Natural gas hydrates
- Colorado School of Mines (US)
This paper reports on gas clathrates (commonly called hydrates), which are crystalline compounds that occur when water form a cage-like structure around smaller guest molecules. Gas hydrates of interest to the natural gas hydrocarbon industry are composed of water and eight molecules: methane, ethane, propane, isobutane, normal butane, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen sulfide. Hydrate formation is possible in any place where water exists with such molecules - in natural or artificial environments and at temperatures above and below 32{degrees} F when the pressure is elevated. Hydrates are considered a nuisance because they block transmission lines, plug blowout preventers, jeopardize the foundations of deepwater platforms and pipelines, cause tubing and casing collapse, and foul process heat exchangers, valves, and expanders. Common examples of preventive measures are the regulation of pipeline water content, unusual drilling-mud compositions, and large quantities of methanol injection into pipelines. We encounter conditions that encourage hydrate formation as we explore more unusual environments for gas and oil, including deepwater frontiers and permafrost regions.
- OSTI ID:
- 5892553
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Petroleum Technology; (United States), Vol. 43:12; ISSN 0022-3522
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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03 NATURAL GAS
NATURAL GAS WELLS
GAS HYDRATES
OIL WELLS
BUTANE
ETHANE
FOULING
METHANE
NATURAL GAS
PETROLEUM
PLUGGING
PROPANE
SYNTHESIS
ALKANES
ENERGY SOURCES
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUEL GAS
FUELS
GAS FUELS
GASES
HYDRATES
HYDROCARBONS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
WELLS
020300* - Petroleum- Drilling & Production
030300 - Natural Gas- Drilling
Production
& Processing