Visual Assessment of Methane Hydrate Dissociation Using a Multi-Rocking Cell: Roles of Surfactants, KHIs, and AAs in Water-Rich Systems

This study uses a new multi-rocking cell system for visual, parallel assessment of methane hydrate (MH) dissociation. The method allows for systematic comparison of various fluidizerscomposed of thermodynamic hydrate inhibitors like urea and additives including surfactants, kinetic hydrate inhibitors, and antiagglomerantsunder controlled, water-rich conditions. Our findings show that surfactants, such as SDS, SO, and DDBSA, accelerate dissociation but cause MH migration and persistent foaming. In contrast, DTMAC and saponin effectively promote dissociation while suppressing foam and MH migration. Combination fluidizers (e.g., SDS + PVP, SDS + Tween 80) further fine-tuned the performance, demonstrating additive-specific effects such as foam suppression or accelerated dissociation. This work provides insights for designing effective fluidizers for hydrate management in subsea production environments.