Role of additives in phase equilibrium and kinetic studies of gas hydrates.

Developments in studying Natural Gas Hydrates (NGH) have significantly affected the Oil and Gas industries. Apart from being a prominent unconventional energy source, gas hydrates serve a major role in energy storage, CO₂ sequestration, flow assurance, water desalination, etc. These process demands promotion/inhibition of hydrates which becomes feasible by the application of suitable additives. This technique demands greater generation of hydrates by the application of desired promotor like tetra-n-butyl ammonium bromide (TBAB), tetrahydrofuran (THF) etc. for the greater storage of anthropogenic CO₂ at subsurface. For the mitigation of climate change and development of sustainable energy, extensive research suggested the implementation of hydrate-based CO₂ sequestration (HBCS) technique. The presence of hydrate plugs in oil and gas pipeline create challenges of flow assurance in oil and gas industry. Application of inhibitors alters the equilibrium pressure-temperature conditions which restrict the hydrate plugs formation in transport pipes and allow the flow ability of hydrocarbon. This paper provides brief review of various additives and their roles in oil and gas industries which provides the better understanding of hydrate phase equilibrium and kinetic conditions. Further, the future scope of bio-additives in the field of gas hydrates is also discussed with the aim to implement its application on commercial scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]