(44a) Experimental Flow Loop Setup Used to Investigate Hydrate Formation in Water-in-Oil Emulsions

Gas hydrates are non-stoichiometric crystalline solids with a characteristic guest – host structure that develop from mixtures of water and low molecular weight hydrocarbons. The agglomeration and plug formation tendencies of hydrates in oil and gas flow lines and the ensuing capital losses have provided an impetus to develop reliable, efficient, and economical flow assurance strategies. In this work, we present an experimental setup that is used to quantify emulsion behavior and hydrate formation in flowing systems. The flow loop (8 ft X 8 ft) consists of jacketed 1 in. tubing. Fluid is circulated in the flow loop using a 5 hp progressive cavity pump. The process fluid temperature is controlled in the range (-30°C to 150°C). Flow measurement is accomplished using a mass flow meter, and an inline microscope provides quantitative drop size distributions of emulsions as well as hydrate particle size. The microscope also provides real time images of hydrate slurry flow, adhesion of hydrate particles to inner pipe walls, and eventual plug formation. Quantitative droplet/particle size data are utilized to establish relationships between emulsion droplet size and hydrate behavior in flowing conditions for flow assurance applications.