Review of hydrate prevention methods for deepwater pipelines

Abstract

Deepwater fields are characterized by extreme low temperature and high pressure, houses huge potential amount of hydrated gas. However, deepwater is associated with scenarios such as, costly structures, scattered wells, and exploration at even further and deeper locations. Nevertheless, the need for a cleaner source of energy has triggered the oil and gas industries to increase their exploration and production activities towards deep seas. However, such hostile environment is favorable for solid deposits such as hydrate formations, in which has become a major deepwater flow assurance concern. The tremendous shifting of oil and gas activities from shallow water to deepwater ads-on the flow assurance challenges, yet, has pooled numerous types of hydrate prevention methods in many ways and even has raised the idea of changing the hydrate paradigm. Over the last decade, even though there are few compilations of current practices in hydrate prevention methods are available in literature, but these are addressed within the specific categories. The objective of this paper is to review and distinguish possibly all types of existing hydrate prevention methods. It is hoped that the review would serve as an industrial application in a form of quick reference in identifying appropriate methods for hydrate prevention. The review shall be based on past and current practices and reflects a more inter-disciplinary approach in hydrate prevention.

Status of Natural Gas Hydrate Flow Assurance Research in China: A Review

“…13 With the gradual development of offshore oil operations, hydrate formation has become a significant issue in the Chinese petroleum industry. 13,14 Hydrate management solutions cannot be separated from fundamental related research. Studies involving hydrate flow assurance, including hydrate nucleation 15 and growth, 16,17 decomposition, 18 chemical additives, 5,19−21 and flow assurance technology 22,23 have been extensively reviewed over the past five years.…”

“…Since then, hydrate formation has been increasing in oil and gas transportation scenarios, such as the West–East Gas Pipeline and the natural gas production process . With the gradual development of offshore oil operations, hydrate formation has become a significant issue in the Chinese petroleum industry. , …”

Thermodynamic Effects on Hydrate Formation in Deepwater Pipeline

“…Furthermore, the presence of the hydrate issue is in relation to the increase in the length of pipeline [3]. The challenge here is to determine where the formation of the hydrates exists [4], [5]. Deepwater pipelines are divided in various zones and each zone has different monitoring needs because the PVT and heat and mass transfer properties vary.The classification of prediction of hydrate formation conditions for pure gases, gas mixtures and inhibitors e.g.…”