The prevention of surge wave instabilities in three phase gas condensate flowlines

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016367957-A1
Application number	US-201415120909-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 24, 2014
Priority date	Feb 24, 2014
Publication date	Dec 22, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

There is provided a process for the prevention or reduction of surge wave instabilities during the transport in a flowline of a three phase gas condensate comprising a gas phase, an aqueous phase and a condensate phase, characterized in that a dispersing agent is added to the three phase gas condensate which is able to disperse the aqueous phase in the condensate phase or the condensate phase in the aqueous phase, and a means for the prevention or reduction of surge wave instabilities during the transportation of a three phase gas condensate.

First claim

1 . A process for the prevention or reduction of surge wave instabilities during the transport in a flowline of a three phase gas condensate comprising a gas phase, an aqueous phase and a condensate phase, said method comprising:
adding a dispersing agent to the three phase gas condensate which is able to disperse the aqueous phase in the condensate phase or the condensate phase in the aqueous phase, wherein the addition of the dispersing agent enables the flowline to operate at a lower flow rate than when the same flowline is o aerated without addition of said dispersing agent.

2 . The process according to claim 1 , wherein the dispersing agent which is added to the three phase gas condensate is one or more dispersing agent selected from the group consisting of oil soluble surfactants and water soluble surfactants.

3 . The process according to claim 1 , wherein the dispersing agent which is added to the three phase gas condensate is an oil soluble surfactant.

4 . The process according to claim 1 , wherein the dispersing agent which is added to the three phase gas condensate is one or more dispersing agents agent selected from the group consisting of non-ionic oil soluble fatty acid monoesters of sorbitan and water soluble ethoxylated fatty acid monoesters of sorbitan.

5 . The process according to any claim 1 , wherein the dispersing agent which is added to the three phase gas condensate is at least one Span® surfactant selected from the group consisting of Span® 60, Span® 65, Span® 80 and Span® 83.

6 . The process according to claim 1 , wherein the dispersing agent which is added to the three phase gas condensate is added at a dosing level of from 5 to 10,000 ppm.

7 . The process according to claim 1 , wherein the dispersing agent which is added to the three phase gas condensate is added at a dosing level of from 10 to 1,000 ppm.

8 . The process according to claim 1 , wherein the dispersing agent which is added to the three phase gas condensate is able to disperse the condensate phase in the aqueous phase.

9 . The process according to claim 1 , wherein the dispersing agent which is added to the three phase gas condensate is able to disperse the aqueous phase in the condensate phase.

10 . The process according to claim 1 , further comprising adding a processing chemical to a mixture produced after addition of the dispersing agent.

11 . The process according to claim 1 , further comprising adding a processing chemical to a mixture produced after addition of the dispersing agent, wherein said processing chemical is a demulsifying agent.

12 . The process according to claim 1 further comprising adding a processing chemical to a mixture produced after addition of the dispersing agent, wherein said processing chemical is selected from the group consisting of acid catalyzed phenol-formaldehyde resin demulsifiers, base catalyzed phenol-formaldehyde resin demulsifiers, and epoxy resin demulsifiers.

13 - 14 . (canceled)

15 . The process according to claim 4 , wherein the dispersing agent which is added to the three phase gas condensate is one or more dispersing agent selected from the group consisting of Span® surfactants and Tween® surfactants.

16 . The process according to any claim 5 , wherein the dispersing agent which is added to the three phase gas condensate is Span® 80.

Assignees

• Statoil Petroleum As

Inventors

• Nordsveen Magnus
• Orr Robert
• Meland Bjørn
• Sira Terje

Classifications

• C10L2270/10

  for transport, e.g. in pipelines as a gas hydrate slurry · CPC title

• C09K8/52 Primary

  Compositions for preventing, limiting or eliminating depositions, e.g. for cleaning · CPC title

• C09K2208/22

  Hydrates inhibition by using well treatment fluids containing inhibitors of hydrate formers · CPC title

• C10L1/191

  of di- or polyhydroxyalcohols · CPC title

• C10L1/328

  Oil emulsions containing water or any other hydrophilic phase · CPC title