FLOW ASSURANCE SOLIDS

J n Steinar Gumundsson
TPG4140 Natural Gas
October 3, 2012
Flow assurance, students and own R&D
Asphaltene, Paraffin wax, Gas hydrate, Inorganic solids
Temperature in pipelines (drops quickly with distance)
Hydrate in pipelines (happens when T < 20 C)
Antifreeze used to prevent hydrate formation
Gas hydrates important in drilling operations and
environmental considerations
Relevance of Natural Gas Hydrate
Gas kick in offshore drilling!!!
Deposits in oil & gas pipelines!!
Storage and transport of gas!
Cold flowin subsea pipelines?
Gas resource (big claims)??
Global warming (hyd. melting)???
A: Drilling Unit, B: Production and Injection Wells, C: Process (Separation
and Compression etc.), D: Storage, E: Off-Loading, F: Living Quarters,
G: Riser Base, H: Template, I: Flare, J : Flowlines and Pipelines.
Flowlines and Pipelines
Natural Gas Production
Natural gas, Sour gases, Hydrocarbon
condensate, Condensed water, Formation
water, Liquid slugging
Flow Assurance
Flow assurance is a concept used to
describe the phenomena of precipitation
and deposition of solids (and multiphase
flow, not discussed here) in flowlines and
pipelines. Flow assurance offers technical
solutions at reasonable costs without risk
to installations, operators and the
environment.
Precipitation is not the same as deposition
Flow Assurance Solids
Asphaltene (pressure changes)
Heavy, polar molecules, amorphous solid
Paraffin wax (pipeline cooling)
Normal paraffin C20 to C40
Gas hydrate (pipeline cooling)
Methane, ethane, propane and butane
Inorganic scale (fluid mixing)
Carbonates and sulphates
Hydrocarbon Solids
A: Phase envelope, B: Gas hydrate, C: Paraffin wax, D: Asphaltene, E: Multiphase flow
Siljuberg 2012 (from Rnningsen 2006)
Asphaltene
Precipitates from crude oil when reservoir
pressure falls during production
Crude oil density reduces when reservoir
pressure falls, causing precipitation
Crude oil density increases again when light
components have bubbled out (associated gas)
Precipitation envelope, light crude main problem
Deposition prevented by additives (wells and
flowlines) to hinder agglomeration of particles
Asphaltene Precipitation
[MPa]
[kg/m3]
Temperature in Pipelines
Temperature in Pipelines
LMTD
T UA q A =
) T T ( C m q
2 1 p
=
T T
T T
T T T T
T
LMTD

= A
2
1
2 1
ln
) ( ) (
T T
T T
T T
T
LMTD

= A
2
1
2 1
ln
T T
T T
T T
L d U T T C m
p

=
2
1
2 1
2 1
ln
) (
) ( ) ( t
(
(

+ = L
mC
d U
T T T T
p
t
exp ) (
1 2
) (L d A t =
T =Constant =Sea Temperature
Temperature and Distance
Temperature in Pipelines
(
(

+ = L
mC
d U
T T T T
p
t
exp ) (
1 2
Insulated pipeline on seafloor: 1 < U (W/m
2
.K) < 2
Non-insulated pipeline on seafloor: 15 < U (W/m
2
.K) < 25
Calculation Example
What is temperature at 20 km?
m=67 kg/s
C
p
=3500 J /kg.K
U=2 W/m
2
.K
d=0.370 m
T=5 C
T
1
=86 C
| | C T 71 10 20
3500 67
370 . 0 1416 . 3 2
exp ) 5 86 ( 5
3
2
=
(

+ =
Temperature and Distance
Booster compressor duty: 15.5 MW (most likely roughness)
sgard Transport (69.4 vs. 76.9 MSm/d)
110
120
130
140
150
160
170
180
190
200
210
0 200 400 600 800
Di stance KP (km)
P
r
e
s
s
u
r
e

(
b
a
r
g
)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
T
e
m
p
e
r
a
t
u
r
e

(

C
)
Pressure Booster_press Temperature Booster_temp
Aamodt (2006)
Wax Appearance Temperature
Crude oil and condensate WAT (=cloud point) typically at 30-40 [C]. Pour
point typically 15 [C] below cloud point. Wax crystals in oil increase viscosity.
Botne 2012
Paraffin Wax
Cloud point (WAT) and pour point
Wax Build-Up
With time and distance
x k k
dt
dx
2 1
=
| | ) exp( 1
2
2
1
t k
k
k
x =
Botne 2012
Botne 2012
Botne 2012
Siljuberg 2012
Water Vapour at 10 (Top), 20
Middle) and 30 (Bottom) MPa
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
14000
16000
18000
20000
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140
T [ C]
c

[
m
g
/
S
m
3
]
Gas Hydrate
Major obstacle to production of oil and gas through
subsea pipelines (due to cooling). Blocks pipelines.
Form when liquid water (condensed out from moist
reservoir gas) and natural gas are present at wrongside
of equilibrium line (typically 20 C and 100 bara).
Water molecules are stabilized by small gas molecules
such that hydrates form (physical process, not chemical
reaction).
Antifreeze chemical used/injected to lower the T at which
hydrates form (lower freezingpoint of hydrate).
Typically, 50 % antifreeze (in liquid phase) required to
prevent hydrate formation. Expensive, very expensive.
Equilibrium & Flow Assurance
Carroll 2003
(
(

+ = L
mC
d U
exp ) T T ( T T
p
u 1 u 2
t
Coolingw. distance
A: Gas reservoir,
B: Oil reservoir,
C: Aquifer,
D: Cap rock,
E: Sealing fault.
A/B: Gas-oil-contact.
B/C: Oil-water-contact.
Gas in A saturated with
water vapour (condenses
out at surface).
Oil formation B contains
formation water (saline).
Gas Molecules Trapped in Cages
12-sided, 14-sided and 16-sided polyhedra
Small non-polar molecules, methane, ethane, propane and butane form gas
hydrate. Carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulphide and nitrogen also form hydrate.
Gas Inside Ice Crystal Cages
Carroll 2003
Skalle 2009
Structure II Gas Hydrate
O H X
2
136 24
Dissociation Pressure
Hydrate Equilibrium (Dissociation Pressure)
Dissociation Pressure Gas Hydrate
0
5000
10000
15000
20000
25000
30000
35000
40000
45000
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
T [C]
p

[
k
P
a
]
Lower line natural gas mixture; upper line with CO2 and N2
Christiansen 2012
Hammerschmidts Equation
) 1 ( x
x
M
K
T

= A
Hydrate Equilibrium Midgard Field Gas
Lunde (2005): Design av flerfasesystemer for olje og gass, Tekna
Natural Gas Resource?
Hydrate Zone Limited by Subsurface Temperature
Senger 2009
Subsurface Gas Hydrate
Mary Boatman, unknownreference
Krey et al. 2009
Global Warming & Gas Resource
William Dillon, USGS
Gas Kick in Drilling
Skalle 2009
Deepwater Horizon, GoM, Teknisk
Ukeblad, May 6, 2010
NTNU Cold Flow
Sintef Cold Flow
Sintef Cold Flow
Sintef 2010
Summary
More than natural gas flows in gas flowlines
Asphaltene problem in oil production. Paraffin wax problem in
crude oil and condensate. Gas hydrate problem in oil and gas
production. Inorganic solids when saline water.
Temperature drop equation does not include the J oule-
Thomson effect (small in large diameter pipelines). U values
based on experience.
Hydrates form when liquid water and natural gas are in
contact at low temperature and high pressure, as in subsea
production of oil and gas.
Hammerschmidts and similar equations can be used to
estimated the mass fraction of antifreeze required to prevent
hydrate formation. Hysys gives dissociation pressure.
Hydrates important in drilling operations and environmental
considerations (global warming).