(159at) Probing the Influence of Bubble Generation on the Rate of Gas Evolution in Super-Saturated Silicone Oils

In the energy industry, gas-liquid separation is an important process during crude oil production. The separation process is impacted by the rate of mass transfer and the mass transfer coefficient. The rate of gas evolution in crude oils is affected by viscosity, super-saturation level, and surface-active species, among other factors. If incomplete separation occurs, downstream equipment can potentially be damaged due to the sudden evolution of the dissolved gases when lower pressures are encountered. The process of mass transfer is heavily influenced by the surface area available for mass transfer. Thus, the bubbling behavior in oils will influence the rate of mass transfer as a result of surface area generation. The bubbling behavior in liquids varies depending on physical properties such as viscosity and gas solubility in the oil. This work seeks to understand these phenomena by probing the gas evolution behavior in silicone oils at viscosities up to 300 cP using a recently developed algorithm to quantify the surface area generated by bubble formation. Our presentation will highlight visual observations combined with the quantification of mass transfer during gas evolution at pressures up to 150 psia.