The Advancement from Thermodynamic Inhibitors to Kinetic Inhibitors and Anti-Agglomerants in Natural Gas Flow Assurance

Gas hydrate formation is a major flow assurance challenge in natural gas transmission and processing. Chemical inhibitors are thus used by the oil and gas industry for the prevention and remediation of hydrate blockages. The traditional hydrate inhibitors used by the industry are thermodynamic inhibitors which act by modifying the hydrate phase equilibria. These thermodynamic inhibitors however have their limitations especially in deep water applications which are becoming widespread in the industry. Kinetic inhibitors and anti-agglomerants are novel alternatives that have been recently developed and they act by delaying the formation of hydrates and prevention of hydrate plugs respectively. These kinetic inhibitors and anti-agglomerants, collectively known as low dosage inhibitors, present economic benefits but they are not without drawbacks. This paper reviews the mechanisms, benefits and drawbacks of the hydrate inhibitors used in natural gas flow assurance.