In-Situ Pipeline Coatings for Methane Emissions Mitigation and Quantification from Natural Gas Pipelines

Technical Report · Thu Feb 03 04:00:00 EST 2022

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1837770· OSTI ID:1837770

Nakatsuka, Matthew A. ^[1]

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1. Oceanit, Honolulu, HI (United States); Oceanit

Addressing the current health of the nation’s existing 3 million miles of pipeline infrastructure is key to preventing further climate change. In 2020, natural gas production exceeded 34 trillion cubic feet (Tcf). Roughly 75% of natural gas consists of methane (CH₄), which is up to 25 times more powerful than carbon dioxide (CO₂) at trapping heat within the atmosphere over a 100-year period, and studies from the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) estimate approximately 2% of all the natural gas produced will be lost during normal operations due to unaddressed leaks. This does not even consider the risks of major disaster due to pipeline failure, or the losses and extra fuel costs incurred due to corrosion and scale deposits in under-maintained pipelines. The objective of the proposed research is to demonstrate the protection capabilities and economic benefits of Oceanit’s internal pipe surface treatment, known as DragX™. DragX™ is a chemically resistant, water-and-oil repellent nanocomposite system that can be readily applied in-situ on natural gas transmission and distribution pipelines with a minimum of surface preparation. This makes it an ideal candidate for in-place retrofitting and refurbishment of existing pipelines without the need for expensive extraction and replacement. DragX™ is also able to significantly reduce the surface roughness, and subsequently, the frictional drag forces within a pipeline, improving throughput, decreasing energy costs of pressurization and pumping, and allowing for longer pipeline operation without interruption, reducing the methane emitted during pipe isolation and venting. As part of this project, Oceanit has utilized the Department of Energy’s support to fully develop, de-risk and prove the DragX™ core technology is both economically viable and commercially desirable to pipeline operators and energy companies alike. DragX™ material properties were optimized in this effort both for ease of applicability, to provide value in certain key parameters, and was demonstrated on pilot applications exceeding 2 miles in length. Beyond the already field demonstrated applications, this innovative nanocomposite surface treatment has the potential to be the backbone for CO₂ and Hydrogen transporting pipeline infrastructure. The learnings from this project could accelerate the deployment of surface treatment technologies related to the energy transition infrastructure, thus benefitting the clean energy initiatives in the United States and all around the world.

• Research Organization: Oceanit, Honolulu, HI (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Fossil Energy (FE), Oil & Natural Gas
• DOE Contract Number: FE0029069
• OSTI ID: 1837770
• Report Number(s): DOE-OCEANIT-29069-1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

03 NATURAL GAS
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
42 ENGINEERING
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS
Corrosion
Drag Reduction
Pipelines
Surface Treatments