Refined-Product LACT StationHigh-capacity outdoor installation
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Automatic Crude Oil Custody Transfer
Lease Automatic Custody Transfer SystemsLACT
UNITS
Integrated metering packages that verify oil quality, reject non-merchantable product, collect representative samples and report standardized custody-transfer volume.
Endress+Hauser Promass 300 / 500 Technology + MDOW Skid Engineering & Integration
Standardized or Custom-Built
Measurement Technology
Automatic Fiscal Metering PackageEndress+Hauser Coriolis measurement integrated with conditioning, sampling, flow computing and prover connections.
◎Custody-Transfer
Measurement
Measurement
↗Automatic
Diversion
Diversion
◫Flow-Weighted
Sampling
Sampling
✓Continuous
Diagnostics
Diagnostics
◇Compact
Footprint
Footprint
⚙Proving
Connections
Connections
The LACT Function
Transfer Only Merchantable Oil
A LACT unit automates the formal transfer of crude oil ownership. The system checks product condition before measurement, diverts water-rich or off-specification oil, removes free gas, creates a representative sample and calculates standardized volume for reporting and invoicing.
Straining removes gross solids before quality verification.
Watercut monitoring controls automatic acceptance or diversion.
Air elimination and static mixing stabilize the measurement stream.
A flow-weighted sampler supports laboratory quality analysis.
Coriolis measurement provides flow rate and density directly.
The flow computer corrects, stores and reports standard volume.
LACT Process
One Automated Measurement Sequence
Every component supports the same objective: measure the quantity of acceptable crude oil accurately while maintaining a traceable sample and a controlled route for rejected product.
01 CONDITIONStrain solids and eliminate free gas.
02 VERIFYCheck watercut before fiscal measurement.
03 HOMOGENIZEMix the stream for representative sampling.
04 SAMPLECollect a flow-weighted composite sample.
05 MEASURERead mass flow, density, pressure and temperature.
06 REPORTCalculate and store standardized volume.
FLOW COMPUTER
& SYSTEM CONTROL
& SYSTEM CONTROL
CLICK TO SWITCH MODE
Main FlowOff-spec Oil ReturnSampling / Sample MixingExternal Prover Loop
Accepted oil passes through the Coriolis meter, backpressure valve and check valve to delivery. Sampling is shown alongside the main flow.
Illustrative system arrangement. The external prover loop is shown schematically; final piping and control logic follow the project design.
Core Measurement PlatformEndress+Hauser Technology for LACT Custody Transfer
MDOW integrates E+H Coriolis measurement into a complete LACT skid, combining proven instrumentation with process design, piping, sampling, automation and project-specific packaging.
Promass 300 / 500New-generation Coriolis platforms for accurate and repeatable custody-transfer measurement.
Direct Product DataMass flow, density and viscosity information support transparent product and standard-volume reporting.
Heartbeat DiagnosticsContinuous diagnostics help identify air or two-phase flow and support preventive maintenance.
Reynolds CorrectionPatented correction technology can improve the efficiency of meter proving processes.
Endress+Hauser Coriolis Promass 300 / 500
Heart of the LACT
Endress+Hauser Coriolis Measurement
Promass 300 and 500 instruments provide direct mass flow and density measurement with diagnostics that support transparent custody-transfer operation.
No rotating partsLower routine maintenance requirements.
Long-term stabilityReduced recalibration effort and lifecycle cost.
Density and viscosity informationProduct transparency and direct standard-volume data.
No straight-run requirementMore compact skid arrangement.
High measurement accuracyReduced uncertainty and potential billing losses.
Fluid-condition adaptabilityMaintains performance across changing fluid types without application-specific on-site calibration.
Heartbeat diagnosticsDetection of air or two-phase flow and support for preventive maintenance.
Reynolds correctionSupports more efficient proving processes.
Vibration independenceSimpler installation without special vibration dampers.
Accuracy & Commercial Control
Small Errors Become Large Values
In high-throughput crude oil service, metering uncertainty directly affects the reliability of commercial settlement. Higher system accuracy narrows the potential billing-error band for both buyer and seller.
Illustrative example reproduced from the Endress+Hauser LACT product material. Actual commercial exposure depends on flow, oil price, operating time and complete system uncertainty.
80,000 BPDIllustrative crude oil flow rate
USD 60/bblIllustrative oil value
USD 4.8M/dayDaily product value through the line
USD 12.264M/yearIllustrative 0.7% total error-band value
Reference Configurations
Multi-Stream LACT Systems
The supplied Endress+Hauser project material demonstrates how a common Coriolis custody-transfer platform can be configured for different line sizes, pressure classes, flow availability and proving philosophies—from parallel duty lines to staged-capacity systems with a shared small-volume prover.
Multi-Station LACT + Shared SVP
Illustrative Project Arrangement
One Proving Strategy Across Multiple Stations
A documented installation combined several LACT stations operating at different pressure classes with a Class 900 small-volume piston prover. The arrangement supported refined-product transfer with redundant metering streams and a verified total system accuracy of 0.15% for that specific project.
2 × 100%Full-Flow RedundancyOne complete stream can remain available while the other is isolated or verified.
3 × 50%Staged CapacityParallel streams provide turndown, operating flexibility and maintenance access.
Class 150–900Pressure-Class RangeDifferent station duties coordinated through a project-specific proving concept.
0.15%Verified Project AccuracyPerformance reported for the documented installation, not a universal guarantee.
Parallel Coriolis StreamsRedundancy and staged operating capacity
Crude-Oil Custody TransferThree-stream field installation
Reference values and arrangements above are drawn from the supplied project presentation. Final line size, pressure class, accuracy, redundancy and proving method are engineered for each contract.
General Specification
Configured Around the Application
Standardized designs support tight schedules, while materials, pressure class, power supply, proving method and layout can be tailored to project requirements.
- Transfer pump
- Master meter prover
- Small-volume piston prover
- Thermal insulation
- Sunshade
- Portable trailer
- Solar power
Typical pipe sizes2, 3, 4 and 6 in.; other sizes available on request
Pressure classesANSI 150, 300, 600 and 900
MaterialsCarbon steel, stainless steel or project-specific materials
Hazardous-area conceptEx d and intrinsically safe configurations
Flow computerRemote or skid-mounted; hazardous- or safe-area installation
Power supply24 VDC, 240 VAC single phase, 380/440 V three phase or solar
Custody-transfer standardAPI MPMS
Typical ANSI 150 skid rangeApprox. 4.3-5.0 m long and 1,900-2,700 kg for 2-6 in. units
Duty + Master / Standby Arrangement
Metering Architecture
Select the Right Redundancy Pattern
Meter placement and valving determine how the station remains available, how meters are compared and how verification is performed. The correct pattern depends on process continuity, required uncertainty and the site's proving philosophy.
Duty + StandbyParallel full-capacity streams support continuity during maintenance or verification.
Duty + Master + StandbyA dedicated reference meter supports comparison while preserving operating availability.
Series Check + DutyTwo meters in series enable continuous comparison, with a full bypass where required.
Shared Small-Volume ProverOne prover can be engineered to serve multiple stations and pressure classes.
Expanded Custody-Transfer Applications
One Coriolis Platform, Multiple Fluids
LACT commonly refers to automated liquid-hydrocarbon transfer, while the same modular engineering principles and Endress+Hauser Coriolis technology can be extended to other custody-transfer duties. The supplied references include LPG, hydrogen, propylene and CO₂ systems with application-specific piping, redundancy and control arrangements.
LIQUEFIED GASLPG Custody TransferAir elimination, straining, sampling, duty/standby/master measurement and automated flow control.
GAS METERINGHydrogen MeteringSeries check-and-duty measurement with redundant piping and a complete bypass.
PETROCHEMICAL TRANSFERPropylene MeteringCompact packaged metering for project-specific custody-transfer conditions.
CO₂ GASCO₂ Custody TransferLarge multi-stream Coriolis metering system engineered from 3D model through site installation.
These photographs show reference custody-transfer applications included in the supplied Endress+Hauser material. They illustrate configuration capability and do not represent one standard LACT design.
Project Inquiry
Define Your LACT Unit
Share the fluid data, flow range, pressure class, site classification and custody-transfer requirements. MDOW will configure the skid around Endress+Hauser measurement technology and the complete project interface.