Gas hydrates testing, prediction and mitigation.
Gas hydrates exploration and production support:
Intertek Westport Technology Center is an expert in gas hydrates testing, prediction and mitigation, helping clients avoid costly breakdowns of drilling and production operations due to gas hydrate issues. When hydrates form they can cause a breakdown of drilling and production operations. The typical hydrate problem results in a two to three week operational shutdown. Intertek helps clients minimize the risk of operational problems caused by gas hydrates through our Total Quality Assurance approach.
Hydrates technical services:
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Kinetic inhibition, chemistry and applications:
- Development of hydrate inhibitors at all field operating conditions including deep water drilling.
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Full stream fluids testing:
- The lab provides the hydrate formation conditions for full stream produced fluids such as oil, formation-water, methanol and glycol. Tests are performed in a high pressure (6000 psi) gas hydrate apparatus designed to test hydrate formation in multiphase hydrocarbon systems.
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Drilling fluids testing:
- Westport provides hydrate formation conditions for drilling fluids under offshore drilling environments.
- Prediction of hydrate phase equilibrium and amount of inhibitors:
- Hydrate phase equilibrium prediction is provided using commercial and in-house prediction models. Calculation of inhibitor (methanol, glycols, salts) requirements are also provided. Predictions pertain to deep water drilling, reservoir fluid conditions and black oil and condensate systems
Hydrates prediction modelling and development:
- Windows-based software development for hydrate prediction, tailored for use by drilling personnel.
- Thermodynamic models to predict hydrate temperature suppression using drill mud resistivity, salt and glycol contents, and mud activity.
- Mathematical modelling of choke and kill lines heat tracing.
- Hydrate plug melting with hot water circulation.
Gas hydrates applied research:
- Testing of drilling fluids for deep water conditions
- Hydrate stabilization while drilling
- Hydrate plug removal from choke and kill lines
- Novel hydrate prediction methods for drilling fluids
- Gas storage and separation using gas hydrates
Gas hydrates are similar to ice in appearance, but differ in crystal structure. Under conditions of high pressure and low temperature water will physically entrap hydrate molecules inside hydrogen-bonded solid lattice. The hydrate form could be in a vapor or liquid state, miscible or immiscible with the water.
Natural Gas Testing and Evaluation
