Clariant Oil Services Breaks Through the Ice to Keep Gas Flowing in Pipeline

Benefits

• Elimination of freezing problems caused by cold weather and wet gas in the pipeline
• Continuous operation of the wells on the pipeline, even during the harshest of winter conditions
• Overall success of the treatment program when no other chemical solutions had worked, including the use of large quantities of methanol
• Increased production value due to continuous pipeline flow all winter long

Background

A customer in the southern United States was experiencing freezing problems in a pipeline that ran under an active canal. The level of condensation in the gas was such that the cold temperatures in the ground under the canal caused ice crystals to form in the gas, which would then agglomerate together and eventually block the flow of gas through the line. The customer tried various solutions but nothing was generating the desired result. And although methanol had worked at lower doses, once the weather turned cold they could not pump enough methanol to keep the line from freezing.

The customer then called Clariant Oil Services who immediately dispatched drums of its flow assurance technology ICETREAT 1000. The ICETREAT 1000 chemical solution quickly broke through the ice, allowing the pipeline to flow again. Plus, by treating the pipeline continuously, the customer was able to prevent the ice from reforming and didn’t experience another pipeline blockage throughout the remainder of the winter season – even when the outside temperature fell below 20° F.

Innovation and Value Delivered

Clariant Oil Services’ ICETREAT 1000 flow assurance technology keeps water ice crystals in solution during time of gas flow, even when Joule-Thomson cooling would normally cause gas flow lines to freeze without treatment. In systems where a large quantity of methanol is required for treatment, ICETREAT also can greatly reduce the amount of chemical required for treatment. Furthermore, ICETREAT products can utilize the same injection system as the methanol that is being replaced.

The ICETREAT suite of products provides a range of blends of thermodynamic, kinetic and anti-agglomerate chemistries, each designed to keep ice in solution and provide for protection against hydrate formation in certain applications. For systems where significant hydrate formation occurs, Clariant offers the HYTREAT® product line. Contact a Clariant Oil Services representative today for a system analysis and to learn which ICETREAT or HYTREAT technology will provide you with optimal results.

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