Moisture and hydrocarbon dew point are not easy parameters to measure, due to numerous factors including gas composition, contaminants, additives, high pressures, presence of corrosive compounds and other factors. It is an important measurement however since any moisture contained in the gas does not burn, it reduces the effective calorific value of the gas and therefore excess moisture reduces the value of the gas to any buyer. However, it is expensive to remove and therefore there must be a balance between the cost of removal and the reduced value if the moisture is left in the gas. Secondly, moisture in gas pipelines can cause corrosion and potential leakage. Thirdly, at the low pressure consumer end the moisture content must be low enough to avoid any condensation formation (as ice) at low winter ambient temperatures, which would lead to pipe fractures and dangerous leaks should such conditions arise. Hydrocarbon dew point is a primary measure of the quality of natural gas for most operating companies. The hydrocarbon dew-point temperature indicates the temperature at which the heavy hydrocarbon components will start to condense out of the gaseous phase, at a given pipeline pressure. Therefore, a higher hydrocarbon dew point normally indicates a higher proportion of heavy hydrocarbon components. Excess moisture in a high pressure natural gas pipeline can combine with hydrocarbon compounds to form an emulsion sludge – known as hydrate formation. This hydrate formation can be extremely disruptive, causing pipeline blockage.