Classifications

• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C10—PETROLEUM, GAS OR COKE INDUSTRIES; TECHNICAL GASES CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE; FUELS; LUBRICANTS; PEAT
  • C10L—FUELS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NATURAL GAS; SYNTHETIC NATURAL GAS OBTAINED BY PROCESSES NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C10G, C10K; LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM GAS; ADDING MATERIALS TO FUELS OR FIRES TO REDUCE SMOKE OR UNDESIRABLE DEPOSITS OR TO FACILITATE SOOT REMOVAL; FIRELIGHTERS
  • C10L3/00—Gaseous fuels; Natural gas; Synthetic natural gas obtained by processes not covered by subclass C10G, C10K; Liquefied petroleum gas
  • C10L3/06—Natural gas; Synthetic natural gas obtained by processes not covered by C10G, C10K3/02 or C10K3/04
  • C10L3/10—Working-up natural gas or synthetic natural gas
  • C10L3/108—Production of gas hydrates
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C10—PETROLEUM, GAS OR COKE INDUSTRIES; TECHNICAL GASES CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE; FUELS; LUBRICANTS; PEAT
  • C10L—FUELS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NATURAL GAS; SYNTHETIC NATURAL GAS OBTAINED BY PROCESSES NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C10G, C10K; LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM GAS; ADDING MATERIALS TO FUELS OR FIRES TO REDUCE SMOKE OR UNDESIRABLE DEPOSITS OR TO FACILITATE SOOT REMOVAL; FIRELIGHTERS
  • C10L3/00—Gaseous fuels; Natural gas; Synthetic natural gas obtained by processes not covered by subclass C10G, C10K; Liquefied petroleum gas
  • C10L3/003—Additives for gaseous fuels
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C10—PETROLEUM, GAS OR COKE INDUSTRIES; TECHNICAL GASES CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE; FUELS; LUBRICANTS; PEAT
  • C10L—FUELS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NATURAL GAS; SYNTHETIC NATURAL GAS OBTAINED BY PROCESSES NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C10G, C10K; LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM GAS; ADDING MATERIALS TO FUELS OR FIRES TO REDUCE SMOKE OR UNDESIRABLE DEPOSITS OR TO FACILITATE SOOT REMOVAL; FIRELIGHTERS
  • C10L3/00—Gaseous fuels; Natural gas; Synthetic natural gas obtained by processes not covered by subclass C10G, C10K; Liquefied petroleum gas
  • C10L3/06—Natural gas; Synthetic natural gas obtained by processes not covered by C10G, C10K3/02 or C10K3/04
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F17—STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS
  • F17D—PIPE-LINE SYSTEMS; PIPE-LINES
  • F17D1/00—Pipe-line systems
  • F17D1/08—Pipe-line systems for liquids or viscous products
  • F17D1/16—Facilitating the conveyance of liquids or effecting the conveyance of viscous products by modification of their viscosity
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10S585/00—Chemistry of hydrocarbon compounds
  • Y10S585/949—Miscellaneous considerations
  • Y10S585/95—Prevention or removal of corrosion or solid deposits
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T137/00—Fluid handling
  • Y10T137/0318—Processes
  • Y10T137/0391—Affecting flow by the addition of material or energy

Definitions

• the invention relates to a method for transporting hydrates of natural gas, petroleum gas or other gases in suspension in a fluid comprising water, one of said gases and a liquid hydrocarbon.
• composition comprising at least one ester, associated with a nonionic co-surfactant agent of the carboxylic acid polymerized type (dimer and / or trimer).
• the gases that form hydrates may in particular comprise at least one hydrocarbon selected from methane, ethane, ethylene, propane, propene, n-butane and isobutane, and optionally H 2 S and / or CO 2 .
• hydrates are formed when the water is in the presence of gas, either in the free state, or in the dissolved state in a liquid phase, such as a liquid hydrocarbon, and when the temperature reached by the mixture, in particular water, gas and possibly liquid hydrocarbons, such as oil, becomes lower than the thermodynamic temperature of hydrate stability, this temperature being given for a known gas composition and when their pressure is set.
• gas either in the free state, or in the dissolved state in a liquid phase, such as a liquid hydrocarbon
• hydrates can be feared, especially in the oil and gas industry, for which the conditions of hydrate formation can be met.
• a way envisaged, particularly in production at sea is to reduce or even remove, the treatments applied to the crude or the gas to be transported from the deposit to the coast and in particular to leave all or part of the water in the fluid to be transported.
• These treatments at sea are generally carried out on a platform located on the surface near the reservoir, so that the effluent, initially hot, can be treated before the thermodynamic conditions of hydrate stability are reached because of cooling of the effluent with seawater.
• hydrate corks can lead to a cessation of production and thus cause significant financial losses.
• the return to service of the facility, especially if it is production or transportation at sea can be long, because the decomposition of hydrates formed is very difficult to achieve. Indeed, when the production of an underwater field of natural gas or oil and gas containing water reaches the surface of the seabed and is then transported to the bottom of the sea, it happens, by lowering the temperature of the effluent produced, the thermodynamic conditions are met for hydrates to form, agglomerate and block the transfer lines.
• the temperature at the bottom of the sea can be, for example, 3 or 4 ° C.
• Insulation of the transport pipes has also been recommended, so as to prevent the temperature of the transported fluid from reaching the hydrate formation temperature under the operating conditions. Such a technique is also very expensive.
• nonionic or anionic surfactant compounds have been tested for their effect of retarding the formation of hydrates in a fluid containing a gas, in particular a hydrocarbon, and water.
• a gas in particular a hydrocarbon, and water.
• Kuliev et al Surfactants Studied as Hydrate Formation Inhibitors. Gazovoe Delo No. 10 1972, 17-19, reported in Chemical Abstracts 80, 1974, 98122r.
• Amphiphilic compounds obtained by reaction of at least one succinic derivative chosen from the group formed by polyalkenyl succinic acids and anhydrides on at least one polyethylene glycol monoether have also been proposed to reduce the tendency of gas hydrates to agglomerate. natural gas, petroleum gas or other gases (EP-A-582507).
• the invention provides a method for transporting hydrates in suspension within a fluid comprising at least water, a gas and a liquid hydrocarbon under conditions where hydrates can be formed from water and water.
• gas characterized in that said fluid incorporates an additive comprising at least one composition comprising at least one ester, associated with a nonionic co-surfactant of the carboxylic acid polymerized type (dimer and / or trimer).
• the mixture used in the invention combines at least one component A consisting of at least one ester formed between at least one monocarboxylic acid, linear or branched, and at least one alcohol (monoalcohol or polyol), linear or branched, and at least one component B consisting of at least one polymerized fatty acid.
• the ester can be obtained by esterification, transesterification or interesterification.
• Component A consists more particularly of at least one ester formed between at least one monocarboxylic acid, linear or branched, containing from 8 to 24 carbon atoms, more especially from 14 to 18 carbon atoms, and at least one alcohol, linear or branched containing from 2 to 200 carbon atoms and more especially from 6 to 30 carbon atoms.
• the polyols may be esterified in whole or in part according to the fatty acid / alcohol stoichiometry used during the esterification reaction, the nature of the fatty acids being that described above.
• hydrophilic / lipophilic balance (HLB) of the ester is generally between 2 and 12, and preferably between 3 and 8.
• the preferred ester according to the invention is an ester or a mixture of sorbitol esters, of sorbitan or of its derivatives and more particularly the mixture designated by sorbitan monooleate.
• Component B present in the mixture used in the invention is derived from a dimerization reaction of unsaturated monocarboxylic fatty acids containing, for example, from 8 to 18 carbon atoms.
• the reaction product provides a mixture of compounds containing from 16 to 80 carbon atoms and consisting of a mixture of higher monomers, dimers, trimers and oligomers, and more particularly dimers (from 16 to 36 carbon atoms).
• Dimers can be represented by the formula: the sum q + r can take a value of 4 to 14.
• trimers can be represented by the formula: the sum q + r can take a value of 4 to 14.
• Component B preferably is a mixture of monounsaturated fatty acid dimers of 16 carbon atoms (palmitic acid) and monounsaturated fatty acid of 18 carbon atoms (oleic acid).
• the mixture used in the fluid of the invention will comprise from 10 to 95% by weight, preferably from 30 to 90% by weight and even more preferably from 50 to 80%, by weight of constituent A.
• co-surfactant (component B) then represents from 5 to 90% by weight, of preferably from 10 to 70% by weight and even more preferably from 20 to 50% by weight of the mixture
• the solvent content in the final mixture will be between 20 and 80% by weight and preferably between 30 and 70% by weight.
• these compositions are added to the fluid to be treated at concentrations generally ranging from 0.1 to 5% by weight, preferably from 0.2 to 3% by weight. in mass, with respect to the liquid hydrocarbon.
• the apparatus has a loop of 10 meters consisting of tubes of internal diameter equal to 7.7 mm; a 2-liter reactor comprising an inlet and an outlet for the gas, a suction and a discharge for the mixture: condensate, water and additive initially introduced.
• the reactor makes it possible to put the loop under pressure.
• Tubes of diameter similar to those of the loop ensure the flow of fluids from the loop to the reactor, and vice versa, via a gear pump placed between the two.
• a sapphire cell integrated in the circuit allows a visualization of the circulating liquid, and therefore hydrates, if they have formed.
• the fluids water, oil, additive
• the installation is then brought to a pressure of 7 MPa.
• Homogenization of the liquids is ensured by their circulation in the loop and the reactor, then only in the loop.
• pressure drop and flow rate it imposes a rapid decrease in temperature from 17 to 4 ° C (temperature below the formation temperature of the hydrates), it is then maintained at this value.
• the duration of the tests can vary from a few minutes to several hours: a powerful additive makes it possible to maintain the circulation of the suspension of hydrates with a loss of load and a stable flow.
• the gas used comprises in volume 98% of methane and 2% of ethane.
• the experiment is conducted under a pressure of 7 MPa, kept constant by gas supply, with a liquid flow rate of 110 kg / hour. Under these conditions, the formation of a plug in the coil is observed a few minutes after the start of hydrate formation (at a temperature of about 10.8 ° C.): the hydrates form a block and the circulation of the fluid becomes impossible.
• the procedure is as in Comparative Example 1, with the same fluid, the same gas, at the same pressure and with the same flow rate, but the circulating fluid is added 1% by weight relative to the volume of condensate.
• a mixture according to the invention containing 70% by weight of sorbitan monooleate and 30% by weight of C16-C18 fatty acid dimer.
• an increase in the loss of charge during the formation of hydrates is observed, followed by its decrease and its stabilization during more than 24 hours at a temperature of 4 ° C.
• a descent into temperature at 0 ° C does not affect the circulation of the suspension, the remaining hydrates dispersed in the fluids.
• the classification "WGK” is given according to the "Administrative Regulation on the Classification of Substances Hazardous to Waters into Water Hazard Classes” (Verwaltungsvorschrift wassergefährdende Stoffe - VwVwS) of 17 May 1999.
• the "WGK” classification of a mixture can be determined , according to Annex 4 of the new "VwVwS” regulations, by a calculation rule from the "WGK” classification of each component of the mixture or on the basis of eco-toxicological test results determined on the mixture.

Landscapes

• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Oil, Petroleum & Natural Gas (AREA)
• Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
• General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Organic Chemistry (AREA)
• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Water Supply & Treatment (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Organic Low-Molecular-Weight Compounds And Preparation Thereof (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=34954096

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

Cited By (1)

Families Citing this family (1)

Citations (8)

Family Cites Families (9)

• 2004
  • 2004-12-13 FR FR0413304A patent/FR2879189B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2005
  • 2005-12-05 EP EP20050292604 patent/EP1676896A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2005-12-12 US US11/298,941 patent/US7851413B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2005-12-12 NO NO20055895A patent/NO20055895L/no not_active Application Discontinuation

Patent Citations (8)

Non-Patent Citations (2)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events