MEG AND METHANOL HANDLING - KG 98/2 PROJECT, EOA ONGC

The formation of hydrates can be averted by dehydrating the gas or liquid to eliminate the formation
of a condensed water (liquid or solid) phase. In some cases, however, dehydration may not be practical
or economically feasible. In these cases, chemical inhibition can be an effective method of preventing
hydrate formation. Chemical inhibition utilizes injection of thermodynamic inhibitors or low dosage
hydrate inhibitors (LDHIs). Chemical Inhibition utilizes injection of one of the glycols or methanol into
a process stream where it can combine with the condensed aqueous phase to lower the hydrate
formation temperature at a given pressure.

Both glycol and methanol can be recovered with the aqueous phase, regenerated, and reinjected. For
continuous injection in services down to –40°F, one of the glycols usually offers an economic
advantage versus methanol recovered by distillation. At cryogenic conditions (below –40°F) methanol
usually is preferred because glycol’s viscosity makes effective separation difficult. Mono Ethylene
glycol (MEG), diethylene glycol (DEG), and triethylene glycol (TEG) glycols have been used for hydrate
inhibition. The most popular has been ethylene glycol because of its lower cost, lower viscosity, and
lower solubility in liquid hydrocarbons.
Methanol Injection
Rate= 2m3/hr
P= 250 kg/cm2g Methanol
T =13.9-40 oC
Injection System
Separator
Rich MEG to
Choke Onshore
Valve P=35 kg/cm2g

MEG Handling T=37 oC

Q=67.5m3/hr

System ONSHORE MEG FACILITY

Reservoir
P=250 kg/cm2g Wells
T=43-55 oC

MEG Injection Rate=31.5 m3/hr

P=250
T=13.9-40

Figure 1 KG 98/2 Process Flow diagram- Hydrate Inhibition

MEG Injection Process Description

MEG is used in the subsea wells as a suppressor to prevent hydrate formation, through the injection
of MEG to decrease the hydrate formation temperature below the operating temperature, thus,
preventing blockage. During the gas-production process, the Lean MEG product injected into the well
mixes with the reservoir fluid to create an aqueous phase called Rich MEG. The Rich MEG is
contaminated with salts (from Formation Water), water (from Formation and Condensed Water), and
other by-products such as pipeline corrosion product.

The production fluid containing natural gas, with associated condensate, and Rich MEG enters the
CPP production facility where the fluids undergo phase separation. The production fluid enters
through a slug-catcher and then proceeds to a three-phase separator to separate gas, hydrocarbon
liquids and Rich MEG from each other. The produced gas and Rich MEG are sent onshore for sales and
treatment, respectively
Methanol Injection Process Description

Methanol Injection system comprises of the following:

• Methanol Storage Vessel (V-T28504)

• Methanol Transfer Pump (P-T28505A/B)

• Methanol Injection Pumps (P-T28506A/B)

Methanol is transferred from drums to storage vessel via transfer pump which is connected to its
respective fill connection. From the Methanol Storage Vessel, this chemical is routed to the Injection
Pump whereby the discharge of the pump is injected intermittently to the subsea wells during cold
well start-up

METHANOL INJECTION REQUIREMENT

For KG 98/2 Project methanol injection upstream of the choke is required during well restart to protect
the choke and the immediate downstream piping against hydrate formation risk due to the low
temperatures. Figure Fig 4-52 (Chemical Injection System Sizing Report 402020-01391-02-SY-REP-
0003 Rev 0B) shows the temperature immediately downstream of the choke during cold restart-up at
different choke downstream pressure.

As these fluid minimum temperatures are

well below the freezing point of MEG (ca.-
15°C), continuous injection of methanol
will be used instead to mitigate hydrate
risk during start-up of Cluster 2B wells
until sufficient well warm-up is achieved.

Once the flowing temperatures

downstream of the choke have increased
above 4°C, continuous MEG injection can
then be used instead of methanol.

Methanol Injection Rate

Methanol will be used in Cluster 2B 98/2 gas fields production system for well start-up and hydrate
mitigation operations. Methanol injection points are located upstream of the subsea XMT choke valve
and located at gas production manifolds. The injection point at the upstream of choke is for handling
cold well start-ups and for bull-heading operations following well shutdown.

The gas manifold injection point is to cater for the need to inject a slug of methanol to assist a hydrate
remediation operation. Based on Chemical Injection System Sizing Report (402020-01391-02-SY-REP-
0003 Rev 0B Section 4.2.4), the required methanol injection rate to subsea gas production system is
300 BPD, which is equivalent to 2.0 m3/hr.
On CPP topside, the credible scenarios where hydrates could form have been evaluated by DEC and
found that that no hydrate formation condition is present at topside. Therefore, no hydrate inhibition
is considered for Topside.

Methanol Storage Requirement

Methanol storage requirement on CPP is estimated based on 2 full field start-ups following a long-
term shutdown.

a) Methanol requirement for bull-heading in well tubing – 10 bbl per well (avoid hydrate formation
risk in well tubing)

b) Methanol requirement during cold-well start-up – 12.5 bbl per well (based on 1 hour warm-up time
with 12.5 bbl/hr injection rate)

c) Two full field start-ups are considered to estimate storage requirement:

Total storage volume = 4 (10 +12.5*2) = 140 bbl = 22.3 m3 working volume

The proposed working volume of 22.3 m3 for Methanol Storage Vessel is considered sufficient for
subsea injection.