IP Library Granted Patent US 11,242,957
Granted Patent B2
US 11,242,957 · App. 16/527,806 · Granted Feb 8, 2022

Kinetic hydrate inhibitors for controlling gas hydrate formation in wet gas systems

Inventors: Regan Andrew Jones (Sugar Land, TX); Jeremy Wayne Bartels (Sugar Land, TX); Jeremy Moloney (Katy, TX)
Assignee: ChampionX USA Inc.
F17D3/12C09K8/03C10L3/107C10L10/04F17D1/005F17D1/04F17D1/08C10L2230/14C10L2250/04C10L2290/141
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,242,957
App. No.
16/527,806
Granted
Feb 8, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present invention generally relates to methods and hydrate inhibitor compositions for inhibiting the formation of hydrates in a fluid comprising gas and water. More specifically, the method comprises contacting a hydrate inhibitor composition to a fluid. The hydrate inhibitor composition comprises a nonpolar solvent; a polar solvent; and a polymer, an oligomer, a dendrimer, or an acid or salt thereof.

Claims (22)

1. A method for inhibiting hydrate formation in a fluid comprising water and a gas, the method comprising contacting the fluid with an effective amount of a hydrate inhibitor composition comprising from about 5 wt. % to about 55 wt. % of alkyl pyridine and from about 0.1 wt. % to about 55 wt. % of a kinetic hydrate inhibiting polymer, wherein the hydrate inhibitor composition comprising an alkyl pyridine and a kinetic hydrate inhibiting polymer had an improved hydrate inhibiting performance as compared to the hydrate inhibiting performance of the same kinetic hydrate inhibiting polymer alone.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fluid is substantially free of a liquid hydrocarbon before contacting the hydrate inhibitor composition.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymer comprises repeat units derived from a first monomer, a second monomer, or a combination thereof.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the polymer comprises repeat units derived from a first monomer and a second monomer.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the first monomer comprises an acrylamide monomer, acrylate monomer, N-vinyl amide monomer, N-vinyl caprolactam monomer, N-vinyl amine monomer, anhydride monomer, dicarboxylic acid monomer, diester monomer, diol monomer, amine monomer, diamine monomer, dihydroxy acid monomer, dihydroxy ester monomer, hydroxy ester monomer, hydroxy acid monomer, or a combination thereof.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the first monomer comprises N-isopropyl methacrylamide, N-isopropylacrylamide, or a combination thereof.

7. The method of claim 3 , wherein the second monomer comprises methacrylamidopropyltrimethylammonium chloride (MAPTAC), 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylamide, 3-(acryloylamino)propyl]trimethyl ammonium chloride (APTAC), 2-acryloyloxyethyltrimethyl ammonium chloride (AETAC), 2-methacryloyloxyethyltrimethyl ammonium chloride (METAC), diallyldimethyl ammonium chloride (DADMAC), acryloyloxyethyldimethylbenzyl ammonium chloride (AEDBAC), or methacryloyloxyethyldimethylbenzyl ammonium chloride (MEDBAC), or a combination thereof.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymer is a copolymer comprising repeat units derived from N-isopropyl methacrylamide, methacrylamidopropyltrimethylammonium chloride, 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylamide, or a combination thereof.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the weight average molecular weight of the polymer is from about 500 Daltons to about 25,000 Daltons.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the alkyl pyridine comprises 2-(2-chloroethyl)pyridine, 3-methyl-4-chloropyridine, or a combination thereof.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydrate inhibitor composition comprises from about 10 wt. % to about 50 wt. % of the alkyl pyridine and from about 1 wt. % to about 40 wt. % of the kinetic hydrate inhibiting polymer.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the kinetic hydrate inhibiting polymer is a copolymer comprising repeat units derived from N-isopropyl methacrylamide and methacrylamidopropyltrimethylammonium chloride.

13. A method for inhibiting hydrate formation in a fluid comprising water and a gas, the method comprising contacting the fluid with an effective amount of a hydrate inhibitor composition comprising from about 5 wt. % to about 55 wt. % of quinoline and from about 0.1 wt. % to about 55 wt. % of a kinetic hydrate inhibiting polymer, wherein the hydrate inhibitor composition comprising a quinoline and a kinetic hydrate inhibiting polymer had an improved hydrate inhibiting performance as compared to the hydrate inhibiting performance of the same kinetic hydrate inhibiting polymer alone.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the hydrate inhibitor composition comprises from about 10 wt. % to about 50 wt. % of the quinoline and from about 1 wt. % to about 40 wt. % of the kinetic hydrate inhibiting polymer.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the quinoline comprises 2-amino-quinoline, 6-hydroxyquinoline, 6-bromo-2-chloro-4-methylquinoline, 4-iodoquinoline, 7-bromoquinoline, or a combination thereof.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the polymer comprises repeat units derived from a first monomer and a second monomer;

wherein the first monomer comprises an acrylamide monomer, acrylate monomer, N-vinyl amide monomer, N-vinyl caprolactam monomer, N-vinyl amine monomer, anhydride monomer, dicarboxylic acid monomer, diester monomer, diol monomer, amine monomer, diamine monomer, dihydroxy acid monomer, dihydroxy ester monomer, hydroxy ester monomer, hydroxy acid monomer, or a combination thereof; and

wherein the second monomer comprises methacrylamidopropyltrimethylammonium chloride (MAPTAC), 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylamide, 3-(acryloylamino)propyl]trimethyl ammonium chloride (APTAC), 2-acryloyloxyethyltrimethyl ammonium chloride (AETAC), 2-methacryloyloxyethyltrimethyl ammonium chloride (METAC), diallyldimethyl ammonium chloride (DADMAC), acryloyloxyethyldimethylbenzyl ammonium chloride (AEDBAC), or methacryloyloxyethyldimethylbenzyl ammonium chloride (MEDBAC), or a combination thereof.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the polymer is a copolymer comprising repeat units derived from N-isopropyl methacrylamide, methacrylamidopropyltrimethylammonium chloride, 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylamide, or a combination thereof.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the kinetic hydrate inhibiting polymer is a copolymer comprising repeat units derived from N-isopropyl methacrylamide and methacrylamidopropyltrimethylammonium chloride.

19. The method of claim 13 , wherein the fluid is substantially free of a liquid hydrocarbon before contacting the hydrate inhibitor composition.

20. The method of claim 13 , wherein the weight average molecular weight of the polymer is from about 500 Daltons to about 25,000 Daltons.

Assignments (6)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Jul 17, 2025
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
To: CHAMPIONX LLC; APERGY ESP SYSTEMS, LLC; APERGY BMCS ACQUISITION CORP; HARBISON-FISCHER, INC.; NORRIS RODS, INC.,; NORRIS RODS, INC.,; NORRISEAL-WELLMARK, INC.; PCS FERGUSON, INC.; QUARTZDYNE, INC.; US SYNTHETIC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 072004/0019 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 7, 2022
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.
To: CHAMPIONX USA INC.
Reel/Frame 060304/0267 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 22, 2020
From: ECOLAB USA INC.
To: CHAMPIONX USA INC.
Reel/Frame 053849/0537 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 30, 2020
From: JONES, REGAN ANDREW; BARTELS, JEREMY WAYNE; MOLONEY, JEREMY
To: ECOLAB USA INC.
Reel/Frame 053353/0456 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 5, 2020
From: CHAMPIONX USA INC.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.
Reel/Frame 052848/0368 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 5, 2020
From: CHAMPIONX USA INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 053250/0001 →
Continuity (3)
Division 15441656 · Feb 24, 2017
Provisional Application 62300552 · Feb 26, 2016
Related Publication 20190353307A1 · Nov 21, 2019