Progress in research on dispersants in gas hydrate control technology

Since their discovery, hydrates have become an important part of the oil and gas industry. The formation and dissociation of hydrates affect their production efficiency. Dispersants can be used to control hydrate formation and are irreplaceable in industrial applications, such as pipeline fluid transportation, gas hydration, and environmental treatment. However, research on the control of hydrate formation/decomposition with dispersants remains inadequate, and industrial applications of the hydrate control technology are still in the initial stage. To understand how dispersants influence natural gas hydrates, this paper summarizes the current experimental research results; describes the formation/dissociation mechanism of dispersants in the reaction process of natural gas hydrate, including kinetics, thermodynamics, and rheology; introduces the promotion-inhibition mechanism of the dispersant; and focuses on analyses of traditional chemical surfactants, solid particles, and new component powders. Based on the research trend of dispersants in the hydration reaction, a review of the existing experimental research and the identified blind spots highlights that there have been numerous studies on traditional chemical dispersants. Thus, it is necessary to promote research on the control of the hydrate reaction with other types of dispersants and on the synergistic effect of dispersants and the environment.