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A high-pressure experimental setup was used to obtain experimental data on the Hydrate Equilibrium (melting) Temperature (HET) of aqueous phases undersaturated with CO2, at different CO2 saturation levels and with different aqueous phase compositions (sodium chloride and sodium chloride/calcium chloride). This paper details the experimental equipment, methods, test fluids, and results. To study the phase equilibria of CO2-brine systems and further validate the results, hydrate dissociation conditions of CO2 in different concentrations of NaCl aqueous solutions were measured in the low-temperature region and over a wide range of pressure. Experimental results were compared against predictions of the simplified Cubic Plus Association Equation of State (sCPA-EoS) coupled with the van der Waals and Platteeuw solid solution theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Field observations have shown that some streams of water, gas and crude oil do not form gas hydrate plugs during petroleum production even when operating within thermodynamic conditions for hydrate formation. Also, when studied under controlled laboratory conditions, some oils are found to form hydrate dispersed systems whereas others form plugs. Oils with low tendency to form hydrate plugs are believed to contain natural hydrate plug inhibiting components (NICs) that adsorb onto the hydrate surface, making them less water-wet and preventing the particles from agglomerating into large hydrate clusters. The molecular structure of the NICs is currently unknown. In this work, hydrate adsorbing components were extracted from crude oils using freon hydrates as an extraction phase. The fractions were found to be enriched in polar material, and more polar material is associated with hydrates generated in biodegraded crude oils than in non-biodegraded oils. Various fractionation schemes and analytical techniques have been applied in the search for molecular characterisation. The average molecular weights were found to be approximately 500g/mole. GC–MS chromatograms show a large UCM (Unresolved Complex Mixture). Thus, GC–MS has a limited potential for identification of compounds. A commercial biosurfactant was used as a model compound in the search for similar structures in the extracts. The results from analysis of the hydrate adsorbing components suggest that the type and structure are more important for hydrate morphology than the amount of material adsorbed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]