First, I would like to thank my employer Gas Liquids Engineering Ltd., Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and in particular the principals of the company Douglas MacKenzie and James Maddocks. They allowed me the time to build the hydrates course upon which this book is based and for providing me the time to write the manuscript. I would also like to thank them for the other resources they provided. This book would have been impossible without them. I would also like to thank my colleague Peter Griffin, also from Gas Liquids Engineering, for his encouragement. With his help I have been able to present this material throughout the world.

Words cannot express my thanks to Alan E. Mather of the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He was my patient supervisor during my time as a graduate student and he continues to be my mentor. The core of my knowledge of thermodynamics, and in particular how it relates to phase equilibrium, is as a result of his teaching. Over the years we have collaborated on many interesting projects. In addition, he proofread early versions of the manuscript, which was enormously valuable.

The book is the result of a one-day course on gas hydrates. I have received positive feedback from many of those who have attended. Some of their ideas have been added to the book. Thus I thank all of those who attended the course in the past.

I would be amiss if I did not also thank my loving wife, Ying Wu, for her endless support, encouragement, and love.

Finally, I would like to express my gratitude to the Gas Processors Association (GPA) and the Gas Processors Suppliers Association (GPSA), both of Tulsa, Oklahoma, for permission to reproduce several figures from the GPSA Engineering Data Book (11th ed.). Furthermore, over the years these associations have sponsored a significant amount of research into gas hydrates. This research has been valuable both to the author of this book and to others working in the field.