A Review of Kinetic Hydrate Inhibitors from an Environmental Perspective

Kinetic hydrate inhibitors (KHIs) have been used in the upstream petroleum industry for about 25 years to prevent plugging of flow lines with gas hydrates. The main ingredients in current commercial KHI formulations are one or more water-soluble polymers which contain both hydrophobic and hydrophilic functionalities. Although the vast majority of KHIs are low in acute toxicity and bioaccumulation, very few commercial products show good biodegradability, and for that reason, there is always some concern of long-term chronic toxicity from partially degraded products if discharged into the environment. This report reviews all efforts to develop more biodegradable KHIs, and outlines the fact that some classes of so-called "green" chemicals are not necessarily readily biodegradable or low in toxicity. The review also covers methodologies to recover or destroy KHIs and reduce their discharge to the environment.