Institut Francais Du Pe'trole

Institute Francais Du Petrole

Anne-Sophie Delion

Jean-Pierre Durand

Alexandre Rojey

Michel Thomas

Marie Velly

A process for transporting a fluid in a pipe under conditions where hydrates may form. In the process, the pipe fluid contains at least one of a gaseous hydrocarbon or liquid hydrocarbon and water and the water content is less than the liquid hydrocarbon content. The process includes the steps of 1) adding a dispersive additive in a hydrocarbon solution to the fluid to be transported, so as to form an emulsion, 2) transporting the liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons in the presence of water and the hydrates, 3) separating the gas phase, the hydrocarbon liquid in excess and a liquid hydrocarbon phase comprising the hydrates and the dispersing additive, and 4) separating the liquid hydrocarbon phase comprising the hydrates and the dispersing additives. The liquid hydrocarbon phase comprising the hydrates is separated by dissociating the hydrates to form a water-in-oil emulsion, the additives being solved in the oil or liquid hydrocarbon, and breaking the water-in-oil emulsion so as to obtain an aqueous phase and a liquid hydrocarbon comprising the additives. Finally the liquid hydrocarbon phase containing at least part of the dispersing additive from step 4, is recycled to a point in the pipe.

Process for recycling a dispersing additive used for the transportation

The invention concerns a process for reducing the tendency of hydrates in a fluid comprising at least water, a gas and a paraffin oil to agglomerate, by addition of a mixture of at least two organosoluble additives, namely at least one polyisobutene-polyethyleneglycol block copolymer and at least one copolymer of an alkyl (meth)acrylate and a nitrogen-containing monomer. These organosoluble copolymers are generally introduced at an overall concentration of 0.05% to 5% by weight with respect to the water present in the medium.

Process for reducing the tendency of hydrates to agglomerate in

Process for transporting gas hydrates formed from a natural gas or from a condensate gas, consisting in using a dispersing additive, possibly coupled with a film-forming additive, in solution in a liquid hydrocarbon fraction, this liquid hydrocarbon fraction participating in the formation of an emulsion and/or of a suspension with the condensation water produced and the hydrates. The dispersing additive is recycled after the transportation of the hydrates in the pipe.

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Paris, France

Anne-Sophie Delion