Review of Hydrate Prevention Methods for Deepwater Pipelines

Deepwater fields are characterized by extreme low temperature and high pressure, houses huge potential amount of hydrated gas. However, deepwater is associated with scenarios such as, costly structures, scattered wells, and exploration at even further and deeper locations. Nevertheless, the need for a cleaner source of energy has triggered the oil and gas industries to increase their exploration and production activities towards deep seas. However, such hostile environment is favorable for solid deposits such as hydrate formations, in which has become a major deepwater flow assurance concern. The tremendous shifting of oil and gas activities from shallow water to deepwater ads-on the flow assurance challenges, yet, has pooled numerous types of hydrate prevention methods in many ways and even has raised the idea of changing the hydrate paradigm. Over the last decade, even though there are few compilations of current practices in hydrate prevention methods are available in literature, but these are addressed within the specific categories. The objective of this paper is to review and distinguish possibly all types of existing hydrate prevention methods. It is hoped that the review would serve as an industrial application in a form of quick reference in identifying appropriate methods for hydrate prevention. The review shall be based on past and current practices and reflects a more inter-disciplinary approach in hydrate prevention.