The formation of gas hydrates (GHs) in pipelines remains a major challenge to flow assurance in the oil and gas industry due to the risk of blockages during production and transportation. Despite their energy and environmental potential, gas hydrates can form and clump together, causing blockages and operational disruptions. These blockages can occur at various stages of hydrocarbon handling, including production, processing, and transportation, and also pose safety risks in pipelines and subsea production systems. Controlled hydrate formation, based on the management of thermodynamic and kinetic factors, is desirable. It allows the formation and development of hydrates to be managed in a controlled manner to prevent or reduce blockages within pipelines in order to ensure safe transport of suspensions, rather than seeking to eliminate them completely. Managing GHs through controlled formation methods improves the efficiency of oil and gas transportation in pipelines and reduces the risk of incidents due to blockages and shutdowns. In this context, environmentally friendly surface coatings appear as promising alternatives to current methods that use chemical additives and active heating, which are often costly and environmentally harmful. This review critically examines the progress made over the last decade. This study highlights the key role of wettability, roughness and interfacial surface properties in regulating the adhesion behavior of hydrates.
References
[1]
Sun, L., Hassanpouryouzband, A., Liang, H., Dong, H., Zhang, L. and Song, Y. (2025) Emerging Potential Unconventional Applications of Gas Hydrate Technologies in Sustainable and Environmental Industries. RenewableandSustainableEnergyReviews, 222, Article ID: 115987. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2025.115987
[2]
Aminnaji, M., Qureshi, M.F., Dashti, H., Hase, A., Mosalanejad, A., Jahanbakhsh, A., et al. (2024) CO2 Gas Hydrate for Carbon Capture and Storage Applications—Part 1. Energy, 300, Article ID: 131579. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2024.131579
[3]
Hassanpouryouzband, A., Joonaki, E., Vasheghani Farahani, M., Takeya, S., Ruppel, C., Yang, J., et al. (2020) Gas Hydrates in Sustainable Chemistry. ChemicalSocietyReviews, 49, 5225-5309. https://doi.org/10.1039/c8cs00989a
[4]
Englezos, P. (2024) Phase Equilibrium in Canonical Cubic Structure I (sI) and II (sII) and Hexagonal (SH) Gas Hydrate Solid Solutions. FluidPhaseEquilibria, 578, Article ID: 114005. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fluid.2023.114005
[5]
Semenov, A.P., Gong, Y., Medvedev, V.I., Stoporev, A.S., Istomin, V.A., Vinokurov, V.A., et al. (2023) New Insights into Methane Hydrate Inhibition with Blends of Vinyl Lactam Polymer and Methanol, Monoethylene Glycol, or Diethylene Glycol as Hybrid Inhibitors. ChemicalEngineeringScience, 268, Article ID: 118387. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ces.2022.118387
[6]
Zhang, S., Shang, L., Pan, Z., Zhou, L. and Guo, Y. (2022) Mechanism and Control Factors of Hydrate Plugging in Multiphase Liquid-Rich Pipeline Flow Systems: A Review. FrontiersinEnergy, 16, 747-773. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11708-022-0830-z
[7]
Song, G., Li, Y., Wang, W., Jiang, K., Shi, Z. and Yao, S. (2018) Investigation on the Mechanical Properties and Mechanical Stabilities of Pipewall Hydrate Deposition by Modelling and Numerical Simulation. ChemicalEngineeringScience, 192, 477-487. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ces.2018.07.055
[8]
Zhang, J., Fu, H., Guo, M., Wang, Z., Li, L., Yin, Q., et al. (2024) New Insights into the Deposition of Natural Gas Hydrate on Pipeline Surfaces: A Molecular Dynamics Simulation Study. PetroleumScience, 21, 694-704. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.petsci.2023.08.027
[9]
Chenwei, L., Zhiyuan, W., Jinlin, T., Ci, Y. and Mingzhong, L. (2020) Fundamental Investigation of the Adhesion Strength between Cyclopentane Hydrate Deposition and Solid Surface Materials. ChemicalEngineeringScience, 217, Article ID: 115524. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ces.2020.115524
[10]
Zerpa, L.E., Aman, Z.M., Joshi, S., Rao, I., Sloan, E.D., Koh, C., et al. (2012) Predicting Hydrate Blockages in Oil, Gas and Water-Dominated Systems. Offshore Technology Conference, Houston, 30 April-3 May 2012, OTC-23490-MS. https://doi.org/10.4043/23490-ms
[11]
Chenwei, L., Chenru, Z., Mingzhong, L., Shikun, T., Minhui, Q. and Zhiyuan, W. (2023) Direct Measurements of the Interactions between Methane Hydrate Particle-Particle/Droplet in High Pressure Gas Phase. Fuel, 332, Article ID: 126190. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuel.2022.126190
[12]
Nguyen, N.N., Nguyen, A.V., Steel, K.M., Dang, L.X. and Galib, M. (2017) Interfacial Gas Enrichment at Hydrophobic Surfaces and the Origin of Promotion of Gas Hydrate Formation by Hydrophobic Solid Particles. TheJournalofPhysicalChemistryC, 121, 3830-3840. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcc.6b07136
[13]
Ma, R., Wang, F., Chang, Y., Xiao, S., English, N.J., He, J., et al. (2021) Unraveling Adhesion Strength between Gas Hydrate and Solid Surfaces. Langmuir, 37, 13873-13881. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.langmuir.1c02315
[14]
Chenru, Z., Chenwei, L., Xiangyu, W., Sanbao, D., Liu, Z., Mingzhong, L., et al. (2025) Experiments on the Adhesion Strengths of Methane Hydrate Deposition in High-Pressure Oil Phase. ChemicalEngineeringScience, 305, Article ID: 121134. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ces.2024.121134
[15]
Chenwei, L., Liang, Y., Chenru, Z., Zhiyuan, W. and Mingzhong, L. (2022) Effects of Hydrate Inhibitors on the Adhesion Strengths of Sintered Hydrate Deposits on Pipe Walls. JournalofColloidandInterfaceScience, 624, 593-601. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcis.2022.06.004
[16]
Rao, S., Li, Z., Lu, H. and Deng, Y. (2025) A Review of Gas Hydrate Formation Characteristics at Interfaces. Fuel, 392, Article ID: 134863. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuel.2025.134863
[17]
Hu, S. and Koh, C.A. (2017) Interfacial Properties and Mechanisms Dominating Gas Hydrate Cohesion and Adhesion in Liquid and Vapor Hydrocarbon Phases. Langmuir, 33, 11299-11309. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.langmuir.7b02676
[18]
Zhang, Y. and Taboada-Serrano, P. (2024) Interfacial Effects on the Nucleation Probability of Gas Hydrates in Porous Media. JournalofIndustrialandEngineeringChemistry, 129, 568-578. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jiec.2023.09.015
[19]
Mathews, S., Guerra, A., Servio, P. and Rey, A. (2024) Molecular Dynamics Characterization of the Interfacial Structure and Forces of the Methane-Ethane sII Gas Hydrate Interface. Colloid and Interface Science Communications, 62, Article ID: 100800. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colcom.2024.100800
[20]
Hu, S. and Koh, C.A. (2020) CH4/C2H6 Gas Hydrate Interparticle Interactions in the Presence of Anti-Agglomerants and Salinity. Fuel, 269, Article ID: 117208. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuel.2020.117208
[21]
Hu, S., Vo, L., Monteiro, D., Bodnar, S., Prince, P. and Koh, C.A. (2021) Structural Effects of Gas Hydrate Antiagglomerant Molecules on Interfacial Interparticle Force Interactions. Langmuir, 37, 1651-1661. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.langmuir.0c02503
[22]
Smith, J.D., Meuler, A.J., Bralower, H.L., Venkatesan, R., Subramanian, S., Cohen, R.E., et al. (2012) Hydrate-Phobic Surfaces: Fundamental Studies in Clathrate Hydrate Adhesion Reduction. PhysicalChemistryChemicalPhysics, 14, 6013-6020. https://doi.org/10.1039/c2cp40581d
[23]
Zhang, X., Gong, J., Yang, X., Slupe, B., Jin, J., Wu, N., et al. (2019) Functionalized Nanoparticles for the Dispersion of Gas Hydrates in Slurry Flow. ACSOmega, 4, 13496-13508. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.9b01806
[24]
Peng, J., Yuan, S., Geng, H., Zhang, X., Zhang, M., Xu, F., et al. (2022) Robust and Multifunctional Superamphiphobic Coating toward Effective Anti-Adhesion. ChemicalEngineeringJournal, 428, Article ID: 131162. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2021.131162
[25]
Chen, X., Jiao, X., Wu, B., Chen, W., Li, J., Yang, Y., et al. (2026) Interfacial Designed Multifunctional Defense of Go-Enabled Superamphiphobic Architectures for Chemical Stability and Thermal-Electrical Synergy. ProgressinOrganicCoatings, 215, Article ID: 110123. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.porgcoat.2026.110123
[26]
Zhang, W., Fan, S., Li, G., Wang, Y. and Lang, X. (2023) Multifunctional Amphiphobic Coating toward Ultralow Interfacial Adhesion of Hydrates. Langmuir, 39, 4082-4090. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c03440
[27]
Zhang, W., Fan, S., Wang, Y., Lang, X. and Li, G. (2021) Preparation and Performance of Biomimetic Superhydrophobic Coating on X80 Pipeline Steel for Inhibition of Hydrate Adhesion. ChemicalEngineeringJournal, 419, Article ID: 129651. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2021.129651
[28]
Dong, S., Li, M., Liu, C., Zhang, J. and Chen, G. (2020) Bio-Inspired Superhydrophobic Coating with Low Hydrate Adhesion for Hydrate Mitigation. JournalofBionicEngineering, 17, 1019-1028. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42235-020-0085-5
[29]
Sojoudi, H., Arabnejad, H., Raiyan, A., Shirazi, S.A., McKinley, G.H. and Gleason, K.K. (2018) Scalable and Durable Polymeric Icephobic and Hydrate-Phobic Coatings. SoftMatter, 14, 3443-3454. https://doi.org/10.1039/c8sm00225h
[30]
Yin, X., Yan, Y., Zhang, X., Bao, B., Pi, P., Zhou, Y., et al. (2023) Designing Robust Superhydrophobic Materials for Inhibiting Nucleation of Clathrate Hydrates by Imitating Glass Sponges. ACSCentralScience, 9, 318-327. https://doi.org/10.1021/acscentsci.2c01406
[31]
Su, X., Gao, Y., Yin, F. and Li, S. (2024) Investigation on the Influence of Different Coating Surfaces on the Adhesive Force of Hydrate Particles. JournalofMarineScienceandEngineering, 12, Article 232. https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse12020232
[32]
Fan, S., Zhang, H., Yang, G., Wang, Y., Li, G. and Lang, X. (2020) Reduction Clathrate Hydrates Growth Rates and Adhesion Forces on Surfaces of Inorganic or Polymer Coatings. Energy&Fuels, 34, 13566-13579. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.energyfuels.0c01904
[33]
Xu, Z., Zheng, L., Dong, Z., Liu, A., Wang, Y., Sun, Q., et al. (2023) The Adhesion Strength of Semi-Clathrate Hydrate to Different Solid Surfaces. Processes, 11, Article 2720. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11092720
