To control the plugging of oil pipe-lines by the gas hydrate crystals, the dispersive surfactant additives can be injected into oil. We have studied the influence of such an additive (IPE 201 surfactant) on wetting and crystallisation in a simple model system; water-dodecane-steel substrate, having in mind applications to real hydrate crystals. It has been shown that this surfactant changes the wetting properties in the studied system: water wets a steel substrate less than dodecane, containing IPE 201. The morphology of the obtained ice crystals also changes in the presence of this surfactant: the crystal forms become more complex and fractal. As a consequence, the stability of the ice crystals with respect to the mechanical deformations is lowered. The obtained results will allow to understand the effect of the IPE 201 surfactant on the control of the real hydrate crystals formation.