(184g) Investigation of Functionalized Spherical Silica As a Hydrate Blockageinhibitor in Water-in- Oil Emulsions Under Quiescent and Flowing Conditions

Hydrate mitigation and management is a growing area of flow assurance

engineering with crystalline structures forming in water-in- oil emulsions under low

temperatures and high pressures often leading to pipeline blockages. Ludox TM-50 and

powdered spherical silica particles will be surface treated to hydrophobize the particles for

use as a stabilizer in water-in- oil emulsions to investigate their effect on hydrate formation.

The first analysis of hydrate formation in water-in- oil emulsions stabilized using silica

particles will be using optical microscopy and particle distribution characterization

techniques. Experiments will test the effect of various water cuts, temperatures, and

concentration of solid particles.

After a fundamental understanding of the behavior of silica particle stabilization is

reached, the focus will shift to analyzing water-in- oil emulsion behavior under flowing

conditions using a flow loop system. These experiments are expected to determine the

utility of the Ludox TM-50 and powdered silicon dioxide particles as a method of hydrate

inhibition and understand their effect on hydrate formation under both quiescent and

flowing conditions. Work on this project is ongoing.