In
oil exploration and production, 2-propanol is a chemical often
used during stimulation and to improve workover operating conditions.
It is investigated as a potential thermodynamic inhibitor of hydrate
formation, and its use would be advantageous from an economic standpoint.
However, some reports point out that 2-propanol can promote hydrate
formation, especially in systems with either CH4 or CO2 acting as auxiliary gas. New experimental data for phase
equilibrium of inhibited carbon dioxide and methane hydrates were
obtained by the isochoric experimental method in a high-pressure cell,
for pressures between 20 and 260 bar, at concentrations ranging from
5 to 25 wt % of 2-propanol. New experimental data on mixtures of 2-propanol
and NaCl (at a fixed concentration of 5 wt %) were also obtained in
order to evaluate the behavior of this alcohol in saline mixtures.
2-Propanol was included in an in-house software previously developed.
The thermodynamic model is based upon the cubic plus association (CPA)
equation of state for the fluid phases and a statistical approach
based on van der Waals–Platteeuw theory for the hydrate phase.
Based on the results obtained in this work, it was observed that 2-propanol
has a hybrid behavior, highly dependent on the gas system composition.
For CO2 systems, 2-propanol has been characterized as a
CO2 hydrate inhibitor and a CH4 hydrate promoter,
collaborating on the structural transition from the sI type to the
sII type. The inhibiting effect of 2-propanol on carbon dioxide hydrate
systems was not compromised. Software deviations did not exceed AAD
= 17%, for both systems, bringing reliability of the model and optimized
parameters. In salt mixtures, 2-propanol is a thermodynamic inhibitor
for both gases, and at concentrations higher than 10 wt %, 2-propanol
had a satisfactory inhibition effect.