FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure relates generally to anti-agglomerate hydrate inhibitors. More specifically, in certain embodiments, the present disclosure relates to boronic hydrate inhibitors and associated compositions and methods.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Low-boiling hydrocarbons, such as methane, ethane, propane, butane, and iso-butane, are normally present in conduits used for the transport and processing of natural gas and crude oil. When water is also present in such conduits, the water/hydrocarbon mixture is, under conditions of low temperature and elevated pressure, capable of forming gas hydrate crystals. Gas hydrates are clathrates (inclusion compounds) in which small gas molecules are trapped in a lattice or cage consisting of water molecules.

The structure of gas hydrates depends on the type of the gas forming the structure: methane and ethane may form cubic lattices having a lattice constant of 1.2 nm (normally referred to as structure I), while propane and butane may form cubic lattices having a lattice constant of 1.73 nm (normally referred to as structure II). It is known that even the presence of a small amount of propane in a mixture of low-boiling hydrocarbons will result in the formation of structure II gas hydrates, the predominate hydrate encountered during the production of oil and gas.

Gas hydrate crystals are known to block or even damage the subsea conduits. In order to cope with this undesired phenomenon, a number of remedies have been proposed in the past such as removal of free water, maintaining elevated temperatures and/or reduced pressures or the addition of chemicals such as melting point depressants (antifreezes). Melting point depressants, typical examples of which are methanol and various glycols, often need to be added in substantial amounts in order to be effective. This is disadvantageous with respect to costs of the materials, their storage facilities and their recovery.

Another approach to keep the fluids in conduits flowing is adding nucleation and/or crystal growth inhibitors and/or compounds capable of preventing hydrate crystal agglomeration to the fluids. Compared to the amounts of antifreeze required, small amounts of such compounds are normally effective in preventing the blockage of a conduit by hydrates. The principles of interfering with crystal growth and/or agglomeration are known. These compounds are collective known as low dosage hydrate inhibitors or LDHIs.

Hydrate inhibitors are broadly divided into kinetic hydrate inhibitors, commonly abbreviated in the art as KHI's, and anti-agglomerates, commonly abbreviated in the art as AA's. Kinetic hydrate inhibitors seek to delay the nucleation and/or growth of gas hydrates in a controlled manor, while AA's are designed to create a mobile, multiphase matrix containing relatively small hydrate particles. Anti-agglomerate hydrate inhibitors allow for the formation of hydrate particles that do not adhere or agglomerate, in part or in whole, to themselves and/or other available solid surfaces.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,814,473, 8,778,052, 7,696,393, 5,076,364, 5,879,561, 5,460,728, 5,648,575, and 6,905,605 describe several different types of anti-agglomerate hydrate inhibitors.

It would be advantageous to develop a new class of anti-agglomerate hydrate inhibitors.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure relates generally to anti-agglomerate hydrate inhibitors. More specifically, in certain embodiments, the present disclosure relates to boronic hydrate inhibitors and associated compositions and methods.

In one embodiment, the present disclosure provides a boronic hydrate inhibitor.

In another embodiment, the present disclosure provides a hydrate inhibitor composition comprising a boronic hydrate inhibitor and carrier fluid.

In another embodiment, the present disclosure provides a method comprising: providing a hydrate inhibitor composition comprising a boronic hydrate inhibitor and injecting the hydrate inhibitor composition into a well or pipeline.

