidable in most cases. Technicians willing to study the experiences and best practices of industry leaders can make a world of difference by applying what they’ve learned and sharing the knowledge shared in this paper with others. This paper aims to describe spot sampling as defined by industry standards, and discuss important factors that may impact accuracy when taking a spot sample.
A Starting Point
The first step towards proper spot sampling is to develop a solid grasp of what ‘representative’ means in a measurement context. Simply put, a representative sample is nothing more than a volume of natural gas whose makeup is consistent with the pipeline flow from which it was taken. If there is a single area of measurement that is most responsible for inaccuracy, it must be the process by which products are moved from inside the pipe to inside the cylinder. If no care is given to preserving the sample’s representative nature, there should be no expectation of accuracy.