×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

Hydrate Formation

Hydrate Formation

Hydrate Formation

(OP)
I am interested to find out whether glycol or methanol is more effective in dissolving hydrocarbon hydrates. It is my understanding that methanol is the more effective, but would like to hear some expert views.

Thanks,

S. Whitehead.

RE: Hydrate Formation

My understanding is similar to yours.  While glycol is effective at preventing hydrates, it's not very effective in melting them.  Methanol is typically used for this purpose.

RE: Hydrate Formation

Methanol has a higher solubility for water (the source of hydrates) compared to glycol.

However as methanol has a low boiling point, it is not used in gas dehydration facility. Glycol is normally used here.

Methanol is used more for temporary retardation of hydrate formation in pipelines, before sending the natural gas for further processing by downstream equipments.

Methanol is costly compared to glycol.

What application do you need these chemicals for?

There are 2 sides of a coin
One is to give, one is to take
Give until it hurts with a smile

RE: Hydrate Formation

(OP)
Thanks for the reply whoislee.

The application is during new well clean up to a flare and potential well intervention work in wells which may have some residual water based drilling fluids in them.

I am keen to resolve the question of which chemical is more effective in 1. dissolving hydrates which may be present in the wellbore and 2. inhibiting the formation of hydrates in the temporary flowlines, bearing in mind that the quantity of associated water is unknown and is only a temporary situation (hopefully). The wells are normally free of water after a period of time. Recovery and cost are not an issue.

RE: Hydrate Formation

For the well, would recommend methanol. Methanol will be able to dissolve under high pressure compared to glycol.

Since cost is not a factor, no issue with methanol.

Hope this helps.

There are 2 sides of a coin
One is to give, one is to take
Give until it hurts with a smile

RE: Hydrate Formation

Methanol is more effective, but it is also flammable.  Some operators have reservations about this, wheather practical or not.  Methanol pumps should be readily available through most service companies in just about every operating area.

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources