The present invention provides improved methods of drying pipelines containing water which are to transport hydrate forming gaseous fluids. The methods basically comprise flowing a liquid which forms an azeotrope mixture with water into contact with water in a pipeline, the amount of the azeotropic liquid being sufficient to form an azeotrope mixture with the water whereby as the mixture is evaporated in the pipeline, the water concentration in the remaining mixture does not reach that concentration which will form hydrates with the hydrate forming gaseous fluid.