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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.

EQUIPMENT FAILURES

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It's important to identify the root cause of any failure which occurs in the production system. This enables establishment of a remediation program to eliminate or control the problem and keep the production system flowing efficiently.

Corrosion is one of the most serious issues in oil and gas production. Corrosion of metal in lines reduces the effective useful life of the line and causes leaks and failures, along with the subsequent shut-ins and fines. Corrosion can occur due to many complex issues with the fluids and gases. Multi-Chem corrosion control products are designed to address the issues specific to the production operations. These specialty products will increase the useful life of the system, reduce operating expenses and help to increase oil and gas production by eliminating failures which shut in the system. Multi-Chem FeS dissolvers will help clean up water due to the corrosion process.

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Corrosion Inhibitors

Iron Sulfide Dissolver Programs

Incompatibility of fluids is generally associated with mixing two or more waters together which cause mineral scale deposition. Multi-Chem has the capabilities to analyze the waters to identify potential incompatibilities and provide viable alternatives to control the issues and minimize production problems.

Multi-Chem Product(s):

Scale Control Products

Wetting Agents

Solids in production fluids can cause a number of production problems, such as premature pump failures, deposition and fouling issues, oil being carried into the water phase, plugging of filter media and plugging of injection wells. The solids may be mineral scale (calcium carbonate, barium sulfate), corrosion by products (iron sulfide), or paraffins and asphaltenes. 

Impurities in injected chemicals can also lead to plugged filters and damaged valves in subsea injection systems.  For this reason, Multi-Chem offers a certified line of umbilical products.

Multi-Chem can identify problematic solids in the production system and attack the root cause of the problem, quickly and cost effectively.

Multi-Chem Product(s):

Scale Control Products

Wetting Agents

Iron Sulfide Dissolver Programs

Paraffin Treatment Products

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PRODUCTION CHALLENGES