Methods for the abatement of fouling of natural gas processing equipment using anti-foam and de-foaming compositions

Abstract

The present disclosure provides compositions and method for controlling fouling in a process for cleaning a hydrocarbon gas. The methods may include adding an effective amount of a composition to a conduit including the hydrocarbon gas. The composition includes an anti-foam compound and other components are optional, such as a solvent or additive. The compositions and methods may also be used for controlling fouling of equipment used during a process for cleaning and compressing a hydrocarbon gas. The equipment may be selected from, for example, a slug catcher, a scrubber, a suction drum, a compressor, and any combination thereof.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for controlling fouling in a process for cleaning a hydrocarbon gas, comprising:
 adding an effective amount of a composition to a conduit comprising the hydrocarbon gas, wherein the composition comprises an anti-foam compound.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the conduit further comprises a member selected from the group consisting of an entrained hydrocarbon liquid condensate, an entrained aqueous phase, an entrained dissolved organic solid, a dissolved inorganic solid, an insoluble organic solid, an insoluble inorganic solid, and any combination thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the hydrocarbon gas is a C 1  hydrocarbon, a C 2  hydrocarbon, a C 3  hydrocarbon, a C 4  hydrocarbon, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the anti-foam composition comprises the following Formula I: 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         wherein n is an integer selected from 1 to 1000; and 
         R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7  and R 8  are independently selected from a C 1 -C 18  alkyl group, a C 6 -C 18  aryl group, a C 7 -C 18  alkylaryl group, a C 7 -C 18  arylalkyl group, and any combination thereof. 
       
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7  and R 8  are independently selected from a methyl group, an ethyl group, a propyl group, a butyl group, and any combination thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the anti-foam compound comprises a polydimethylsiloxane. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises a solvent selected from the group consisting of water, methanol, ethanol, propanol, isopropanol, n-butanol, isobutanol, sec-butanol, tert-butanol, a C 5  to C 18  hydrocarbon, and any combination thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises a surfactant selected from the group consisting of an anionic surfactant, a cationic surfactant, a nonionic surfactant, a zwitterionic surfactant, and any combination thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the composition is added upstream or downstream of a primary slug catcher. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the composition may be added to an amine unit slug catcher and/or upstream of an amine unit slug catcher. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the composition is added upstream of a primary slug catcher but downstream of a subterranean formation or wherein the composition is added downstream of a primary slug catcher but upstream of a secondary slug catcher. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the composition is added downstream of a secondary slug catcher but upstream of a tertiary slug catcher or wherein the composition is added downstream of a slug catcher but upstream of a scrubber. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises an additive selected from the group consisting of an emulsion-stabilizing compound, an imidazoline, an imidazolium compound, agar, carrageenan, gellan, gelatin, guar gum, sodium alginate, xanthan gum, and any combination thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the emulsion-stabilizing compound comprises the following Formula II: 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         wherein a, b, c, and d are integers independently selected from 1 to 80, a sum of a, b, c and d ranging from about 4 to about 80; and 
         R 9  is a C 8 -C 18  alkyl group, a C 5 -C 18  aryl group, a C 5 -C 18  alkylaryl group, or a C 8 -C 18  arylalkyl group. 
       
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the anti-foam compound is selected from the group consisting of a polydimethylsiloxane, ethylene glycol butyl ether, diethylene glycol methyl ether, diethylene glycol ethyl ether, diethylene glycol butyl ether, triethylene glycol butyl ether, triethylene glycol methyl ether, triethylene glycol ethyl ether, ethylene glycol propyl ether, diethylene glycol propyl ether, triethylene glycol propyl ether, propylene glycol butyl ether, propylene glycol ethyl ether, propylene glycol methyl ether, dipropylene glycol methyl ether, dipropylene glycol ethyl ether, dipropylene glycol butyl ether, tripropylene glycol butyl ether, tripropylene glycol propyl ether, tripropylene glycol methyl ether, butylene glycol methyl ether, butylene glycol ethyl ether, butylene glycol propyl ether, butylene glycol butyl ether, dibutylene glycol butyl ether, tributylene glycol butyl ether, tetraethylene glycol butyl ether, tetrapropylene glycol methyl ether pentaethylene glycol butyl ether, pentapropylene glycol methyl ether ethanol, 2-(2-butoxyethoxy)ethanol (BuCa), ethylene glycol butyl ether (EBGE), propylene glycol (PG), ethylene glycol (EG), hydrophobic silica, silicone oil, and any combination thereof. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises hydrophobized silica, a fatty acid ester of a polyethylene glycol sorbitan surfactant, benzoic acid, erythorbic acid and deionized water, or wherein the composition comprises polydimethylsiloxane and kerosene, or wherein the composition comprises hydrophobic silica, a silicone surfactant, and polydimethylsiloxane. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the composition consists of the anti-foam compound and optionally the additive, the surfactant and/or the solvent, and/or wherein the method consists of adding the composition to the conduit. 
     
     
         18 . A method for controlling fouling of equipment used during a process for cleaning and compressing a hydrocarbon gas, comprising:
 adding an effective amount of a composition to the equipment comprising the hydrocarbon gas, wherein the composition comprises an anti-foam compound.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the equipment is selected from the group consisting of a slug catcher, a scrubber, a suction drum, a compressor, and any combination thereof. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the anti-foam compound is selected from the group consisting of a polydimethylsiloxane, ethylene glycol butyl ether, diethylene glycol methyl ether, diethylene glycol ethyl ether, diethylene glycol butyl ether, triethylene glycol butyl ether, triethylene glycol methyl ether, triethylene glycol ethyl ether, ethylene glycol propyl ether, diethylene glycol propyl ether, triethylene glycol propyl ether, propylene glycol butyl ether, propylene glycol ethyl ether, propylene glycol methyl ether, dipropylene glycol methyl ether, dipropylene glycol ethyl ether, dipropylene glycol butyl ether, tripropylene glycol butyl ether, tripropylene glycol propyl ether, tripropylene glycol methyl ether, butylene glycol methyl ether, butylene glycol ethyl ether, butylene glycol propyl ether, butylene glycol butyl ether, dibutylene glycol butyl ether, tributylene glycol butyl ether, tetraethylene glycol butyl ether, tetrapropylene glycol methyl ether pentaethylene glycol butyl ether, pentapropylene glycol methyl ether ethanol, BuCa, EBGE, PG, EG, hydrophobic silica, silicone oil, and any combination thereof.