Abstract:
L'invention concerne un procédé de détection de présence d'un bouchon d'hydrates (16) dans une conduite (12) de transport de fluide d'hydrocarbure, comprenant un suivi temporel en continu de l'évolution de la température du fluide transporté le long d'une portion (29) de conduite et une comparaison entre, d'une part, l'évolution temporelle locale de la température le long d'une zone particulière de la portion (29) de conduite et, d'autre part, l'évolution temporelle globale de la température le long de la portion de conduite, de façon à identifier les zones pour lesquelles l'évolution temporelle locale de la température est significativement différente de l'évolution temporelle globale de la température, mais aussi pour lesquelles cette différence répond à des critères spécifiques permettant de déduire la présence d'un bouchon d'hydrate au niveau local.
Abstract:
A system for preventing hydrate formation in a pipeline includes a heater housing. The heater housing has an outer diameter sized to travel within the pipeline. A turbine assembly is located within the heater housing. The turbine assembly has a blade that is rotatable by a flow of fluid within the pipeline. An electric heater is located within the heater housing and is electrically connected to the turbine assembly. The electric heater is selectively contacted by the flow of fluid within the pipeline.
Abstract:
A tool (100) is described for removing unwanted gas hydrates from the surface of equipment used in subsea exploration and production, with the said tool being comprised of a main vessel (1) and a power cable (2) linked together by a connector (3); and, inside the said vessel (1) a laser device (15) is connected to an adjustable focus collimator (4) by a cable (12), with the wavelength emitted by the said laser (15) being between 200 nm and 930 nm, whereby when the radiation reaches the subsea exploration equipment it causes the heating thereof, which in turn heats the hydrate through conduction, breaking down the hydrate formation from the inside out; and with the front lid (14) having a window (5) forming an interface between the said vessel (1) and the aqueous medium, with the said window (5) being fitted with anti-reflection film (6) and anti-reflection film (7). The method for removing gas hydrates from the surfaces of equipment used in subsea exploration and production with the assistance of the said tool (100) is also described.
Abstract:
The invention is an anti-agglomeration composition for preventing hydrates from binding together and forming plugs in pipelines, particularly from off shore gas wells. The inventive composition contains a combination of a surfactant and an alcohol cosurfactant, both present in low amounts to limit environmental effects as well as to reduce the cost of separation in downstream operations. The inventive composition comprises a surfactant and an alcohol co-surfactant each provided in effective amounts to cause anti-agglomeration of hydrates at high subcooling temperatures and/or at high water-cuts. Preferably, the surfactant is a Rhamnolipid biosurfactant and the alcohol cosurfactant is methanol, the alcohol cosurfactant being present at concentrations low enough such that side effects such as salt deposition are avoided. Generally, the alcohol cosurfactant should be present at from 0.05-5% wt., with the surfactant present at from 0.01 to 10% wt, more preferably 0.01-5% wt.. Using the present invention, agglomeration of hydrates in gas and oil pipelines can be reduced.
Abstract:
The invention provides a method of protecting a hydrocarbon conduit during a period of reduced hydrocarbon flow, said method comprising introducing nitrogen into said conduit during a said period at a pressure p of 1 to 350 bar g and at a rate of (1.5 to 35) .A kg/sec (where A is the internal cross sectional area of the conduit in square metres) for a period of t hours where t = p.d/n where d is the length in km of the conduit from the nitrogen introduction location and n is 10 to 400.
Abstract translation:本发明提供了一种在减少烃流动期间保护烃管道的方法,所述方法包括在压力p为1至350巴克和(1.5至35)的速率的所述期间内将氮气导入所述管道中, a kg / sec(其中A是导管的内部横截面积,以平方米为单位)t小时的时间,其中t = pd / n,其中d是导管从氮气导入位置的长度(km),n 是10到400。
Abstract:
A continuous process for regasifying a feed stream comprising (i) a slurry phase comprising gas hydrate particles suspended in a produced liquid hydrocarbon and optionally free produced water and (ii) optionally a gaseous phase comprising free produced gaseous hydrocarbon thereby generating a regasified multiphase fluid and for separating the regasified multiphase fluid into its component fluids, comprising the steps of: (a) heating the feed stream to above the dissociation temperature of the gas hydrate thereby regasifying the feed stream by converting the gas hydrate particles into gaseous hydrocarbon and water; (b) separating a gaseous hydrocarbon phase from the regasified multiphase fluid thereby forming a gaseous hydrocarbon product stream and a liquid stream comprising a mixture of liquid hydrocarbon and water; (c) separating the liquid stream comprising a mixture of the liquid hydrocarbon and water into a liquid hydrocarbon phase and an aqueous phase; and (d) removing the liquid hydrocarbon phase as a liquid hydrocarbon product stream.
Abstract:
A method for inhibiting the formation of gas hydrates within a fluid comprising a gaseous hydrocarbon phase, a liquid hydrocarbon phase and an aqueous phase which method comprises mixing a polymeric emulsifier and optionally a non-ionic non-polymeric co-emulsifier with the fluid prior to subjecting the fluid to conditions under which gas hydrates can be formed so as to generate a water-in-oil emulsion comprising a discontinuous aqueous phase, a continuous liquid hydrocarbon phase and a substantially gas impermeable interfacial layer comprising said polymeric emulsifier and optionally said non-ionic non-polymeric co-emulsifier wherein the aqueous phase is distributed in the continuous liquid hydrocarbon phase in the form of droplets and the substantially gas impermeable interfacial layer encapsulates said droplets.
Abstract:
Refrigeration is produced while delivering transmission pipeline gas (20) of elevated pressure to a branch pipeline of lower pressure by expanding the gas in a turbo-expander (29) to a pressure below the branch pipeline (47) pressure and recovering refrigeration from the expanded gas which is then compressed by a centrifugal compressor (41) directly driven by the turbo-expander (29) to the pressure required for delivery into the branch pipeline (47). The gas (20) is dehydrated by adding methanol through pump (24), and separating aqueous methanol condensate from the expanded gas in separator (31), and the condensate is distilled in column (55) with compression heat in reboiler (64) to recover methanol for reuse.
Abstract:
L'invention concerne un procédé de débouchage d'une conduite (12) de transport de fluide d'hydrocarbure, dans lequel on détecte la présence d'un bouchon (16) d'hydrate de gaz obturant la conduite, à partir de l'exploitation de valeurs de température mesurées le long de la conduite (12), on commande des moyens de chauffage (28) de la conduite de manière à faire fondre le bouchon détecté et, pendant la dissociation du bouchon, on surveille révolution temporelle locale de la température du fluide transporté à l'endroit du bouchon, on fournit une estimation de l'évolution temporelle de la pression interne au niveau du bouchon, à partir de ladite évolution temporelle locale de température et d'une courbe pression-température de limite de phase de l'hydrate entre un état solidifié et un état gazeux, de façon à réguler la puissance de chauffage en fonction de la pression interne estimée pendant la dissociation du bouchon.
Abstract:
The invention provides an elongated conduit (2) comprising a tubular outer pipe (3), an elastic inner pipe (4) and an annulus between the outer pipe and inner pipe, the conduit being provided with a fluid supply device (7), the outer pipe being provided with inlet means (6) for introducing the fluid (9) in the annulus between the outer pipe and the inner pipe, which inlet means communicates with the fluid supply device. The invention also provides a method to remove a blockage in the inner pipe of said elongated conduit. In addition, the invention relates to a method for transporting a liquid, semi-liquid, paste-like or solid material through the inner pipe of said elongated conduit.