PREVENTION AND SAFE HANDLING OF HYDRATES:

EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK

RIVERS STATE UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
DEPARTMENT OF PETROLEUM ENGINEERING

[24/3/14]
PRESENTED BY: AGALA ANTHONY

NATURE OF HYDRATES

HOW HYDRATES ARE FORMED
Temperature/Pressure
Hydrates Formation
Hydrates in Pipelines

HYDRATE PREVENTION
Hydrate Prevention Equipment

HANDLING HYDRATES
Hydrate Detection
Removal Option

CONCLUSION

CONTENTS
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Hydrates are a mixture of water and gas molecules that crystallize to form a solid ice
plug under appropriate conditions of temperature and pressure.








Hydrates can form in any segment of an operating system;
Downhole in wells
Gathering systems and flowlines
NATURE OF HYDRATES
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TEMPERATURE/PRESSURE; The amount of gas that dissolves in water to occupy spaces
between water molecules depends on the temperature and pressure.

HYDRATES FORMATION; Gas hydrates form in the water phase from gas molecules
dissolved in that phase.
Factors that contribute to the initiation of hydrate formation include;
Degree of sub cooling
Presence of artificial nucleation sites
Degree of mixing
HYDRATES IN PIPELINES; Hydrate also form where there is a sharp reduction in
pressure, such as at;
Orifices
Partially open control valves
Sudden enlargement on pipelines
Short radius elbows
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HOW HYDRATES ARE FORMED
Hydrate formation can be prevented in any one of the following ways;

Prevent free water in the gas stream

Increase the gas temperature above that needed for hydrate formation at the
operating pressure

Decrease the pressure below that is needed for hydrate formation at the operating
temperature

Introduce chemical inhibitors

Redesign piping system ( e.g. low points, restrictions)

HYDRATE PREVENTION
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Equipment and methods used for hydrate prevention;

Line heaters and insulated/heat traced lines

Glycol dehydrators will remove water vapour from the gas stream

Supplemental glycol/methanol injection

Determine safe shut-in periods for lines to avoid pressure build-up
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HYDRATE PREVENTION EQUIPMENT

HYDRATES DETECTION
Hydrates like any other obstruction in a line, can be detected by the
consequences they create

REMOVAL OPTIONS
Disintegrate the hydrate by depressurizing equally on both sides below the
hydrate point

Method for longer pipelines with more than one plug

Once located, inject methanol at one end of the line while slowly depressurizing
the other end

Monitor pressure indicators at each end of the line





HANDLING HYDRATES
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Hydrates can be prevented and should not be accepted as normal
operating routine. Hydrates form over time, there is time to detect and
take remedial action.
A hydrate prevention program is more effective than remedial removal
measures
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CONCLUSION




THANK YOU
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QUESTIONS AND CONTRIBUTIONS
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