A research paper written by a team of Texas A&M University at Qatar ( TAMU-Q) chemical engineers has been featured on the cover of the Journal of Chemical Physics.
The paper, ‘Prediction of the Phase Equilibria of Methane Hydrates Using the Direct Phase Coexistence Methodology’, describes the naturally-occurring problem of gas hydrates in natural gas pipelines and was published in the latest issue of the journal.
The authors of the paper are postdoctoral research associate Dr Vasileios Michalis, master student Joseph Costandy, visiting researcher Dr Ioannis Tsimpanogiannis, Prof Ioannis Economou from TAMU-Q Chemical Engineering Programme; and Dr Athanassios Stubos from the National Centre for Scientific Research “Demokritos” in Greece.
“Gas hydrates such as methane hydrates are solids that form naturally in water and can block fluid flow in hydrocarbon pipelines during transportation”, Economou said.
The featured research paper discusses a method to predict the pressure and temperature conditions under which methane hydrates form , which is common in the natural gas industry.
“It’s a flow assurance problem,” he said. “To deal with gas hydrates, producers can either operate in different conditions or add chemicals such as glycols or alcohols to prohibit formation of hydrates. But these chemicals add to the cost.”
Knowing exactly how hydrocarbon and water molecules interact under different pressure and temperature conditions to form gas hydrates can help industry better deal with blockages.
The problem of gas hydrates is also an environmental issue. Melting hydrates in the world’s ocean floor has led to the release of methane,which is one of the most important greenhouse gases. In addition, gas hydrates can also be used in water desalination to separate salt and other impurities from seawater to produce fresh water.
The research project began in December 2013 and is funded by a cycle-6 award from Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF) National Priorities Research Programme (NPRP).
The goal of the project is to model and simulate how gas hydrates form so that industry can transport natural gas more safely and efficiently.The research can have significant impact in Qatar and in the oil and gas industry worldwide.
