Method for inhibiting hydrate formation

A method for inhibiting the formation of clathrate hydrates in a fluid having hydrate forming constituents, said method comprising treating said fluid with an effective amount of an inhibitor comprising a substantially water soluble polymer having the following N-allyl amide unit:

• ##STR16## where, R.sub.1 is a hydrogen or hydrocarbon group having one to six carbon atoms, and zero to two heteroatoms selected from the group consisting of oxygen, nitrogen, and combinations thereof,
• R.sub.2 is a hydrocarbon group having one to six carbon atoms, and zero to two heteroatoms selected from the group consisting of oxygen, nitrogen, and combinations thereof,
• R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 have a sum total of carbon atoms greater than or equal to one, but less than eight, and
• x is an average number of units for producing an average molecular weight for said polymer between about 1,000 and about 6,000,000.

A method for inhibiting the formation of gas hydrates in a petroleum fluid having hydrate-forming constituents and conveyed under conditions that would allow formation of gas hydrates, said method comprising:

• treating the fluid with an amount of an inhibitor sufficient to inhibit the formation of gas hydrates;
• and
• conveying the petroleum fluid;
• wherein the inhibitor is a copolymer of an N-vinyl N-methyl acetamide monomer and a comonomer selected from the group consisting of acrylamides, methacrylamides, acrylates, vinyl carboxylates, and alkenylcyclic imino ethers.