Study on hydrate formation and gas selectivity in the presence of a kinetic hydrate inhibitor

Taheri Rizi, Zahra; Mohammad-Taheri, Mahboobeh; Aminolroayaei, Mohammad Ali; Ghanbari, Bahram; Vatani, Zoha

doi:10.22059/jchpe.2026.375687.1513

Study on hydrate formation and gas selectivity in the presence of a kinetic hydrate inhibitor

Articles in Press

Document Type : Special Issue: Gas Hydrates

Authors

Zahra Taheri Rizi ¹

Mahboobeh Mohammad-Taheri ¹

Mohammad Ali Aminolroayaei ¹

Bahram Ghanbari ²

Zoha Vatani ³

¹ Chemical Polymeric and Petrochemical Technology Development Research Division, Research Institute of Petroleum Industry, Tehran, Iran

² Department of Chemistry, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran

³ Petroleum Refining Technology Development Division, Research Institute of Petroleum Industry, Tehran, Iran

10.22059/jchpe.2026.375687.1513

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of three process parameters—stirrer speed, salinity, and cooling rate—on the performance of a Kinetic Hydrate Inhibitor (KHI) in inhibiting sour gas hydrate formation and influencing the gas selectivity of hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide during this process.

The findings demonstrated that (1) the performance of the (KHI) improved significantly in the saline compared to the deionized water system, (2) Increasing the stirrer speed negatively impacted the performance of the KHI, which ultimately reduced the limiting effect of mass transfer between the two phases of gas and water, (3) Lowering the cooling rate decreased KHI performance by shortening nucleation and increasing hydrate growth.

Moreover, It was observed that the H2S and CO2 (acid gases) percentages concentrated in the gas phase after hydrate formation with KHI compared to its absence. This suggests that while KHI did not prevent hydrate formation, the risk of corrosion may increase due to the higher quantities of acid gases.

Keywords

Sour gas hydrate formation

Gas selectivity

Kinetic hydrate inhibitor

Cooling rate

Stirrer speed

Salinity

Subjects