Biopolymers as inhibitors of hydrate formation: A review

About the authors:

Nikita S. Novikov, Postgraduate Student, University of Tyumen, Tyumen, Russia; nikitanns72@gmail.com, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1923-446X

Andrey O. Drachuk, Cand. Sci. (Phys.-Math.), Researcher, Earth Cryosphere Institute, Tyumen Scientific Centre, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy Sciences, Tyumen, Russia; Associate Professor of the Department of Applied and Technical Physics, University of Tyumen, Tyumen, Russia; a.o.drachuk@utmn.ru; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7385-9727

Abstract:

At present, the fields of Eastern Siberia are being actively developed in Russia, which differ from traditional ones due to lower reservoir temperatures and higher salinity of formation and residual water that can be carried along with hydrocarbons. These factors collectively create favorable conditions for hydrate formation. Despite the fact that saline water is a thermodynamic hydrate inhibitor by its nature, cases of hydrate formation are still recorded at all stages of hydrocarbon production at some fields due to abnormally low reservoir temperatures. To address this issue, methanol is typically used in industrial practice, which is a rather toxic substance and can precipitate when interacting with highly saline water. Therefore, there is currently an active search for environmentally friendly substances as an alternative to existing methods of chemical inhibition. In our work, we conducted a review of Russian and foreign literature on the application of chemical methods for hydrate formation inhibition. However, there is very limited data in the literature regarding the use of these substances in systems with highly saline water, necessitating further research. For instance, high salt concentrations reduce the solubility of certain thermodynamic inhibitors, such as methanol, requiring dosage adjustments. A promising direction is the development of hybrid compositions combining kinetic and thermodynamic inhibitors, which can reduce overall costs and increase resistance to extreme conditions.

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