EFFECT OF CHITOSAN AS GAS HYDRATE KINETIC INHIBITOR

Gas hydrates are able to form in any location as long as there is the availability of free gas, water and the appropriate temperature and pressure. Hydrates may form and shut the gas flow rate partially or completely in the well bottom zone of layer, in a well bore, in well top pipes, in a system of field pipelines and installations and in underground system gas storage. Deep Star, a consortium focused on Gulf of Mexico deep water development technology issues, has concluded that replacement of hydrate-plugged lines in deep water environment cost one million dollars per mile on average. Thus prevent the hydrates formation is the best way to tackle the problems. Current practice nowadays is by using thermodynamic inhibition by injecting inhibitors such as methanol, glycol and others. Though it is still the widest method used, environmental concerns and operational complexity urge for new approach, which lead to the kinetic inhibitor. In this experiment, Chitosan is used to replace the common kinetic inhibitor, polivinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and tested the performance using equipment called micro-Pressure Differential Scanning Calorimetry. The result shows that sample with 0.4 wt% of chitosan is observed to be shifted the temperature of formation of ice/hydrate. The results of the present work can be used for the preliminary design for the continuous research of chitosan in petroleum industry, especially in gas hydrates problems. Also,this works provides the baseline for new kinetic inhibitor evaluations towards gas hydrates for better understanding.