HYDRATES FORMATION PROCESSES IN THE PRODUCTION FLOWLINES MONITORING METHOD Russian patent published in 2019 - IPC F17D5/00 

FIELD: gas production industry.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to the field of natural gas production and can be used for the hydrates formation beginning process and the potential hydrate plug place in the production flowlines determining. Essence of the hydrates formation processes in the production flowlines monitoring method consists in the scanning pressure wave periodical generation at the flowline end and the reflected signal subsequent fixation and analysis. During the method implementation for the cleaned flowline, obtaining the reference echogram, determining the characteristic points and areas, including the reference section thereon. Using the working echograms in the monitoring process, determining the pressure wave velocity at the flowline reference section. Comparing the working echograms against each other and against the reference echogram, detecting the reflected signal abnormalities, referencing the anomalies to the pipeline diagram and making conclusion about the new local resistance formation beginning. Considering the working echograms time parameters, calculating the absolute gas temperature T_n in the new local resistance vicinity at section n by the recurrence formula , where T_n-1 is the absolute temperature on the preceding the n section n-1 characteristic section; ΔL_n and ΔL_n-1 are the n and n-1 characteristic sections lengths; Δt_n and Δt_n-1 is time of scanning wave passage of characteristic sections n and n-1. By the pressure values at the well and in the off switching valves building calculating the pressure in the new local resistance vicinity. After which, determining the possibility of the crystalline hydrates existence under the said thermobaric conditions in the vicinity of new local resistance. Scanning pressure wave is created by the valve opening or closing on the flowline in the switching valves building with possible use of low- or high-pressure receiver and with periodicity in range of 0.5…1.5 h depending on the gas in the flowline temperature and the working echograms anomalies dynamics.

EFFECT: object of the invention is the hydrate plugs possible formation place determining and reduction of the system installation costs by using of the gas complex treatment plants already operating standard equipment.

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