NEW ASPECTS OF HYDRATE CONTROL AT NORTHERN GAS AND GAS CONDENSATE FIELDS OF NOVATEK

A thermodynamic inhibitor - methanol is used for hydrates control both at gas-gathering pipelines and gas conditioning / treatment field plants of Novatek JSC. Due to severe climate conditions and absence of serious infrastructure high operation costs for hydrate control take place. For reducing inhibitor losses some new technological solutions were proposed including recycling and regeneration of saturated methanol. A small module for producing methanol at field conditions was designed. Technological schemes for methanol injection and recirculation are discussed. These technologies reduce methanol losses. Small methanol-producing plant at Yurkharovskoe gas-condensate field (12.5 million ton methanol per year) integrated with field gas treatment plant is presented. The technology includes producing converted gas (syngas) from natural gas, catalytic process for raw methanol synthesis and rectification of raw methanol at final stage. Some particularities of the integrated technology are as follows. Not needs for preliminary purification of required raw materials (natural gas and water). Dried natural gas after conditioning (without any traces of sulfuric compounds) and pure water from simplified water treatment block are used. Rectification of raw methanol is combined with rectification of saturated methanol from gas treatment plant. Economic estimations show that the integrated methanol-producing technology and optimization of methanol circulation in technological processes essentially reduce capital and operational costs for hydrate control at northern gas and gas-condensate fields.Non UBCUnreviewe