Study on the Adhesion Force between Wax Crystal Particles and Hydrate Particles

Area of Science:

• Petroleum Engineering
• Chemical Engineering
• Materials Science

Background:

• Pipeline blockages are a significant operational challenge in the oil and gas industry.
• Accumulation of gas hydrate and wax particles contributes to flow assurance issues.
• Understanding particle-particle and particle-fluid adhesion is crucial for mitigating blockages.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the adhesive forces between cyclopentane hydrate particles and other pipeline phases (hydrate, droplets, wax).
• To explore the influence of temperature and wax concentration on particle adhesion.
• To provide insights into the mechanisms governing hydrate-wax interactions for improved flow assurance.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a high-pressure triaxial mobile device to measure adhesion strength.
• Tested adhesion between cyclopentane hydrate particles and hydrate particles, liquid droplets, and wax crystal particles.
• Conducted experiments across a range of temperatures and wax concentrations (1 to 8.14 wt %).

Main Results:

• Adhesion strength between hydrate and wax particles decreased as temperature increased due to reduced wax viscosity.
• Adhesion initially decreased with increasing wax concentration (up to 5.32 wt %) due to enhanced surface hydrophobicity.
• Adhesion then increased at higher wax concentrations (5.32 to 8.14 wt %) due to blocked hydrate diffusion and increased viscosity.

Conclusions:

• Temperature and wax concentration are critical factors influencing hydrate-wax particle adhesion.
• The complex interplay of hydrophobicity and viscosity governs adhesion, impacting pipeline flow.
• Findings offer valuable data for developing strategies to prevent pipeline blockages caused by hydrate-wax interactions.