THE CSIRO has commissioned a flow loop to simulate gas-liquid flows in deep-sea environments, hoping to aid study in gas hydrates formation, growth and transportability.
Gas hydrates are ‘ice-like’ crystals composed of gas and water that can form in oil and gas offshore pipelines. Hydrates can block pipelines, and disrupt production. They can in extreme situations cause flow lines to burst, leading to costly, time-consuming and potentially dangerous repair operations.
The CSIRO says it will develop a model to enable operators to predict the formation and flow of hydrates in gas pipelines, anticipating any potential problems. This will enable better design and operation of pipelines.
The flow loop will then be used to test different types of hydrates inhibitors and analyse their effect on the formation of hydrates under various conditions.
The project is an international collaboration between CSIRO, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), Curtin University of Technology, Institute Francais du Pétrole (IFP), the Western Australian Energy Research Alliance (WA:ERA) and industry.
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