Gas hydrates are crystalline inclusion compounds comprised of a hydrogen-bondedwater lattice which traps small gas molecules, such as methane, propane, and carbondioxide. Gas hydrates can form in subsea oil and gas pipelines, or during containmentof a Deepwater oil spill, leading to blockages in the pipeline or containment system,respectively. Such events can present severe safety, environmental, and economicrisks. Understanding the mechanisms of gas hydrate formation and decomposition arecritical to advancing effective gas hydrate control strategies in both of theseapplications. The physical phenomena key to these mechanisms include: hydratenucleation and growth, particle-particle interactions, and particle-surface interactionsand deposition. The nature of the fluid system (continuous water, oil, and gas) can havea significant influence on the physical phenomena leading to hydrate blockage. Thispaper will present an overview of the state-of-the-art in hydrates in flow assurance, andpresent experimental data on hydrate particle formation and interactions from liquiddroplet and gas bubble surfaces which can lead to hydrate blockage

Gas hydrate particle formation in flow assurance

246th National Meeting (2013)

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