Clariant achieves North Sea breakthrough with OSPAR-compliant low-dosage hydrate inhibitor technology

• First anti-agglomerant hydrate management technology to meet stringent OSPAR environmental requirements for North Sea operations.
• Delivers effective hydrate control at a fraction of the dosage required by conventional methanol or monoethylene glycol-based treatment programs, helping reduce offshore logistics and operational complexity.
• Successfully deployed in offshore Norway and the United Kingdom, demonstrating performance under challenging high-water-cut and offshore operating conditions.

MUTTENZ, June 24, 2026 - Clariant Oil Services today announced the successful offshore deployment of HYTREAT™ ECO, an anti-agglomerant low dosage hydrate inhibitor (LDHI-AA) technology that satisfies both the performance demands of hydrate management and OSPAR's stringent North Sea environmental requirements. Proven in offshore fields in both Norway and the United Kingdom, the technology represents a significant advancement in flow assurance, enabling operators to reduce chemical consumption while maintaining reliable hydrate control in some of the world's most demanding environments.

Gas hydrate formation remains one of the most technically and operationally challenging flow assurance issues in subsea oil and gas production. Under high-pressure, low-temperature conditions, hydrates can form ice-like blockages that threaten production and asset integrity. Operators in the North Sea have traditionally relied on large volumes of methanol or monoethylene glycol (MEG) to prevent hydrate formation, creating significant logistical and environmental burdens.

Clariant's technology keeps hydrate particles dispersed and flowing through production systems, delivering reliable flow assurance at dosage rates that, in the North Sea field trials, ranged from less than 1% to 2% by volume on water, an order of magnitude lower than conventional methanol or MEG treatment programs. The result is reduced chemical consumption, lower offshore logistics requirements, and a smaller operational footprint. Fully compliant with OSPAR – the international framework for protecting the marine environment of the North-East Atlantic – and stringent North Sea environmental requirements, HYTREAT ECO is the first low-dosage hydrate management solution to achieve this level of environmental acceptance.

"As operators work to maximize production from existing offshore assets, technologies that improve both operational efficiency and environmental performance are becoming increasingly important," said George Nunes, Head of Clariant Oil Services. “Developed through years of research and close collaboration with our customers, including major North Sea operators, HYTREAT ECO demonstrates how innovation can help strengthen energy resilience while meeting the demanding environmental and operational standards of today’s offshore industry.”

In Norway, HYTREAT ECO supported hydrate management in a mature offshore asset, helping operators manage increasing water production while reducing reliance on glycol regeneration capacity. During the trial, the technology enabled a successful well restart following a 24-hour shut-in entirely within the hydrate stability zone, one of the most demanding operational scenarios in subsea production, with produced water quality confirmed to meet overboard discharge limits throughout. On the strength of this field performance, HYTREAT ECO was awarded a Technology Readiness Level of TRL7 on the internationally recognized 9-point TRL scale, the industry benchmark confirming field-proven performance under full-scale commercial conditions.

In the United Kingdom, the technology replaced subsea methanol injection in a gas condensate field operating under extreme subcooling conditions. Shut-in subcooling in the riser reached up to 25°C at pressures of 130 barg, among the most severe offshore conditions recorded for any LDHI field deployment, with HYTREAT ECO delivering effective hydrate control during both normal operations and cold restart scenarios.

HYTREAT ECO delivers broader operational and environmental benefits, including reduced storage and handling demands and expected lower emissions associated with chemical transport and deployment. As offshore operators face increasing pressure to improve environmental performance while maximizing production from existing assets, HYTREAT ECO sets a new standard for more sustainable hydrate management in offshore oil and gas operations.

For more information on HYTREAT ECO and to access the full case histories, visit https://www.clariant.com/Hytreat. 

HYTREAT™ ECO IS A TRADEMARK OF CLARIANT.