Method for inhibiting hydrate formation
AssigneeBP Exploration Operating Company Limited
InventorIan Ralph Collins
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Abstract
A method for inhibiting the formation of gas hydrates within a fluid comprising a gaseous hydrocarbon phase, a liquid hydrocarbon phase and an aqueous phase which method comprises mixing a polymeric emulsifier and optionally a non-ionic non-polymeric co-emulsifier with the fluid prior to subjecting the fluid to conditions under which gas hydrates can be formed so as to generate a water-in-oil emulsion comprising a discontinuous aqueous phase, a continuous liquid hydrocarbon phase and a substantially gas impermeable interfacial layer comprising said polymeric emulsifier and optionally said non-ionic non-polymeric co-emulsifier wherein the aqueous phase is distributed in the continuous liquid hydrocarbon phase in the form of droplets and the substantially gas impermeable interfacial layer encapsulates said droplets.
Claims27
A method for inhibiting the formation of gas hydrates within a fluid comprising a gaseous hydrocarbon phase, a liquid hydrocarbon phase and an aqueous phase, which method comprises:
- mixing a polymeric emulsifier and optionally a non-ionic non-polymeric co-emulsifier with the fluid prior to subjecting the fluid to conditions under which gas hydrates can be formed so as to generate a water-in-oil emulsion comprising a discontinuous aqueous phase, a continuous liquid hydrocarbon phase and a substantially gas impermeable interfacial layer comprising said polymeric emulsifier and optionally said non-ionic non-polymeric co-emulsifier wherein the aqueous phase is distributed in the continuous liquid hydrocarbon phase in the form of droplets and the substantially gas impermeable interfacial layer encapsulates said droplets.
A method for transporting a fluid comprising a gaseous hydrocarbon phase, a liquid hydrocarbon phase and an aqueous phase, which method comprises the steps of:
- (a) mixing a polymeric emulsifier and optionally a non-ionic non-polymeric co-emulsifier with the fluid prior to subjecting the fluid to conditions under which gas hydrates can be formed so as to generate a water-in-oil emulsion comprising a discontinuous aqueous phase, a continuous liquid hydrocarbon phase and a substantially gas impermeable interfacial layer comprising said polymeric emulsifier and optionally said non-ionic non-polymeric co-emulsifier wherein the aqueous phase is distributed in the continuous liquid hydrocarbon phase in the form of droplets and the substantially gas impermeable interfacial layer encapsulates said droplets;
- and (b) transporting the emulsion generated in step (a) together with the gaseous hydrocarbon phase.
A fluid comprising:
- a) a gaseous hydrocarbon phase, and
- b) an emulsion comprising a discontinuous aqueous phase, a continuous liquid hydrocarbon phase and a gas impermeable interfacial layer comprising a polymeric emulsifier and optionally a non-ionic non-polymeric co-emulsifier wherein the aqueous phase is distributed in the continuous liquid hydrocarbon phase in the form of droplets and the gas impermeable interfacial layer encapsulates said droplets.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.