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Expected Outcomes
Students should be able to
Explain the water content in the pipe at various pressure
and temperature conditions
Determine the formation of hydrate in pipe at various
pressure & temperature conditions
Explain hydrate inhibition methods such as chemical
injection and temperature control
Explain dehydration processes such as absorption,
adsorption and other processes
Water vapor must be removed from gas stream because it will condense
into liquid hydrate formation (ice-like) as gas is cooled from high
reservoir temperature to cooler surface temperature
Liquid water accelerates corrosion, and solid hydrates may pack solidly in
gas gathering system, resulting in partial or complete blocking of flow lines
Hydrates are solid, semi-stable compounds, ice-like solids that form as crystals and resemble snow in appearance
Product of reaction @ natural gas with water, at high P & low T, and when formed contains10% hydrocarbon and
90% water
Hydrates SG ~ 0.98 and usually float in water and sink in hydrocarbon liquids
operation regime,
design,
geothermal gradient,
Problems?
Plugging natural gas transmission pipelines and other gas handling equipment such as nozzles, valves, separation equipment,
etc.block transmission lines, plug blowout preventers, jeopardize foundation of deep-water platforms and pipelines, cause tubing
and casing collapses,foul process heat exchangers, valves, and expanders.
Hydrates act to concentrate hydrocarbons; one cuft hydrates may contain as much as 180 scf gas.
Hydrate point:
T and P at which hydrates form in a gas mixtures
Dew point:
T at which NG is saturated with water vapor at a
given P.
At DP, NG is in equilibrium with liquid water; a
decrease in T or an increase in P will cause the
water vapor to begin condensing
Primary Conditions:
Gas must be at or below its water dew point with free water present
Low temperature
High pressure
Secondary Conditions:
High velocities
Pressure pulsations
Any agitation types
Introduction of small hydrate crystal
Salts dissolved in liquid water in equilibrium with natural gas reduce gas water content
If gas content H2S & CO2 need to consider water content ratio :
% H2S equivalent = (H2S mole percent + RCO2 mole percent
R ratio of water content sour gas over water content of sweet gas from chart @ P & T
14
Natural Gas Water Content Estimation (McKetta-Wehe Correlation)
Natural gas dew point
Note:
Reading error <4%
Molecular weight &
water salinity
corrections needed
W = 47484(Pv/P)
where;
Pv = pure water vapor pressure
P = system total pressure
W = (A/P) + B
where;
W = water content, lb/MMSCF
A = coefficient equal to water content of ideal gas (table)
B = coefficient dependent on gas composition (table)
P = total pressure,psia
For sweet gas:
W = 47484(Psat.water /P total) + B
T oF A B ToF A B
-40 0.1451 0.00347 104 56.25 0.263
-22 0.393 0.0071 122 94 0.391
-4 0.966 0.0134 140 152 0.562
14 2.188 0.0229 158 238 0.793
32 4.67 0.0418 176 363 1.083
50 9.39 0.0696 194 537.5 1.327
68 17.87 0.112 212 776 1.53
86 32.3 0.174 230 1093 2.62
CO2 - ToF a0 a1 a2
80 6.0901 -2.5396 0.3427
100 6.1870 -2.3779 0.3103
130 6.1925 -2.0280 0.2400
160 6.1850 -1.8492 0.2139
H2S - ToF a0 a1 a2
80 5.1647 -1.9772 0.3004
100 5.4896 -2.0210 0.3046
130 6.1694 -2.2342 0.3319
160 6.8834 -2.4731 0.3646
220 7.9773 -2.8597 0.4232
280 9.2783 -3.3723 0.4897
where:
T = Temperature, oR
c1c6 = Constants (Table )
c1 28.910758
c2 -9.668146x103
c3 -1.663358
c4 -1.308235x105
c5 2.035324x102
c6 3.8508508x10-2
kv-s y xs
where:
y = mol fraction of HC in gas on a water free basis
xs = mol fraction of HC in solid on a water free basis
Equilibrium
Hydrate
formation
No
hydrate
formation
Effect of Inhibitors on Hydrate Prevention Phase Diagram
P-T Curve for Hydrate Formation Prediction
Can be
Hydrate used for
hydrate
formation in
flow string
& surface
lines.
No hydrate
Mole fraction in
Component
gas
C1 0.810
C2 0.052
C3 0.019
iC4 0.004
nC4 0.020
N2 0.093
CO2 0.002
Total 1.000
Possible problems:
Completely plugging
Temporarily plugging with great pressure buildup
behind it (pipeline or valves)
If solid hydrate slug dislodges with pressure
buildup behind it pipe may rupture,
especially at bends
For sour gases, H2S & CO2 will increase hydrate T and
reduce P above which hydrates will form presence of H2S
or CO2 will increase hydrate formation possibility.
Fig. 15.2 Permissible expansion of a 0.6-gravity natural gas without hydrate formation.
Fig. 15.3 Permissible expansion of a 0.7-gravity natural gas without hydrate formation.
Fig. 15.4 Permissible expansion of a 0.8-gravity natural gas without hydrate formation.
Fig. 15.5 Permissible expansion of a 0.9-gravity natural gas without hydrate formation.
Fig. 15.6 Permissible expansion of a 1.0-gravity natural gas without hydrate formation.
1. The 0.65 gravity gas is to be expanded from 2,000 psia to 800 psia. What is the
minimum initial temperature that will permit the expansion without hydrate
formation?
2. How far may a 0.8 gravity gas at 1,500 psia and 120oF be expanded without
hydrate formation?
3. How far may a 0.9 gravity gas at 1,500 psia and 160oF be expanded without
hydrate formation?
4. A 1.0 gravity gas is to be expanded from 2,000 to 400 psia. What is the minimum
initial temperature that will permit expansion without danger of hydrates?
Using the gas compositions, calculate the pressure at which the hydrate
will be formed at 50oF.
Mole fraction in
Component
gas
C1 0.810
C2 0.052
C3 0.019
iC4 0.004
nC4 0.020
N2 0.093
CO2 0.002
Total 1.000
1. Chemicals Injection
a. Methanol injection
b. Glycol injection
2. Temperature Control
a. Lowering hydrate formation temperature by chemicals
b. Maintaining temperature of flowing gas above hydrate formation
temperature
Flow string in a well heating accomplished by circulating hot oil
in casing-tubing annulus prevent free water formation &
hydrates.
Effective only when treating small amounts of gas or for a
temporary conditions (i.e., well startup or shut-down)
3. Use bottomhole chokes in flow string
4. Proper surface facilities design
1. Minimizing obstruction in flow strings
2. Use of proper valve sizes at surface
3. Minimizing sharp bends in surface flowlines
4. Proper placement of chokes in surface lines
Hydrate
absorption Glycol
(liquid desiccant)
Gas
dehydration
Actual
Hydrate B
C water inhibition
removal (chemical
injection)
Absorption:
water vapor is removed from natural gas by bubbling the gas counter
currently through certain liquid that have a special attraction or affinity for
water
Adsorption:
water vapor is removed from natural gas by flowing them through granular
solids bed that have an affinity for water, and water is retained on the solid
particles surface
Contactor/sorber:
vessel in which either absorption or adsorption take place
Desiccant:
liquid or solid having affinity for water and used in the
contactor
FACULTY OF PETROLEUM & RENEWABLE ENERGY ENGINEERING (FPREE)
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Innovative. Entrepreneurial . Global
Gas Dehydration?
1. Downhole regulators
2. Indirect heaters
Ammonia, brines, methanol and glycols have been used to lower water freeing
point and thus reduce or prevent hydrate formation in gas lines
Methanol and ethylene glycol are mostly used inhibitors
Injection of hydrate inhibitors may be applied for:
Gas pipeline systems in which hydrate trouble is of short duration
Gas pipelines which operate at a few degree below hydrate formation temperature
Gas gathering systems in pressure declining fields
Gas line in which hydrates form at localized points
When hydrate inhibitors are injected in gas flow lines or gathering systems,
installation of a high pressure water knockout at well head will prove to be
economical
Removing free water from gas stream will reduce considerably the amount of
inhibitor required
Inhibitor remains as a mist
in the gas stream
Injection of glycol into a gas stream has the same effect as methanol injection i.e. lowering hydrate
formation point or lowering freezing point of free water present.
Glycol has a relatively low vapor pressure and does not evaporate into vapor phase as readily as
methanol
For these reasons, glycol can be more economically recovered, therefore reducing operating cost
compared to methanol system, particularly where continuous inhibition required as it may be recovered
from water & little lost in gas stream.
Injection parts of the system (item 1-5) is similar to methanol
Additional equipment in the glycol system is for recovering the glycol
A 3-phase separator (6) separates water and glycol form HC phases
Water-glycol solution in separator is sent to reboiler (7) while gas is delivered to sales line and HC
condensate is dumped to condensate tanks
In reboiler, excess water is boiled away from glycol
Reconcentrated glycol in boiler is then available again
for injection into gas stream
downhole regulators, indirect heaters, methanol injection and glycol injection are proven methods that can be design for
safe and reliable operation
Other combinations of systems offer the best results, but overall evaluations should include development of:
Capital cost
Downhole regulators
No routine service is required, but a wireline service company must be used each time the pressure drop has to be
changed and when the regulator is finally removed
Even in a well with downhole regulator, injection of methanol and glycol may be required when a well is brought on line
after shut-in period until the flow and temperature stabilized
After the well declines to less than allowable production, the downhole regulator will have to be removed and another
form of hydrate prevention might be necessary
Downhole regulators do not present any special safety hazards, but, since work with regulators involves working in the
well, there is always the risk of losing the well
Heaters
Pressurized fire boxes an flame have minimized the hazards, but only with proper attention to detailed design
b. Glycol system
1. Temperature
a. Incoming gas
At constant pressure, inlet gas water content increases as T increases
At higher T, glycol will have to remove about 3 times as much water to meet pipeline
specification
Glycol vaporization losses are also increased at the higher T
Losses typical range: 0.05 gal/MMSCF for high P low T gases to 0.30 gal/MMSCF for low P
high T gases.
To minimized glycol decomposition, pH maintained 6 7 measured at 50-50 glycol dilution in
distilled water.
b. Lean glycol
T of lean glycol entering reboiler has significant effect on gas dew point depression and should
be held to minimum for best operation, however, it should be kept above inlet gas T to
minimized HC condensation in absorber
c. Glycol reboiler
Reboiler T controls concentration of the water in the glycol
With constant P, glycol concentration increases with higher reboiler temperatures
d. Top of stripping still
High T in top of the still column can increase glycol losses due to excessive vaporization
If T too low, too much water can be condensed and washed back into regenerator to flood still
column and fill reboiler with excessive liquids
FACULTY OF PETROLEUM & RENEWABLE ENERGY ENGINEERING (FPREE)
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Innovative. Entrepreneurial . Global
Glycol Dehydration Operating Variables
2. Pressure
a. Contactor
At a constant T, water content of inlet gas decreases with increasing P. Therefore, less
glycol circulation required at higher pressures
b. Reconcentrator
P above atmospheric in reboiler can significantly reduce glycol concentration and
dehydration efficiency
3. Glycol concentration
Dry gas leaves contactor in equilibrium with lean glycol
The leaner the glycol going to absorber, more efficient its dehydrating power will be
Glycol consumption = 15 to 0.5 gal/MMSCF of gas treated.
Lean Still
glycol
Glycol
Flash
contactor
drum
Reboiler
Rich
Surge drum
glycol
Wet gas
Filter
Inlet scrubber
Free liquid
Wet gas: gas containing water vapor prior to flowing through the
adsorber towers
Dry gas: gas that has been dehydrated by flowing through the
adsorber towers
Regeneration gas: wet gas that has been heated in the regeneration gas
heater to T of 400 460 oF. This gas is passed
through a saturated adsorber tower to dry the tower
and remove the previously adsorb water
Adsorption process is a batch procedure, with multiple desiccant beds used cyclic operation
to dry the gas on a continuous basis
Number and arrangement of the desiccant beds may vary from two towers, adsorbing
alternately to many towers
Three separate functions or cycles
must be alternately be performed in
each dehydrator:
1. Adsorbing or gas drying cycle
2. Heating or regeneration cycle
3. Cooling cycle to prepare the
regenerated bed for another
adsorbing or gas drying cycle
Wet inlet gas stream first passes
through an efficient inlet separator
where free liquids, entrained mist
and solid particles are removed
At any given time, one of the towers will be on stream in the adsorbing or drying cycle and the other tower
will be in the process of being regenerated and cooled
Several automatically operated switching valves and a controller route the inlet gas and regeneration gas
to the proper tower at the proper time
Typically, a tower will be on adsorb cycle for 4 12 hours with 8 hours being the average
Tower being regenerated would be heated for about 6 hours and cooled during remaining 2 hours
All the regeneration gas used in the heating and cooling cycle is passed through a heat exchanger,
normally an aerial cooler, where it is cooled in order to condense the water removed from the regenerated
tower
Advantages Disadvantages
Initial investment for a standard High dew point depressions cannot
unit is relatively inexpensive be obtained with standard
equipment. Consequently, high inlet
P drop through the contactor is gas T cannot be tolerated
low. This may result in reducing
compressor HP requirement Glycol may become contaminated
causing foaming and other
Effective dehydration can be operating difficulties
obtained over a wide range of Pump packing leaks may be a
operating conditions nuisance and expense
Corrosion due to glycol
decomposition products and/or acid
gases is frequently a problem
Advantages Disadvantages
High dew point depression can Initial investment is relatively
be obtained expensive
Effective dehydration can be P drop through the contactor is
obtained over a wide range of greater that of a glycol unit
operating conditions
Desiccant can be poisoned,
The nominal capacity of a unit especially by heavy lube oils
may be increased by bypassing which may come into the unit
some wet gas around the unit so with compressed gas
that the combined stream will
At low flow rates, the heat
meets the dew point requirement
required for regeneration is high
relative to the amount of gas
dehydrated
Hydrate inhibition:
by alcohol or glycol*
by use of flow line heaters
* These methods are not dehydration methods, but rather preventive methods that
result in eliminating the hydrate problem, without removing the water from the gas