Document Text Contents
Page 104
85
and prevent agglomeration of crystals8. The anti-agglomerates are a better alternative to the
traditional methanol injection.
For qualification of hydrate control strategy for flow assurance, the following aspects of hydrates
need to be considered65:
Composition, density, heat capacity, heat of dissociation, thermal conductivity and
viscosity
Equilibrium
Kinetics
Inhibition
Blockage potential
The laboratory characterization of hydrates includes study of thermodynamic equilibrium
conditions, amount of sub-cooling required, degree of hydrate formation and change in rheology.
The evaluation of inhibitors is focused on their ability to prevent agglomeration of hydrate nuclei
and minimize rheology alteration. Addition of inhibitors increases the environmental concerns
downstream. Methanol has been known to cause total hydrocarbon content of produced water
effluent to exceed allowable limits in the Gulf of Mexico.
Fig. 49: Shifting of Hydrate Equilibrium by Presence of Electrolyte and MeOH72
Page 105
86
The dissolved salts in produced water help inhibit hydrate formation to some extent64. Where
water salinity is not enough to inhibit hydrate formation, the flow of hydrates as slurry in pipeline
using kinetic inhibitors is attractive for high water cut systems. Tohidi et al.64 has shown that
electrolytes present in system shift the hydrate equilibrium curve to the left. Fig. 49 shows that
addition of salt to water in water-hydrocarbon system shifts the hydrate equilibrium to the left.
The unconventional inhibitors are effective at much less concentrations as compared to typical
methanol and glycol injection requirements65. In oil industry, it is often difficult to introduce any
new technology or any new chemical. Consequences of failure are so severe that the operators
remain very conservative in adapting anything new for the first time.
Fig. 50: Options for Transport of NGH73
Page 207
188
93. Martinez, J. K. and Konopczynski, M. R.: “Integrated Reservoir Management in an
Intelligent Well Environment,” paper SPE 77853, presented at 2002, SPE Asia Pacific Oil
and Gas Conference and Exhibition, Melbourne, October 8-10.
94. Alimonti, C. and Falcone, G.: “Integration of Multiphase Flowmetering Neural Networks,
Fuzzy Logic in Field Performance Monitoring,” paper SPE 87629, SPE Production and
Facilities (February 2004) 25.
95. Lamey, M. F., Schoppa, W., Stingl, K. H., Turley, Jr., A. J.: “Dynamic Simulation of
Europa and Mars Expansion Projects: A New Approach to Coupled Subsea and Topside
Modeling,” paper SPE 56704, presented at 1999 SPE Annual Technical Conference and
Exhibition, Houston, October 3-6.
96. “What is .NET?” www.microsoft.com/net, Accessed June 2006.
Page 208
189
VITA
Hemant G. Nikhar
[email protected]
3116 TAMU 603 Richardson Building
College Station, TX 77843-3116
Education
MS (Petroleum Engineering), Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA, December 2006
BS (Petroleum Engineering), Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad, India, May 1998
Research
Texas A&M University, Department of Petroleum Engineering (Fall 2004 – Summer 2006):
Research Associate
Coursework at Texas A&M
Drilling, Modern Petroleum Production, Advanced Reservoir Engineering and Simulation, Well
Stimulation, Petroleum Project Evaluation, Reserves Estimation, Petroleum Reservoir
Management, Transport Phenomena.
mailto:[email protected]
85
and prevent agglomeration of crystals8. The anti-agglomerates are a better alternative to the
traditional methanol injection.
For qualification of hydrate control strategy for flow assurance, the following aspects of hydrates
need to be considered65:
Composition, density, heat capacity, heat of dissociation, thermal conductivity and
viscosity
Equilibrium
Kinetics
Inhibition
Blockage potential
The laboratory characterization of hydrates includes study of thermodynamic equilibrium
conditions, amount of sub-cooling required, degree of hydrate formation and change in rheology.
The evaluation of inhibitors is focused on their ability to prevent agglomeration of hydrate nuclei
and minimize rheology alteration. Addition of inhibitors increases the environmental concerns
downstream. Methanol has been known to cause total hydrocarbon content of produced water
effluent to exceed allowable limits in the Gulf of Mexico.
Fig. 49: Shifting of Hydrate Equilibrium by Presence of Electrolyte and MeOH72
Page 105
86
The dissolved salts in produced water help inhibit hydrate formation to some extent64. Where
water salinity is not enough to inhibit hydrate formation, the flow of hydrates as slurry in pipeline
using kinetic inhibitors is attractive for high water cut systems. Tohidi et al.64 has shown that
electrolytes present in system shift the hydrate equilibrium curve to the left. Fig. 49 shows that
addition of salt to water in water-hydrocarbon system shifts the hydrate equilibrium to the left.
The unconventional inhibitors are effective at much less concentrations as compared to typical
methanol and glycol injection requirements65. In oil industry, it is often difficult to introduce any
new technology or any new chemical. Consequences of failure are so severe that the operators
remain very conservative in adapting anything new for the first time.
Fig. 50: Options for Transport of NGH73
Page 207
188
93. Martinez, J. K. and Konopczynski, M. R.: “Integrated Reservoir Management in an
Intelligent Well Environment,” paper SPE 77853, presented at 2002, SPE Asia Pacific Oil
and Gas Conference and Exhibition, Melbourne, October 8-10.
94. Alimonti, C. and Falcone, G.: “Integration of Multiphase Flowmetering Neural Networks,
Fuzzy Logic in Field Performance Monitoring,” paper SPE 87629, SPE Production and
Facilities (February 2004) 25.
95. Lamey, M. F., Schoppa, W., Stingl, K. H., Turley, Jr., A. J.: “Dynamic Simulation of
Europa and Mars Expansion Projects: A New Approach to Coupled Subsea and Topside
Modeling,” paper SPE 56704, presented at 1999 SPE Annual Technical Conference and
Exhibition, Houston, October 3-6.
96. “What is .NET?” www.microsoft.com/net, Accessed June 2006.
Page 208
189
VITA
Hemant G. Nikhar
[email protected]
3116 TAMU 603 Richardson Building
College Station, TX 77843-3116
Education
MS (Petroleum Engineering), Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA, December 2006
BS (Petroleum Engineering), Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad, India, May 1998
Research
Texas A&M University, Department of Petroleum Engineering (Fall 2004 – Summer 2006):
Research Associate
Coursework at Texas A&M
Drilling, Modern Petroleum Production, Advanced Reservoir Engineering and Simulation, Well
Stimulation, Petroleum Project Evaluation, Reserves Estimation, Petroleum Reservoir
Management, Transport Phenomena.
mailto:[email protected]
