Technologies for Hydrate Management in Deepwater Gas Well

Abstract

Special attention should be paid to hydrate management throughout the entire process of deepwater oil and gas development. The hydrate blockage in deepwater gas well not only affects the normal gas production but its subsequent removal also prolongs the operation time, increases the operation costs and even jeopardizes the personnel and production equipment. The main methods for hydrate prevention and management are divided into two types: chemical inhibitor methods and physical methods. The physical methods mainly include thermal insulation method, thermal stimulation method, depressurization method, a coating method, dehydration method, gravity pipe heating method, and down-hole gas valve throttling method. For the chemical inhibitor methods, they aim to alter the hydrate phase equilibrium or inhibit the nucleation, growth, and aggregation of hydrates. Common chemical inhibitors mainly include thermodynamic inhibitors, kinetic inhibitors, and anti-agglomerants, which are simple and effective compared with the physical methods. This chapter mainly introduces hydrate management during the testing of deepwater gas wells.