Preparation and application of an economical and environmentally friendly hydrate inhibitor in gas field development

TL;DR

A new eco-friendly and cost-effective hydrate inhibitor was developed to replace traditional toxic inhibitors like methanol in gas field operations.

Contribution

The paper introduces a novel hydrate inhibitor made from light polyol amine with high safety and performance comparable to methanol.

Findings

The inhibitor has a flash point above 80°C and a solidification point of -45°C at 30% concentration.

It achieved 99% and 100% success rates in anti-freezing operations during winter.

The inhibitor is cost-effective and can replace methanol in on-site anti-freezing activities.

Abstract

The prevention and control of natural gas hydrates is an important link in ensuring winter production. Traditional thermodynamic inhibitors, like methanol, are commonly utilized due to their low unit costs and pricing, but they come with considerable safety issues when used on-site due to their high toxicity, flammability, and explosive potential. A cost-effective and eco-friendly hydrate inhibitor was created by combining light polyol amine with other ingredients to solve this problem. At a concentration of 30%, the product has a flash point greater than 80°C and a solidification point of -45°C. With success rates of 99% and 100%, respectively, it was used for winter casing pre-injection anti-freezing operations and balancing tank defoamer anti-freezing operations. Experiments have demonstrated the effectiveness of this inhibitor in preventing the formation of natural gas hydrates. In wintertime on-site anti-freezing activities, the projected cost can be substituted for methanol, as it is essentially equivalent to methanol.

Figures