Flotek’s XSPCT™ sets benchmark for accurate natural gas measurement

Flotek Industries, Inc. has announced that its XSPCT™ optical spectrometer is the first optical instrument to meet the GPA 2172 (API 14.5) standard for custody transfer accuracy — a key benchmark for natural gas measurement across the oil and gas industry. 

The qualification marks a milestone in gas metering technology, as the XSPCT’s compliance demonstrates that optical spectroscopy can match or exceed the precision of traditional gas chromatography for volume and quality assessment in custody transfer.

During extensive field testing in South Texas’ Eagle Ford Shale, five XSPCT units achieved over 95% pass rates for methane, ethane, propane and higher hydrocarbons, meeting GPA 2261 reproducibility and repeatability requirements. Across nine months of field trials in three U.S. basins, 12 deployed units demonstrated a negligible bias of 0.3 BTU/scf — or a 0.02% deviation — when compared with standard gas chromatography results.

Designed to deliver real-time compositional analysis every 5–20 seconds, the XSPCT system enables faster, more transparent valuation and reduced operating costs for producers, midstream operators and royalty owners.

“The XSPCT’s industry-validated accuracy and real-time insights set a new standard for custody transfer,” said Ryan Ezell, CEO of Flotek. “This technology empowers operators with transparent, data-driven gas valuation designed to streamline operations and improve efficiency.”

Flotek expects adoption of its GPA 2172-qualified system to expand as upstream and midstream companies seek higher-resolution gas data for both operational and commercial applications.