Reviews of gas hydrate inhibitors in gas-dominant pipelines and application of kinetic hydrate inhibitors in China

Improved Gas Hydrate Kinetic Inhibition for 5-Methyl-3-vinyl-2-oxazolidinone Copolymers and Synergists

Kinetic hydrate inhibitors (KHIs) are used to prevent deposits and plugging of oil and gas production flow lines by gas hydrates. The key ingredient in a KHI formulation is a water-soluble amphiphilic polymer. Recently, polymers of a new commercially available 5-ring vinylic monomer 5-methyl-3-vinyl-2-oxazolidinone (VMOX) were investigated as KHIs and shown to perform better than some commercial KHI polymers such as poly(N-vinyl pyrrolidone). This initial study using slow constant cooling (SCC) in rocking cells with a synthetic natural gas has now been expanded to further explore low molecular weight PVMOX homopolymers and VMOX copolymers as well as blends with nonpolymeric synergists. A PVMOX homopolymer with improved KHI performance was found using 3-mercaptoacetic acid as a chain transfer agent in the radical polymerization of VMOX. Among a range of copolymers, VMOX:n-butyl acrylate copolymers in particular gave good KHI performance, better than the PVMOX homopolymer. Among the potential synergists, trialkylamine oxides (alkyl = n-butyl or iso-pentyl) and tetra(n-pentyl)ammonium bromide to 2500 ppm were found to be antagonistic with PVMOX at the test concentrations while some alcohols and glycols were synergetic. The best synergist was 2,4,7,9-tetramethyl-5-decyne-4,7-diol (TMDD). For example, a mixture of 2500 ppm TMDD with 2500 ppm PVMOX (Mw 2400 g/mol) performed significantly better than 5000 ppm PVMOX. Addition of 1250 ppm TMDD to 2500 ppm VMOX:n-butyl acrylate 6:4 copolymer lowered the hydrate onset temperature in SCC tests by a further 3 °C compared to the copolymer alone giving hydrate onset at 4.2 °C.

Maleic and Methacrylic Homopolymers with Pendant Dibutylamine or Dibutylamine Oxide Groups as Kinetic Hydrate Inhibitors

Kinetic hydrate inhibitors (KHIs) are applied in oil and gas fields to prevent gas hydrate formation, most often in cold subsea flow lines. The main component in industrial KHI formulations is a water-soluble polymer with many amphiphilic groups of which the hydrophilic part is most commonly the amide functional group. In the last decade, we have investigated polyamine oxides as alternatives to polyamides due to the strong hydrogen bonding of the amine oxide group. Here, we report the KHI performance of maleic and methacrylic homopolymers with dialkylamine and dialkylamine oxide pendant groups. Performance screening experiments were conducted under high pressure with a Structure II-forming natural gas mixture in steel rocking cells using the slow (1 °C/h) constant cooling test method. Polymers with dibutylamine groups gave much better KHI performance than polymers with dimethylamine or diethylamine groups. Polyamines formed from polymaleic anhydride reacted with 3-(dibutylamino)-1-propylamine (DBAPA) or 2-(dibutylamino)-ethanol (DBAE) gave good water solubility and good KHI performance, probably due to self-ionization between the dibutylamino and carboxylic acid groups. The lack of self-ionization for the methacryl homopolymers of DBAPA and DBAE explains why these polymers are not water-soluble. Oxidation of the maleic or methacryl polyamines to polyamine oxides gave water-soluble polymers with good compatibility with brines (0.5-7.0 wt % NaCl), but only the DBAPA-based polyamine oxides gave improved KHI performance compared to the polyamines. Poly(3-(dibutylamino oxide)-1-propyl methacrylamide) gave a similar performance to commercial N-vinyl pyrrolidone:N-vinyl caprolactam 1:1 copolymer and without a cloud point in deionized water up to +95 °C.

Gas Hydrate in Oil-Dominant Systems: A Review

Gas hydrate risks minimization in deepsea hydrocarbon flowlines, especially in high water to oil ratios, and is critical for the oil and gas flow assurance industry. Although there are several reviews on gas hydrate mitigation in gas-dominated systems, limited reviews have been dedicated to the understanding and mechanism of hydrate formation and mitigation in oil-dominated systems. Hence, this review article discusses and summarizes the prior studies on the hydrate formation behavior and mitigation in oil-dominated multiphase systems. The factors (such as oil volume or water cut, bubble point, and hydrate formers) that affect hydrate formation in oil systems are also discussed in detail. Furthermore, insight into the hydrate mitigation and mechanism in oil systems is also presented in this review. Also, a detailed table on the various studied hydrate tests in oil systems, including the experimental methods, inhibitor type, conventions, and testing conditions, is provided in this work. The findings presented in this work are relevant for developing the best solution to manage hydrate formation in oil-dominated systems for the oil and gas industry.

Non-Amide Polymers as Kinetic Hydrate Inhibitors-Maleic Acid/Alkyl Acrylate Copolymers and the Effect of pH on Performance

Kinetic hydrate inhibitors (KHIs) have been used for over 25 years to prevent gas hydrate formation in oil and gas production flow lines. The main component in KHI formulations is a water-soluble polymer with many amphiphilic groups, usually made up of amide groups and adjacent hydrophobic groups with 3-6 carbon atoms. KHI polymers are one of the most expensive oilfield production chemicals. Therefore, methods to make cheaper but effective KHIs could improve the range of applications. Continuing earlier work from our group with maleic-based polymers, here, we explore maleic acid/alkyl acrylate copolymers as potential low-cost KHIs. Performance experiments were conducted under high pressure with a structure II-forming natural gas mixture in steel rocking cells using the slow (1 °C/h) constant cooling test method. Under typical pipeline conditions of pH (4-6), the performance of the maleic acid/alkyl acrylate copolymers (alkyl = iso-propyl, iso-butyl, n-butyl, tetrahydrofurfuryl, and cyclohexyl) was poor. However, good performance was observed at very high pH (13-14) due to the thermodynamic effect from added salts in the aqueous phase and the removal of CO₂ from the gas phase. A methyl maleamide/n-butyl acrylate copolymer gave very poor performance, giving evidence that direct bonding of the hydrophilic amide and C4 hydrophobic groups is needed for good KHI performance. Reaction of the maleic anhydride (MA) units in MA/alkyl acrylate 1:1 copolymers with dibutylaminopropylamine or dibutylaminoethanol gave polymers with good KHI performance, with MA/tetrahydrofurfuryl methacrylate being the best. Oxidation of the pendant dibutylamino groups to amine oxide groups improved the performance further, better than poly(N-vinyl caprolactam).

Effect of the Ethylene Vinyl Acetate Copolymer on the Induction of Cyclopentane Hydrate in a Water-in-Waxy Oil Emulsion System

In this paper, the effect of the ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymer, commonly used in improving rheological behavior of waxy oil, is introduced to investigate its effect on the formation of cyclopentane hydrate in a water-in-waxy oil emulsion system. The wax content studied shows a negative effect on the formation of hydrate by elongating its induction time. Besides, the EVA copolymer is found to elongate the induction time of cyclopentane hydrate through the cocrystallization effect with wax molecules adjacent to the oil-water interface.

Experimental and modeling studies on enhancing the thermodynamic hydrate inhibition performance of monoethylene glycol via synergistic green material

This paper presents an experimental and modeling studies on the thermodynamic inhibition effects of the mixture of monoethlyene glycol (MEG) and glycine (Gly) on the carbon dioxide hydrate phase boundary condition. The monoethlyene glycol and glycine (1:1) mixture inhibition effects were investigated at concentrations of 5, 10, and 15 wt.% and pressure ranges from 2.0–4.0 MPa. The effects of the proposed mixture on the carbon dioxide hydrate phase boundary were evaluated by measuring the dissociation temperature of carbon dioxide hydrate using a T-cycle method. The synergistic effect was evaluated based on comparison with pure MEG and Gly data. The results show that 15 wt.% of MEG and Gly mixture displays the highest inhibition effect compared to the 5 and 10 wt.% mixtures, respectively. However, the synergistic effect is higher at 10 wt.%. Dickens' model was also adopted to predict the phase equilibrium data of CO₂ hydrates in the presence of the mixture. The modified model successfully predicted the data within a maximum error of ± 0.52 K.

Phase behavior study on gas hydrates formation in gas dominant multiphase pipelines with crude oil and high CO2 mixed gas

This research is focused on understanding the phase behavior of gas hydrate formation in the gas dominant multiphase pipelines containing mixed gas with high CO2, crude oil, and deionized water. The experimental conditions are in the pressure range of 3-7 MPa with water cut as 20% of the volume. Initially, the effect of high CO2 content in natural gas on the phase boundary conditions of hydrates is studied through simulation (CSMGEM software) and experiments. Later, an additional phase of crude oil was introduced, with 15% of the volume to study the multiphase system. From the experimental analysis, thermodynamic equilibrium conditions were found, and the hydrate-liquid-vapor-equilibrium (HLVE) curves were drawn. The phase behavior is comprehended by comparing the HLVE curves of pure and multiphase systems. It is found that the high CO2 content tends to promote the gas hydrate formation. Based on the results, temperature variance and enthalpy of formation were calculated for the multiphase system. With a difference of 1.32 average temperature variance, the multiphase system exhibits inhibition. A basic statistical regression model was made to predict the gas hydrate formation in multiphase transmission pipelines. This work helps in understanding the effect of a new phase on gas hydrate formation.

Investigation on Gas Hydrates Formation and Dissociation in Multiphase Gas Dominant Transmission Pipelines

In this work, a gas hydrate formation and dissociation study was performed on two multiphase pipeline systems containing gasoline, CO2, water, and crude oil, CO2, water, in the pressure range of 2.5–3.5 MPa with fixed water cut as 15% using gas hydrate rocking cell equipment. The system has 10, 15 and 20 wt.% concentrations of gasoline and crude oil, respectively. From the obtained hydrate-liquid-vapor-equilibrium (HLVE) data, the phase diagrams for the system are constructed and analyzed to represent the phase behavior in the multiphase pipelines. Similarly, induction time and rate of gas hydrate formation studies were performed for gasoline, CO2, and water, and crude oil, CO2, water system. From the evaluation of phase behavior based on the HLVE curve, the multiphase system with gasoline exhibits an inhibition in gas hydrates formation, as the HLVE curve shifts towards the lower temperature and higher-pressure region. The multiphase system containing the crude oil system shows a promotion of gas hydrates formation, as the HLVE curve shifted towards the higher temperature and lower pressure. Similarly, the kinetics of hydrate formation of gas hydrates in the gasoline system is slow. At the same time, crude oil has a rapid gas hydrate formation rate.

Experimental Investigation of Methane Hydrate Induction Time in the Presence of Cassava Peel as a Hydrate Inhibitor

The oil and gas industry faces numerous problems, from the exploration to the production phase. One of the most common problems faced by the industry is the formation of gas hydrates in the pipeline during the deep-water operation. The advancement of kinetic hydrate inhibitors (KHIs) has been rapid. However, as the natural degradation of conventional KHIs, such as polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and polyvinylcaprolactam (PVCap), is challenging, there is a need to develop environmental-friendly KHIs with enhanced biodegradability to improve possible environmental risks. Thus, green inhibitors have been developed as a new class of KHIs. Research for enhancement of green hydrate inhibitors, as an alternative for existing low dosage hydrate inhibitors (LDHIs), has increased. In this paper, the effect of induction time with presence of cassava peels on the formation of methane hydrate was studied and compared with commercialized inhibitor, PVP. The performance of cassava peels as a kinetic hydrate inhibitor was investigated using high pressure micro differential scanning calorimetry (µ-DSC). For the induction time measurement, linear cooling ramps at a constant cooling rate of 0.5 K/min were used under isobaric conditions. Aqueous solutions of 0.5 wt % and 1.0 wt % of cassava peels were prepared and the induction time of methane hydrate formation in these solutions was measured at pressure ranges from 4.0 to 10.0 MPa. One of the characteristics to be a good kinetic inhibitor is the presence of hydroxyl functional group in inhibitors, which assist to form hydrogen bonds with water molecules, thus preventing hydrates formation. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis confirms the presence of hydroxyl groups in cassava peels with wavenumber value of 3370.68 cm−1. Cassava peel solution is observed to delay the induction times at all pressure settings and it is better at 1.0 wt % concentration. However, at lower pressures of 4 and 6 MPa, the performance is less effective when compared to a commercial inhibitor, PVP. At high pressures of 8 and 10 MPa, it can be seen that the performance is as effective as PVP. This research paper shows that cassava peels have high potential to be developed as a gas hydrate green kinetic inhibitor that can be applied for industry usage in the future.