RAPID: Gas Hydrate Formation and Inhibition at the Conditions Encountered in the Gulf of Mexico Oil Leak from the Deepwater Horizon Well

1042752这个拟议项目的重点是获得目前考虑的防止深水地平线油井系统泄漏的油气以及其他未来深水石油开发中天然气水合物形成策略所需的实验数据。智力价值：正在考虑的热力学抑制剂(如甲醇和单甘醇)对水合物形成条件和速率的影响将使用高压差动量热计和搅拌高压高压槽进行测量。这些测量将提供新的关键信息，以确定这些广泛使用的水合物形成控制策略在深水石油开发中的有效性。CSM水合物中心是水合物流动保证领域的全球领导者，在应用于石油行业的水合物形成实验和建模方面拥有丰富的专业知识。CSM在水合物实验方面的专业知识将加速拟议的项目。第一组实验将测量有无抑制剂(甲醇和单甘醇)的盐水溶液中甲烷水合物的相平衡。这些测量将在高压微型差示扫描量热仪(HIP-DSC)中进行。该仪器允许在低温和高压条件下测量非常小的样品(约20毫克)的相变，这在深水地平线井系统中是预期的。在这些实验中，压力将设置为2500-3000磅/平方英寸，温度从40摄氏度上升到-40摄氏度，形成水合物，然后从-40摄氏度上升到40摄氏度，以分解水合物，获得水合物的解离温度和盐水溶液转化为水合物晶体的程度。在不同的缓蚀剂浓度下，可以测量不同样品的分解温度。广泛的影响：在存在油包水乳化盐水体系的情况下，热力学缓蚀剂，如甲醇和单甘醇对水合物形成条件和速率的影响以前没有被研究过。然而，这些信息对于确定这些广泛使用的水合物形成和修复控制策略的有效性至关重要。

1042752SumThe focus of this proposed project is to obtain experimental data needed in strategies currently contemplated to prevent gas hydrate formation at the oil/gas leaking from the Deepwater Horizon well system, as well as other future deepwater oil developments.Intellectual Merit: The effect of thermodynamic inhibitors being considered, such as methanol and monoethylene glycol on hydrate formation conditions and rates in the presence of water-in-oil emulsion + brine systems will be measured using a high pressure differential calorimeter and a stirred high pressure autoclave cell. These measurements will provide new and critical information to establishing the effectiveness of these widely used control strategies for hydrate formation in deepwater oil developments. The CSM Hydrate Center is a global leader in hydrate flow assurance, with extensive expertise in experiments and modeling of hydrate formation applied to the oil industry. The proposed project will be accelerated by the expertise at CSM in hydrate experiments.The first set of experiments will measure the phase equilibria of methane hydrates from brine solution with and without inhibitor (methanol and monoethylene glycol). These measurements will be performed in a high-pressure micro-differential scanning calorimeter (HiP-DSC). This instrument allows measurements of phase changes for very small samples (about 20 mg) at low temperature and high-pressure conditions as expected in the Deepwater Horizon well systems. For these experiments, the pressure will be set to 2500-3000 psi and the temperature ramped from +40 °C to -40 °C to form hydrates and then from -40°C to +40 °C to dissociate the hydrate and obtain the dissociation temperature of the hydrate and the extent of conversion of the aqueous brine solution to hydrate crystals. The onset of the dissociation temperature can be measured for the different samples at a number of inhibitor concentrations.Broader Impact: The effect of thermodynamic inhibitors, such as methanol and monoethylene glycol on hydrate formation conditions and rates in the presence of water-in-oil emulsion + brine systems have not been investigated previously. Yet, this information is critical to establishing the effectiveness of these widely used control strategies for hydrate formation and remediation.