EFFECT OF HYDRATE FORMATION/DISSOCIATION ON EMULSION STABILITY USING DSC AND VISUAL TECHNIQUES

• Main Authors: Lachance, Jason W., Sloan, E. Dendy, Koh, Carolyn A.
• Language: English
• Published: 2008
• Subjects: DSC; hydrate formation; hydrate dissociation; emulsions; ICGH; International Conference on Gas Hydrates
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/1129

The flow assurance industry is progressively moving away from avoidance of hydrate formation towards risk management. Risk management allows hydrates to form but prevents hydrates from agglomerating and forming a plug, or delays hydrate formation within the timescale of the residence time of the water in the hydrate-prone section of the flow line. A key factor in risk management for an oil-dominated system is the stability of the emulsified water with gas hydrate formation. It is shown using Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) that gas hydrate formation and dissociation has a destabilizing effect on W/O emulsions, and can even lead to a free water phase through agglomeration and coalescence of dissociated hydrate particles. Gas hydrate formation/dissociation has been shown to cause rapid hydrate agglomeration and emulsion destabilization. High asphaltene content crude oils are shown to resist hydrate destabilization of the emulsion.