Measures for Mitigating Operational Complications at the Amangeldу Gas Condensate Field

Background: Since commencement of the operations at the Amangeldу gas condensate field, fully separating the moisture from the condensate has proven challenging. Achieving complete moisture separation in gas condensate is essential for enhancing the technological process and preventing potential complications. To address this issue, current methods involve lowering the hydrate formation temperature in the internal gas transport pipes across various gas and gas condensate fields. In gas treatment, antihydrate inhibitors such as methanol and diethylene glycol are commonly used in flowlines, reservoirs, and various equipment. If precautions are not taken to prevent hydrate formation (inhibitors) during the production and treatment of oil, several challenges may occur. For instance, during production, the internal diameter of the flowline can diminish due to the of hydrate buildup, and in some cases, gas condensate may not flow properly due to the hydrate blockages. This can result in a reduction in the amount of products produced, or may lead to a complete shutdown of the well. Consequently, a portion of the produced products, such as gas and condensate, is sent to a flare. These production complications negatively affect the overall performance of the field.

Aim: To develop measures to prevent hydrate formation and address complications at the Amangeldу gas condensate field that may arise during production and treatment of well effluents and the transportation of these products through pipelines and plant equipment to the integrated gas treatment unit.

Materials and methods: To prevent the formation of hydrate from wells to the Central Processing Facility (CPF), it is proposed to introduce methanol (technical grade) into the gas stream using inhibitor dosing pumps. Additionally, diethylene glycol will be sprayed as a mist into the gas stream as it passes through the CPF equipment.

Results: When producing gas condensate from wells without the use of methanol and diethylene glycol, the volume of gas directed to the flare and vent stack amounts to 4.95 million m3, with a total cost of 128.7 million tenge. In contrast, if hydrate inhibitors are employed, it will be necessary to procure 180 tons and 10 tonnes of diethylene glycol, resulting total expenditure of 28 million tenge. Utilizing these hydration inhibitors has led to an estimated product savings of 100.7 million tonnes.

Conclusion: To date, the operation at the Amangelу gas condensate field have not fully addressed the separation of moisture from the gas. As a result, several issues arise during the winter month: excess moisture leads to the formation of hydrate blockage in the piplines, obstructing the flow of gas and condensate. To mitigate this issue, we propose implementing measures that involve adding methanol (methanol technical grade) to the gas stream with metering pumps of inhibitors, and diethylene glycol sprayed as a mist into the gas stream passing through the CPF equipment. These measures could also be widely applied to other gas condensate fields. By adopting these measures, it is possible not only to alleviate operational challenges but also to reduce the volume gas and condensate that is wasted and flared.