Clariant (United States)

Abstract In this paper, the slow evolution of combinatorial chemistry from its dawn in 1980’s to today’s oil field product development is discussed. Combinatorial chemistry comprises chemical synthetic methods that make it possible to prepare a vast number of compounds in a single process. These compound libraries can be made as mixtures, sets of individual compounds or chemical structures generated by computer software. This phenomenon was first invented by Arpad Furka (Lorand University, Budapest) in 1982. He described the principle of it, the combinatorial synthesis and a deconvolution procedure. The methodology was first used in drug discovery using a wide range of linear or wide range of macrocyclic chemical molecules: peptides, non-peptide oligomers, peptidomimetics, small-molecules, and natural product-like organic molecules. However, handling vast amounts of data and extremely small chemical recovery were a very difficult endeavor. To avoid this problem and help to refine the size of the chemical libraries, various software programs were utilized. This was achieved by utilizing a tool known as Design of Experiment (DoE). In this paper, the high throughput product screening to identify corrosion inhibitors was performed by utilizing critical micelle concentration (CMC). CMC was used to differentiate performance of libraries of chemical blends. Combinatorial synthesis (or blends) and combinatorial screening were performed by utilizing robotics methodologies. The corrosion inhibitor formulations predicted by DoE were built out by using combinatorial chemical methods and the arrays of chemical formulations were screened by utilizing high throughput robotics, using CMC as the selection guide. To validate the concept, several known corrosion inhibitor formulas were selected to optimize their efficacy. Each formula contained several active ingredients and a solvent package. These raw materials were blended in random but in a control, manner using combinatorial methodologies. After formulation of a vast array of formulation by using Design Expert solvent package. These raw materials were blended in random but in a control, manner using combinatorial methodologies. After formulation of a vast array of formulation by using Design Expert (DE) software, the products were screened for by CMC using automated surface tension workstation. Several formulations with lower CMC than the reference products were selected. The selected corrosion inhibitor formulations were identified and blended in larger scales. The efficacy of these products was tested by classical laboratory testing methods such as rotating cylinder electrode (RCE) and rotating cage autoclave (RCA) to determine their performance as anti-corrosion agents. These tests were performed against the original reference corrosion inhibitor. The testing indicated that several corrosion inhibitor formulations outperform the original blend thus validating the proof of concept.

Abstract Estimated about ~3 million bbls/day, the Brazil oil field plays a significant part in the South American unconventional thriving, especially in current global oil supply constrains due to Ukraine crise. The oil field located in subsea Latin America, produces a large amount of heavy oil in the range of 16 to 24° API. The water composition is characterized with high chloride and high total dissolved solids (TDS), posing integrity and flow-assurance challenges to the operating asset. To mitigate the corrosion and scale reparations in deep-water environment through limited injection points, a combined corrosion and scale inhibitor was demanded. The acquiesced CI/SI combined product was synergistically blended with corrosion inhibitor actives and scale inhibitor for corrosion control and scale prevention. Followed Clariant’s deep-water qualification process and client’s chemical qualification protocols, the CI/SI combined product, MTDF-9339 was designed and focused on the performance of the CI/SI product’s partitioning efficiency in heavy crudes for both CI and SI inhibitor molecules. Lab results showed MTDF-9339 passed all mandatory tests and will be conducted for field trials in early 2023. The performance tests include RCE, HPRCA, LPR-RCA, Film Persistency, Dynamic scale loop, scale inhibition, chemical partition tests. The secondary performance tests include thermal stability, brine & oil compatibility, foaming tendency, emulsion tendency, material compatibility tests and so forth. This paper discusses the laboratory testing and deep-water qualification in evaluating MTDF-9339.

We have performed molecular dynamics simulations to study the adsorption of ten hydrate anti-agglomerants onto a mixed methane-propane sII hydrate surface covered by layers of liquid water of various thickness. As a general trend, we found that the more liquid water that is present on the hydrate surface, the less favorable the adsorption becomes even though there are considerable differences between the individual molecules, indicating that the presence and thickness of this liquid water layer are crucial parameters for anti-agglomerant adsorption studies. Additionally, we found that there exists an optimal thickness of the liquid water layer favoring hydrate growth due to the presence of both liquid water and hydrate-forming guest molecules. For all other cases of liquid water layer thickness, hydrate growth is slower due to the limited availability of hydrate-forming guests close to the hydrate formation front. Finally, we investigated the connection between the thickness of the liquid water layer and the degree of subcooling and found a very good agreement between our molecular dynamics simulations and theoretical predictions.

Abstract As offshore deepwater oil production is reaching new high levels, producers and service companies are challenged with harsher conditions of temperature (> 177°C/350°F), shear (> 25Pa) and high-pressure systems (> 1000psi). Therefore, the demand for new technologies and production chemistries under these extreme conditions are on the rise. This paper discusses the development of high temperature stable, water soluble corrosion inhibitors for slightly sour deepwater systems. These corrosion inhibitors exhibit thermal stabilities at high temperatures for lengthy periods of time and are extremely effective for general and localized corrosion. This paper describes various laboratory corrosion testing techniques used to simulate field conditions and the results obtained from these testing are presented. The chemical injection via umbilical plays a vital role in deepwater and ultra deepwater chemical applications. Therefore, the chemical cleanliness is extremely important in these harsher environments for umbilical applications. Exceptional measures are taken to ensure the corrosion inhibitor performance are not compromised due to these harsher conditions. Furthermore, the rigorous qualification process of qualifying chemicals for deepwater application are discussed1,2,3.

Using both computational and experimental methods, the capacity of four different surfactant molecules to inhibit the agglomeration of sII hydrate particles was assessed. The computational simulations were carried out using both steered and non-steered molecular dynamics (MD), simulating the coalescence process of a hydrate slab and a water droplet, both covered with surfactant molecules. The surfactants were ranked according to free energy calculations (steered MD) and the number of agglomeration events (non-steered MD). The experimental work was based on rocking cell measurements, determining the minimum effective dose necessary to inhibit agglomeration. Overall, good agreement was obtained between the performance predicted by the simulations and the experimental measurements. Moreover, the simulations allowed us to gain additional insights that are not directly accessible via experiments, such as an analysis of the mass density profiles, the diffusion coefficients, or the orientations of the long tails.

الملخص: معظم المدن الليبية تعاني من شدة الازدحام المروري. وهذا يرجع إلى الزيادة في استخدام السيارات الخاصة وسيارات الأجرة غريان هي المدينة الرئيسية في الجبل الغربي وهي إحدى هذه المدن التي يفضل فيها غالبية المسافرين التنقل بإستخدام السيارات الخاصة، التي تشكل نسبة تقدر بحوالي 90% من حجم حركة المرور بالمدينة، في حين أن نسبة عشرة في المائة المتبقية تستخدم وسائل النقل الخاصة مثل (سيارات الأجرة والحافلات الصغيرة والحافلات التي تعمل بواسطة القطاع الخاص). تهدف هذه الدراسة إلى دعم وإيضاح المشكلة في منطقة الدراسة، وتوضح عدد السيارات الخاصة وسيارات النقل الخاص التي تدخل مدينة غريان كل يوم في ساعات الذروة. كما تهدف إلى تحديد العوامل التي تؤثر على تفضيل وسيلة النقل وتطوير نموذج مناسب للمسافرين داخل مدينة غريان لجميع ومختلف الرحلات الاستبيان صمم لإجراء مسح في مدينة غريان خلال العام 2018 ولإستكشاف إمكانية الحد من استخدام السيارات الخاصة على الطرق بالمدينة من خلال إمكانية تطبيق الاستخدام الأمثل لنظام النقل العام ( PT). تم أختيار العينة وتوزيعها عشوائيا من المناطق السكنية المختلفة بالمدينة حيث بلغ مجموع عينة الدراسة 150 مستجوبا واستخدمت في هذه الدراسة لوصف وتحليل هذا الاستبيان المجموعة الإحصائية للعلوم الاجتماعية (SPSS الإصدار 19 وبرنامج 2007 Excel. الكلمات الرئيسية : سيارة خاصة، حجم حركة المرور، الازدحام المروري، النقل الخاص سيارات الأجرة، الميكروباص والحافلات المداخل الرئيسية ونظام النقل العام (PT)

Abstract Catalytic fixed‐bed reactors with a low tube‐to‐particle diameter ratio are widely used in industrial applications. The heterogeneous packing morphology in this reactor type causes local flow phenomena that significantly affect the reactor performance. Particle‐resolved computational fluid dynamics has become a predictive numerical method to analyze the flow, temperature, and species field, as well as local reaction rates spatially and may, therefore, be used as a design tool to develop new improved catalyst shapes. Most validation studies which have been presented in the past were limited to simple particle shapes. More complex catalyst shapes are supposed to increase the reactor performance. A workflow for the simulation of fixed‐bed reactors filled with various industrially relevant complex particle shapes is presented and validated against experimental data in terms of bed voidage and pressure drop. Industrially relevant loading strategies are numerically replicated and their impact on particle orientation and bed voidage is investigated.

Abstract A major shale producer in North America with established oil and gas production was facing challenges with severe paraffin deposition in downhole tubing and flowlines. Since chemical recommendations based on traditional screenings failed to deliver adequate inhibition, the operator turned to a costly remediation program to maintain production. We aimed to revisit the case, do a root cause analysis, and look for a potential chemical solution for cost savings. The field deposit obtained from the producer proved to be quite complex and introduced limitations with our current internal HTGC method for carbon chain analysis. Upon analysis, components present in the sample were found to exceed the solidity limits of the carrier system, carbon disulfide (CS2) and would precipitate out of the solution and form a two-phased system. These components were believed to be higher molecular weight carbon chains (HMWC) above C70+ at a high enough concentration to exceed the solvents solubility limit. This was the first time encountering such a sample in our experience. A systematic approach was applied to isolate the insoluble HMWC and further outsourced analysis. A MALDI-TOF and High-Resolution Carbon-13 NMR was utilized to confirm the presence of C90+ chains within the deposit at a high enough concentration to have a trimodal paraffin distribution system. To our knowledge, this is the first time a trimodal system has been documented.