GAS HYDRATE DEPOSITION IN FLOWLINES: A CHALLENGING PROBLEM IN FLOW ASSURANCE

摘要

Gas hydrate deposition on the pipeline wall is one of the key processes leading to hydrate plug formation; however, this phenomenon is still poorly understood and missing in a full comprehensive model for simulating/predicting hydrate cold slurry flow (1). To gain a better understanding on hydrate deposition, we have performed several experiments of hydrate deposition on a solid surface for liquid systems (gas free). This preliminary investigation helps to better understand the challenges for further investigations of hydrate deposition in multiphase fluid flow. From this research, the importance of maintaining a constant concentration of the hydrate former and simulating a single pass system were identified; the challenges to control the temperature of the deposition surface, as well as the gradient of the temperature between the fluid and metal surface to promote deposition have also been identified.