What Process Instruments & Controls does

Process Instruments, Inc. (doing business as Process Instruments & Controls) is a privately held oil and gas measurement and instrumentation company founded in 1988 and headquartered in Bakersfield, California, with operating presence in the Sultanate of Oman via a regional base in Muscat. The company serves major and independent oil and gas operators whose mature fields require precise measurement of high water-cut production, providing four core offerings: Portable Oil Well Testing (PWT) using trailer-mounted Coriolis and isokinetic sampling systems; Validation services for customer Automated Well Test (AWT) and Wet LACT Metering systems using the proprietary Accuflow Multiphase Metering System; the Net Oil Metering System (NOMS) product line in two variants (NOMS-I for low-entrained-gas environments and NOMS-II with GLCC separation for free-gas/steam conditions); and Steam Quality Measurement services for cyclic and injector wells.

Underlying the portfolio is a vertically integrated technical stack combining Coriolis mass flow measurement, isokinetic sampling proportional to flowrate (PLC-controlled), static-mixer flow conditioning, and a cut-by-weight analytical method — collectively claimed to achieve 0.025% absolute water-cut accuracy across the full 0-100% range, compared with conventional probes that can introduce 1-2% error. The company owns US Patent #10620227 for an Automated Sample Receiving System that collects up to six 2,000 mL composite samples per 24-hour period without technician presence, enabling direct integration with customer well-test manifolds and control systems. All measurement follows API Manual of Petroleum Measurement Standards Chapter 8, Section 2.

The business is run on a B2B enterprise field-sales motion targeted at major oil companies. Revenue is generated through long-term service contracts (portable well testing, validation campaigns), managed-services arrangements (where Process Instruments operates and maintains customer-installed NOMS units), and capital equipment sales (NOMS permanent installations). Over 100 locally employed Omanis operate the company's well test systems in the Middle East, and a long-standing relationship with Chevron at the Kern River Field dates to 2003. Pricing is contract-based and not publicly disclosed. The company bills itself as the "Gold Standard" for validation and portable well testing within its niche.

Name

Process Instruments & Controls

Legal name

Process Instruments, Inc.

Website

https://process-instruments.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Process Instruments, Inc. is a Bakersfield, California-based oil and gas measurement services company (founded 1988) serving major oil operators with portable well testing, validation of automated well test systems, Net Oil Metering Systems (NOMS), and steam quality measurement, operating in the United States and the Sultanate of Oman.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Oil and Gas Well Testing and Measurement Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Oil and Gas Operations (213112), Oil and Gas Field Machinery and Equipment Manufacturing (333132)

SIC

Oil & Gas Field Services, Nec (1389), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Totalizing Fluid Meters & Counting Devices (3824)

akta.pro primary industry

Inspection, Integrity & Testing Services (NDT, Well Integrity, Corrosion, QA/QC) (EUALABAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Crude Oil Metering, Measurement & Custody Transfer Services (TLAGAAAI), Gas Quality Measurement, Sampling & Metering (Chromatography, Calorimetry, Custody Transfer) (EUAAABAL)

Keywords

• Oil well testing
• Multiphase flow metering
• Net oil measurement
• Well test validation
• Steam quality measurement

Headquarters

HQ city

Bakersfield

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Portable Well Testing Services: Trailer-mounted portable well testing services using proprietary Accuflow and AMMS technology. Provides mobile measurement capability for oil fields, generating recurring revenue through service contracts.
2. Validation Services: Validation of Automated Well Test systems (AWTs) and Wet LACT Metering systems. Contract-based services validating customer measurement systems for improved accuracy and compliance.
3. NOMS System Sales and Operation: Customers may purchase and install NOMS as a permanent asset, with Process Instruments operating and maintaining the system under managed services arrangement.
4. Steam Quality Measurement Services: Steam quality measurement for cyclic and steam injector wells, providing data for heat management analysis, choke maintenance, and steam distribution studies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Core offering

Process Instruments provides portable oil well testing, validation of automated well test systems, and net oil metering systems (NOMS) for the upstream oil and gas industry, with specialization in high water cut measurement (0-100% range, 0.025% accuracy). Services combine Coriolis mass flow meters, isokinetic sampling proportional to flowrate, and cut-by-weight analysis to deliver API Chapter 8, Section 2 compliant measurement for major oil operators. Operations span the United States (Bakersfield, CA) and the Sultanate of Oman under long-term service contracts and managed-services arrangements.

Product overview

Process Instruments, Inc. is an oil and gas measurement and instrumentation company founded in 1988, offering a portfolio of portable testing, validation, and metering products and services. The core offerings include Portable Oil Well Testing (PWT) for field measurement, Validation of Automated Well Test Systems using the patented Accuflow separator, and the Net Oil Metering System (NOMS) product line with NOMS-I (no separation) and NOMS-II (with GLCC separator) variants. Supporting these are the patented Automated Sample Receiving System and Steam Quality Measurement System. The company's specialty is achieving high water cut accuracy throughout the 0-100% range by combining isokinetic sampling, Coriolis flow measurement, and cut-by-weight analysis methods.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Portable Oil Well Testing (PWT) Trailer-mounted portable well testing service that uses Coriolis mass flow meters for liquid and gas measurement combined with isokinetic sampling proportional to flow to determine accurate oil water cut. PLC-based system delivering accurate, repeatable results following API Chapter 8, Section 2 standards, deployed at customer well sites under service contracts.
• Validation of Automated Well Test Systems Well test validation service using the patented Accuflow Multiphase Metering System to validate Automatic Well Testers and Wet LACT Metering systems. Implements five core principles: accurate non-mechanical flow measurement (Coriolis), flow stream conditioning via static mixer, proportional-to-flowrate sampling, isokinetic sampling, and cut-by-weight analysis.
• Net Oil Metering System (NOMS) Automated system for accurate net oil measurement in high water cut fields (above 80%). Combines the patented Automated Sample Receiving System with proportional-to-flow sampling. Offered in two variants: NOMS-I (no separation, for production areas with less than 5% entrained gas) and NOMS-II (with Two Phase Gas-Liquid Cylindrical Cyclone Separator for areas with free gas and steam slugs). Customers may purchase and install NOMS as a permanent asset with Process Instruments operating and maintaining the system.
• Steam Quality Measurement System Steam quality measurement system with ANSI 900 series construction featuring the Accuflow vertical and horizontal steam separator. Provides accurate steam measurement for cyclic and steam injector wells with 0-100% quality range and 0-2000+ BSPD capacity. SCADA compatible with data logging and online monitoring options.

Quantifiable outcome

• At 90% water cut with 2% accuracy, conventional probes misstate net oil by 20%; Process Instruments achieves 0.025% accuracy, providing critical precision for reservoir and well analysis.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature5 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Weatherford International: Weatherford provides well construction and production services including well testing, artificial lift, and intervention. Its well-testing and metering offerings overlap with Process Instruments' portable testing and NOMS product set as part of a broader OFS portfolio.
• Schlumberger (SLB): SLB is the largest oilfield services incumbent, providing production testing, well surveillance, and measurement services through its Digital & Integration and Production Solutions segments. It overlaps with Process Instruments through well testing and multiphase metering, but as part of a much broader OFS portfolio.
• Halliburton: Halliburton's Production Solutions and Wireline services include well testing and formation evaluation capabilities that compete with Process Instruments' portable well testing and validation services across the same operator customer base.
• AMETEK: AMETEK's Process & Analytical Instruments division supplies flow measurement, level, and sampling equipment used in oil & gas production. It is a broader instrumentation incumbent whose products can substitute or complement Process Instruments' specialized measurement systems.
• Emerson Electric (Rosemount): Emerson's Rosemount and Measurement Solutions businesses supply Coriolis, vortex, and multiphase flow meters to the oil & gas industry. Their instrumentation is used both standalone and embedded in well testing systems like Process Instruments' portable PWT and NOMS units.

Direct peers

• Endress+Hauser: Endress+Hauser is a leading manufacturer of Coriolis mass flow meters, sampling systems, and process instrumentation widely used in oil & gas measurement. Its Promass Coriolis meters are an alternative or complementary component to Process Instruments' PWT and NOMS measurement architecture.
• Phase Dynamics: Phase Dynamics is a direct competitor in oilfield water-cut and multiphase measurement, offering analyzers for real-time oil/water/gas measurement in upstream production — directly comparable to Process Instruments' NOMS and Accuflow offerings for high water-cut fields.
• Yokogawa Electric: Yokogawa supplies process measurement instruments, Coriolis and vortex flowmeters, and sampling systems for upstream oil & gas. It is a comparable vendor of measurement hardware to the same upstream operators Process Instruments serves.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Process Instruments & Controls