Koh C.A. Sloan D.E., Sum A.K. Natural Gas Hydrates in Flow Assurance

Gulf Professional Publishing, Elsevier, 2011. XXII, 200 p. — ISBN: 978-1-85617-945-4.With millions of kilometres of onshore and offshore oil and gas pipelines in service around the world, pipelines are the life's blood of the world. Notorious for disrupting natural gas production or transmission, the formation of natural gas hydrates can cost a company hundreds of millions and lead to catastrophic equipment breakdowns and safety and health hazards. Written by an international group of experts, Natural gas Hydrates in Flow Assurance provide an expert overview of the practice and theory in natural gas hydrates, with applications primarily in flow assurance. Compact and easy to use, the book provides readers with a wealth of materials which include the key lessons learned in the industry over the last 20 years. Packed with field case studies, the book is designed to provide hands-on training and practice in calculating hydrate phase equilibria and plug dissociation. In addition readers receive executable programs to calculate hydrate thermodynamics.
Case studies of hydrates in flow assurance
The key concepts underlying the practical applications
An overview of the state of the art flow assurance industrial developments.Dendy SloanWhy Are Hydrates Important?
What Are Hydrates?
Hydrate Crystal Structures
Four Rules of Thumb Arising from Crystal Structure
Summary Application: Methane Hydrate Formation on an Emulsified Water DropletWhere and How Are Hydrate Plugs Formed?
Dendy Sloan, Jefferson Creek, and Amadeu K. SumWhere Do Hydrates Form in Offshore Systems?
How Do Hydrate Plugs Form? Four Conceptual Pictures
Hydrate Blockages in Oil-Dominated Systems
Rules of Thumb for Hydrate Formation in Oil-Dominated Systems
A Model for Hydrate Formation in Oil-Dominated Flowlines
Hydrate Formation in Gas-Condensate Systems
Case Study 1: Tommeliten-Gamma Field
Case Study 2: Werner-Bolley Field Hydrate Formation
Hypothesized Mechanism for Gas-Dominated Systems
Hydrate Blockages in Condensate Flowlines
High-Water-Cut (Volume) Systems
Risk Management in Hydrate Plug Prevention
Cold Stabilized Flow
Relationship of Chapter to Subsequent ContentSafety in Hydrate Plug Removal Carolyn Koh and Jefferson CreekTwo Safety Case Studies
Case Study 1: One-Sided Depressurization
The Cause and Effect of Hydrate Projectiles
Predicting Plug Projectile Effects
The Effect of Multiple Plugs
Case Study 2: Heating a Plug
Common Circumstances of Plug Formation and Plug Removal Safety
Common Circumstances of Plug Formation
Plug Removal Safety Recommendations
Relationship of Chapter to Subsequent ContentHow Hydrate Plugs Are Remediated
Norm McMullenSafety Concerns
Blockage Identification
Determining Cause of Blockage
Locating Blockage
Determining Blockage Size
Blockage Removal Options
Pressure
Chemical
Mechanical
Thermal
Heated Bundle
Electrical Heating
Heating Tent
Mud or Fluid Circulation
External Heat Tracing
Guiding Principles for Thermal Remediation
Removal Strategies
Pipelines/Flowlines Strategy
Recommended Order of Consideration
Detailed Discussion of Pipelines/Flowlines Strategy
Wells Strategy
Recommended Order of Consideration
Detailed Discussion of Well Strategy
Risers Strategy
Recommended Order of Consideration
Detailed Discussion of Riser Strategy
Equipment Strategy
Recommended Order of Consideration
Detailed Discussion of Remediation Strategy
Case Studies
Export Pipeline (BP Pompano)
Strategy Employed to Dissociate the Plug
Gas Condensate Pipeline (Chevron)
Well (Gas Condensate)
Equipment (BP Gulf of Mexico)Appendix
Estimate of Potential Damaging Forces in a Bend Due to Sudden Release of Hydrate Plugs
System Description
Solution
AssumptionsAppendixEstimate of Potential Damaging Forces in a Bend Due to Sudden Release of Hydrate Plugs
Artificial and Natural Inhibition of Hydrates
Thierry Palermo and Dendy SloanHow Thermodynamic Hydrate Inhibitors Function and How They Are Used
The Low-Dosage Hydrate Inhibitors (LDHIs)
Kinetic Hydrate Inhibitors
Anti-Agglomerants
Naturally Inhibited Oils
Viscosity of Suspension
Viscosity of Aggregated Suspension
Methodology
PredictionKinetic Hydrate Inhibitors
Performance
Mike Eaton, Jason Lachance, and Larry TalleyStudy 1: Miniloop Flowing KHI Hold Time
Study 2: Autoclave Testing MethodologyMiniloop Equivalence Requirements
Device Design
Test Procedures and Data Interpretation
TeqTests
Hold-Time Tests
Autoclave Study Summary
Study 3: Correlation of Miniloop, Large Loop, and Rocking Cell Results
Study 4—CorrelationofLarge Loop and Field ResultsAppendix
High-Pressure Miniloop Procedures
Facility Description
Experimental Fluids
Loop Charging
Hydrate Detection
Miniloop Results versus Rocking Cell Results
Experimental Data Processing
Flowing Hold Time versus Subcooling
Derivation of Chemical Kinetics EquationAppendix
High-Pressure Miniloop Procedures Facility DescriptionIndustrial Operating Procedures for Hydrate Control
Adam Ballard, George Shoup, and Dendy SloanDeepwater System Design
Applications of Chapters 1 through
Question 1: When and Where Are Hydrates Likely to Form in the Production System?
Question 2: What Can I Control in Order to Prevent Hydrates fromForming?
Question 3: What Are the Monitoring Points in the System That Will Give Indication of Hydrates?
Risk of Hydrate Plugging
Signs of Hydrate Plugging
Question 4: If a Hydrate Plug Forms in the Production System, HowCan It Be Remediated?
Inject Chemical
Stop Flow
Reduce Flow
Increase Flow
Generation of Operating Procedures for Hydrate Control
Detailed Design—Customer: Engineering
Operating Guidelines—Customer: Engineering and Operations
Operating Procedures—Customer: Operations
Operating Procedure Details
Who Is the Customer?
Writing an Operating Procedure
Sample Operating Procedure: Cold Well Startup into Cold System
Pre-Startup Checklist
Restart Guidelines
Relationship of Chapter to Others in This BookThis book provides heuristics or Rules of Thumb for
Basic Structures and Formation Properties
How Hydrate Plugs Form and Are Prevented
Hydrate Safety during Remediation
Industrial Methods for Hydrate Plug Dissociation
Inhibitor Mechanisms and Naturally Inhibited Oils
Certifying Hydrate Kinetic Inhibitors for Field Performance
Offshore Production Operating Procedures for Hydrate ControlAppendix: Six Industrial Hydrate Blockage Examples and Lessons Learned