Use of corrosion inhibitors as gas drag reducing agents has been reported by Arco E&P Technology. It was postulated in the literature that the drag reduction in gas transmission lines could be achieved by applying a thin coating on the pipeline inner surface to reduce friction between the flowing gas and pipe wall. Some corrosion inhibitors can adsorb strongly on the metal surfaces to form a smooth film similar to that of gas drag reducer to mitigate gas turbulence at the gas/solid interface. In an attempt to cost-effectively boost the gas production rate, a field trial was conducted in the Gulf of Mexico using the same chemical reported in the literature. Our results are in good agreement with the performance quoted in the literature, that is, the peak gas production rate increases by 10-15% and the peak pressure drop decreases up to 20%.
Keywords: gas drag reduction, corrosion inhibitor, gas production, pressure drop