QUANTIFYING HYDRATE FORMATION AND KINETIC INHIBITION

In the Prausnitz tradition, molecular and macroscopic evidence of hydr ate formation and kinetic inhibition is presented. On the microscopic level, the first Raman spectra are presented for the formation of both uninhibited and inhibited methane hydrates with time. This method has the potential to provide a microscopic-based kinetics model. Three ma croscopic aspects of natural gas hydrate kinetic inhibition are also r eported: (1) The effect of hydrate dissociation residual structures wa s measured, which has application in decreasing the time required for subsequent formation. (2) The performance of a kinetic inhibitor (poly (N-vinylcaprolactam) or PVCap) was measured and correlated as a functi on of PVCap molecular weight and concentrations of PVCap, methanol, an d salt in the aqueous phase. (3) Long-duration test results indicated that the use of PVCap can prevent pipeline blockage for a time exceedi ng the aqueous phase residence time in some gas pipelines.