Promotion and inhibition effects of wax on methane hydrate formation and dissociation in water-in-oil emulsions

•The hydrate formation and dissociation in water-in-oil emulsions containing wax were systematically investigated by abundant macroscopic and microscopic experiments.•The bimodal shape of induction time and growth rate on hydrate formation was analyzed.•The effect of wax on the integrity of bulk hydrate and the duration of complete hydrate dissociation by depressurization were studied.•The mechanism of hydrate behavior in emulsions considering promotion and inhibition was discussed.