New Criteria of Hydrate Inhibitor Requirements in Tropical Shallow Waters

摘要

For oil and gas development projects in shallow waters in the tropic areas the water temperature is usuallyrnhigh (above 16°C all year around). Low fluid temperature is possible during operations due to Joule-rnThompson cooling in early life when reservoir pressure is high. The nature of hydrate plug formationrnrisk in the tropical shallow waters is very different than that in the deepwater projects (where ambient temperature is about 4°C). In tropical shallow waters the low temperature is mainly created by gas expansionrnor significant choking. Heat will be transferred continuously from the pipe wall toward the bulk fluid stream.rnAt certain pressure and temperature hydrates may form, but the low thermal conductivity of a hydrate layerrnmakes it difficult for hydrate particles/aggregates to stick to the pipe wall and form plug. Understandingrnthis phenomenon will significantly reduce the hydrate inhibitor requirements and ease operations of thernproduction system.