Kinetic inhibition of natural gas hydrates in offshore drilling, production, and processing operations. Annual report, January 1--December 31, 1992
Natural gas hydrates are solid crystalline compounds which form when molecules smaller than n-butane contact molecules of water at elevated pressures and reduced temperatures, both above and below the ice point. Because these crystalline compounds plug flow channels, they are undesirable. In this project the authors proposed an alternate approach of controlling hydrate formation by preventing hydrate growth into a sizeable mass which could block a flow channel. The authors call this new technique kinetic inhibition, because while it allows the system to exist in the hydrate domain, it prevents the kinetic agglomeration of small hydrate crystals to the point of pluggage of a flow channel. In order to investigate the kinetic means of inhibiting hydrate formation, they held two consortium meetings, on June 1, 1990 and on August 31, 1990. At subsequent meetings, the authors determined the following four stages of the project, necessary to reach the goal of determining a new hydrate field inhibitor: (1) a rapid screening method was to be determined for testing the hydrate kinetic formation period of many surfactants and polymer candidates (both individually and combined), the present report presents the success of two screening apparatuses: a multi-reactor apparatus which is capable of rapid, high volume screening, and the backup screening method--a viscometer for testing with gas at high pressure; (2) the construction of two high, constant pressure cells were to experimentally confirm the success of the chemicals in the rapid screening apparatus; (3) in the third phase of the work, Exxon volunteered to evaluate the performance of the best chemicals from the previous two stages in their 4 inch I.D. Multiphase flow loop in Houston; (4) in the final phase of the work, the intention was to take the successful kinetic inhibition chemicals from the previous three stages and then test them in the field in gathering lines and wells from member companies.
- Research Organization:
- Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- FG21-92MC29248
- OSTI ID:
- 578693
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/MC/29248-5595; ON: DE97002242; TRN: AHC29806%%130
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: [1992]
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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