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 MULTI-CHEM® DEVELOPS ADVANCED ROCKING CELL SYSTEM FOR TESTING OF HYDRATE INHIBITORS UNDER BOTH SWEET AND SOUR CONDITIONS

 
 Multi-Chem®, a global provider of oilfield production chemicals, has developed the first system of highly advanced rocking cells for testing low dosage hydrate inhibitors (LDHIs) that are designed to withstand hydrogen sulfide (H2S) gas, announced Vice President of Technology Danny Durham.
 The two six-cell modules are composed of the highly corrosion-resistant metal alloy HASTELLOY® so that LDHI testing can be conducted using H2S. The system is the first of its kind and offers deepwater, ultra deepwater and land-based operators the first opportunity to properly and safely simulate the conditions in a sour system without causing damage to the equipment.
The 12 test cells feature dual sapphire viewing windows and proximity sensors, and a center-ported configuration designed to eliminate the problems associated with more traditional end -ported designs, where hydrate formation can occur in the inlet tubing causing inaccurate results. This new design gives significantly more accurate pressure readings, essential to hydrate testing, while providing a relative viscosity measurement from the proximity sensors. Each individual cell window features ultra-bright rear-mounted lighting for clear viewing of the fluids.  
The system’s fully automated data acquisition and control software gives users the flexibility to pre-program various testing parameters and protocol changes, including the cells’ rocking angle and rocking rate. Two large monitoring screens help to track the conditions and progress of each individual cell during the test.
“The combination of the new design features, the data acquisition system and the quality of the materials used allows us to more accurately recreate the conditions of both sweet and sour systems as compared to other rocking cell designs,” said Zubin Patel, co-developer of the technology.
This technology was developed by Multi-Chem chemical and flow assurance experts Zubin Patel and James Russum.
Patel graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from Midwestern State University and a Ph.D. in synthetic organic chemistry from the University of Southern California. He has six years of experience in the production chemicals industry where he specializes in LDHIs and flow assurance technologies; chemical development, testing and recommendations; and testing analysis.
James Russum earned a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering from Tennessee Technological University and a Ph.D. in chemical engineering with a minor in polymer chemistry from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Russum specializes in flow assurance, gas hydrates and hydrate control.

MULTI-STIM ®

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Multi-Stim ®

Multi-Chem has pioneered a new technology that is now available to the natural gas industry. The technology can be described as "an automated approach to enhanced gas recovery" for wells exhibiting liquid loading conditions. This application method, "Multi- Stim ®", allows the batch and/or continuous application of liquid foaming and defoaming agents to affected wells by automatically monitoring the well flow pattern. It responds as the flow drops below a predetermined amount and initiates the batch application of a liquid foaming agent when liquid loading condition is observed by the software monitoring program.

This system is highly advantageous as continuous applications become increasingly difficult in liquid loaded gas wells both onshore and offshore; the wells are completed with sub surface safety valves and/or downhole storm chokes. Maintaining continuous injection inventory control of liquid foaming agents is a challenge that is also encountered in wells producing on unmanned platforms and/or offshore wells that are located in remote areas.

Remote monitoring of the skid allows the service provider and/or producer the capability of making changes to the treatment program and download system performance data onsite or from across the globe.

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