Calorimetric Studies of Formation/Decomposition Processes of Natural Gas Hydrates in Paraffin Oil/Water Emulsions

Abstract

The paper considers the research results of natural gas (NG) hydrate formation process in systems consisting of paraffin oil and distilled water at various ratios. Thermobaric conditions of hydrates phase transitions in water-oil emulsions were determined by the method of high-pressure differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). It was ascertained that the equilibrium curve in systems under study, compared to the process of hydrate formation of this gas in distilled water, is shifted in the area of low pressures and high temperatures. According to DSC analysis results and volume analysis, it was determined that with increase of the water content in emulsions by more than 40 % of mass, the degree of water conversion into hydrate in emulsions decreases. It was concluded that the degree of water conversion into hydrate in emulsions can be used as an index of its stability.