Research and Development Aimed at Creating Hydrate-Based Technology for Storage and Transportation of Hydrocarbon Gases

Due to the discovery of new giant fields, the Russian Federation is actively shifting oil and gas production to northern regions and the Arctic shelf. However, harsh operating conditions, low temperatures, special environmental requirements, and limited infrastructure require new approaches to the full-scale development of the fields. Using gas hydrates as an alternative technology for storing and transporting natural/associated gases is becoming increasingly relevant. This technology has many advantages, such as environmental safety, relatively low temperatures and pressures for hydrate formation and storage, and high gas content in the hydrate form. Special attention is paid to developing efficient methods to produce the hydrates, on which the feasibility of the entire technological process depends. Several highly efficient reagents to accelerate hydrate formation were designed and successfully implemented in scientific and technical projects devoted to solidified natural gas technology. The hydrate issue also arises due to the need to create a controlled flow of hydrate particles in oil.