Ethylene Glycol Injection For Hydrate Inhibition

in Aspen Hydraulics
Application Example: Hydrate Inhibition Study for Upstream Pipeline Network
Using Models Built in Aspen HYSYS V9
Pipeline Modeling and Operation
An Integrated Approach to Modeling Pipeline Hydraulics
in a Gathering and Production System

Steady State Modeling

Rigorous Dynamic
Simulation

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Hydrate Analysis in Aspen HYSYS
Hydrate analysis is critical in the flow assurance topics. Hydrates are formed
when there is presence of free water in natural and low temperature condition.
These ice-like solids can cause blockage in the pipeline, wells, or equipment
tubing. The mistakes are costly so proper analysis is important.

Hydrate Analysis can Available models

Hydrate Formation
be easily attached to include Ng & Robinson
prediction including
streams and Colorado School
hydrate type
of Mines (CSM)

Inhibitor calculation is
Analysis supports PR,
supported for EG
SRK, Glycol, and CPA
(MEG), DEG, TEG,
property packages
and methanol

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 Application Example:
Hydrate Inhibition Study for Upstream Pipeline Network

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Scenario
• 3 (Three) gas wells are
As the process engineer, you were asked to assess the subsea connected through a pipeline
pipeline design and mitigate any potential hydrate formation. network, sending the product
to the top side facility

• The low ambient temperature

may have caused hydrate
formation at the pipeline inlet,
pipeline network, or the
pipeline outlet

• Using a Aspen Hydraulics

model and Hydrate
Formation Utility, you would
like to evaluate how to
mitigate hydrate formation

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Objectives

Using the Aspen Hydraulics and Aspen HYSYS to: Objective:

Use Aspen Hydraulics and Aspen HYSYS to
1. Determine the potential location of hydrate formation analyze hydrate formation scenarios
2. Investigate the methods of mitigation:
– Thermal Insulation • Leverage hydrate formation utility in Aspen
– Injection of hydrate inhibitor HYSYS and Aspen Hydraulics

3. Optimizing the inhibitor injection rate • Monitor the pipeline behavior using tools within
Aspen Hydraulics

• Use hydrate formation utility to optimize the

inhibitor injection rate

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Open the “Hydrate in Upstream Pipeline.hsc” file in Aspen
HYSYS V9 (or higher)

Three Gas Well inlets

Pipeline outlet

Gathering Network
from wellhead to top
side

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Evaluate the Hydrate Formation in the Wellhead
1 2
Access the Stream Analysis Add the Hydrate Formation
from Navigation Pane or Analysis to Gas Well 2, 3, and
Ribbon 4

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Evaluate the Hydrate Formation in the Wellhead (2)

Hydrate formation
temperature (HFT) for Gas
Well 4 is 9.7 °C

No hydrate formation is
observed at Gas Well 4

Wellhead HFT (°C)

Gas Well 2 12.61

Hydrate formation analysis

Gas Well 3 7.56
results for all 3 wells
Gas Well 4 9.73

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Evaluate the Hydrate Formation in the Pipeline
1 2
Use Shift + T to display
Go into the AH-100
temperatures (Use Shift + N
subflowsheet
to revert to stream names)

3
Gas Well 2 and 3 pipeline
probably will not have
hydrate formation

4
Gas Well 4 pipeline will have
hydrate forming

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Evaluate the Hydrate Formation in the Pipeline (2)
1
Go to Flow Assurance tab in
Pipe-103
Hydrate Inhibition Method 1:
Thermal Insulation of the
subsea pipeline

2 Maintain the temperature of

Enable “Do Hydrate Profile
Calculation”
3
Hydrate will form after 200
meters into the pipeline
the fluid above the HFT.
Insulation can also prevent
the rapid cooling during shut
downs, providing time for
remedial actions.

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Adding Pipeline Insulation
4
1 Once the flowsheet
In Pipe-103, go to Design | re-solved, the Flow
Heat Transfer Assurance |
Hydrates shows that
the hydrate will not
2 form along Pipe-103
Add a layer of
insulation

3
Insulation Information

Thickness: 1 mm
Conductivity: 0.15 W/mK
Heat Capacity: 1220 J/kg K
Density: 1040 kg/m3

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Evaluate the Hydrate Formation in the Pipeline
1 Hydrate Inhibition Method 2:
Temperature profiles along Injection of hydrate inhibitor
the pipeline indicate we may into the subsea pipeline
have a problem at the end of
the pipeline Depress the HFT of the fluid
in the pipeline. Hydrate
inhibitor can be effective in
preventing hydrate formation.
Common inhibitor includes
monoethylene glycol (MEG)
and methanol (MeOH)

2
Hydrate analysis on the pipe
shows the temperature in the
pipe will go below HFT

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Hydrate Injection to the Pipeline
1 2
In the main flowsheet, there The EG Inhibitor is consisted
is an EG Inhibitor stream with of 80 wt% solution of MEG.
very small amount of Try injecting 200 kg/hr of
inhibitor inhibitor solution

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Hydrate Injection to the Pipeline (2)
1
Pipe-106 is no longer
experiencing hydrate
formation

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Optimizing Inhibitor Injection Rate
1
Add Hydrate
Formation Analysis
to stream TopSide

2
Activate Inhibitor
Flow Calculation and
select EG as the
Inhibitor

3
The calculation
shows that we can
cut back on injection
rate

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 Optimizing Inhibitor Injection Rate (2)
1
Since the EG solution is
80 wt%, 62 kg/hr in the
EG Inhibitor stream will
provide 49.6 kg/hr of EG,
allowing extra buffer in
case sudden drop in the
ambient temperature.

2
The change in EG injection
rate will change the minimum
rate required to suppress
hydrate formation. This is
because inhibitor contains
water and is at different
temperature. The analysis tool
will update based on the
current condition.

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 Optimizing Inhibitor Injection Rate (3)
1
Change the injection
rate to 55 kg/hr

2
Hydrate formation is still
inhibited at the pipeline outlet.
You may iterate the steps to
achieve more optimal injection
rate.

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 Hydrate Formation Conditional Formatting
2
1 Change the Conditional
Add the Hydrate Formation Formatting from the
Analysis to key streams Ribbon to Hydrate
along the pipeline Formation

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Hydrate Formation Conditional Formatting (2)

No hydrate formation
observed at wellhead and
pipeline outlet

No hydrate formation
observed along the
pipeline

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In Conclusion

• Using Aspen Hydraulics and Aspen HYSYS, you can

 Evaluate the potential of hydrate formation and formation conditions

 Model thermal insulation in the pipeline to maintain fluid temperature
 Model the hydrate inhibitor injection and hydrate formation temperature (HFT) depression
 Optimize inhibitor injection rate to save operating cost

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