Flowloop investigation into hydrate formation and slurry flow in the presence of micron-sized sand particles

• Published in: Journal of petroleum science & engineering 2022-05, Vol.212, p.110251, Article 110251
• Main Authors: Shi, Bohui, Chen, Yuchuan, Wang, Xiaofeng, Song, Shangfei, Fu, Shunkang, Zhou, Jianwei, Liu, Yang, Lv, Xiaofang, Gong, Jing
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Flow assurance; Hydrates; Micron-sized sand particles; Rheology
• ISSN: 0920-4105; 1873-4715
• DOI: 10.1016/j.petrol.2022.110251

Hydrate flow assurance is critical to the exploitation of natural gas hydrate reservoirs. So far, hydrate formation and slurry flow behaviors in the presence of micron-sized sand particles are still unclear. Therefore, experiments of hydrate formation and slurry flow in the presence of micron-sized sand particles were performed in a high-pressure flow loop. The induction time and formation subcooling during hydrate formation process with micron-sized sand particles were studied, and cumulative formation probability under different formation subcooling with micron-sized sand particles was explored. Coupled with a semi-empirical hydrate formation kinetics model, hydrate formation kinetics parameters with micron-sized sand particles were calculated. The influence mechanism of micron-sized sand particles on hydrate formation was revealed. The calculation method for hydrate slurry viscosity under conditions of constant volume fraction and variable shear rate was derived. Combined with viscosity of hydrate slurry with micron-sized sand particles, the importance of the fractal dimension to the accuracy of slurry viscosity prediction was emphasized. Considering hydraulic factors, collision between hydrates or micron-sized sand particles and pipe wall, and friction between hydrates or micron-sized sand particles and pipe wall, the calculation method of flow resistance coefficient of hydrate slurry with micron-sized sand particles was established. •Methane gas hydrate formation was promoted in the flow system with MSPs.•MSPs led to the blockage in the flow system with micron-sized sand particles.•Calculation method for hydrate slurry viscosity was derived.•Calculation method of flow resistance of hydrate slurry was established.