Patent ID: 8003573

Claim:
A method for remediating flow restricting hydrate deposits comprising hydrates of a light hydrocarbon gas and water from a production system, including at least a length of pipe at a temperature and pressure at which the light hydrocarbon gas and water hydrates can form and remain stable in the pipe and can form a plug in the production system at hydrate plugging conditions, the method comprising: a) selecting a gas which either (1) forms hydrates with water at a higher pressure than the hydrate plugging conditions or (2) does not form a hydrate with water; b) passing the selected gas in contact with the hydrates containing the light hydrocarbon gas and water to remediate the flow-restricting hydrate deposits; and, c) recovering the light hydrocarbon gas from the pipe as the flow-restricting hydrate deposits containing the light hydrocarbon gas and water are remediated and release light hydrocarbon gas.