Review of hydrate plugging mechanisms in oil and gas transport pipelines

doi:10.16085/j.issn.1000-6613.2017-1829

Abstract

Abstract: Although many experimental studies were conducted on oil-gas transportation pipeline hydrate plugging mechanisms worldwide, there has always been a lack of systematic summary. According to the difference in experimental conditions, oil-gas transportation systems were firstly divided into oil-dominated systems, water-dominated systems(water systems and water-continuous systems), gas-dominated systems and partially-dispersed systems. Analyses show that there are many pipeline hydrate plugging mechanisms, including hydrate agglomeration and deposition, hydrate jamming and the separation of oil and water. For oil-dominated systems, hydrate agglomeration/jamming and hydrate deposition(film growth, wall adhesion and bedding) are the main plugging mechanisms. For water systems, hydrate particle bedding is the dominant plugging mechanism. For gas-dominated systems, hydrate agglomeration and stenosis caused by hydrate jamming are the main plugging mechanism. As for the main plugging mechanisms in water-continuous systems and partially-dispersed systems, there is no definite conclusion can be drawn and much work is still needed.Quantitative researches on droplet size distribution in annular flow, oil-water dispersion state, emulsion stability and non-emulsified free water are the focuses of hydrate plugging mechanism research in the future.

Key words: oil and gas transmission pipeline, hydrate, plugging mechanism, oil-dominated systems, water-dominated systems, gas-dominated systems, partially-dispersed systems

摘要： 国内外对油气管道水合物堵塞机理的实验研究虽然较多，但一直缺少系统的总结归纳。本文根据水合物堵塞实验开展条件的不同，首先将油气管输体系分为油基体系、水基体系（纯水体系及水主导体系）、气主导体系和部分分散体系。文章分析表明，管道水合物堵塞机理众多，具体包括水合物的聚集和沉积、水合物大量聚集阻塞管道流通截面及油水相分离等。其中，水合物的聚集和沉积是油基体系水合物堵塞的主要机理，水合物颗粒的着床沉积是纯水体系水合物堵塞的主要机理，水合物大量聚集阻塞管道流通截面则是气主导体系水合物堵塞的主要机理。水主导体系和部分分散体系的水合物堵塞机理，目前尚无统一定论，有待进一步深入研究。文章指出对环状流液滴分布、油水分散状态、乳状液稳定性及未乳化自由水层等的量化研究则是未来水合物堵塞机理的研究重点。

关键词: 油气管道, 水合物, 堵塞机理, 油基体系, 水基体系, 气主导体系, 部分分散体系

CLC Number:

TE88

SONG Guangchun, LI Yuxing, WANG Wuchang, JIANG Kai, SHI Zhengzhuo, YAO Shupeng, WEI Ding. Review of hydrate plugging mechanisms in oil and gas transport pipelines[J]. Chemical Industry and Engineering Progress, 2018, 37(07): 2473-2481.

宋光春, 李玉星, 王武昌, 姜凯, 施政灼, 姚淑鹏, 魏丁. 油气管道水合物堵塞机理研究进展[J]. 化工进展, 2018, 37(07): 2473-2481.

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