Modeling of Gas Hydrate Formation Upon Injection of Carbon Dioxide Gas into A Natural Reservoir

This paper presents the results of numerical modeling of gas hydrate formation upon injection of carbon dioxide into a finite-length reservoir saturated with methane and water. It is shown that at different stages, hydrate formation can occur on both the frontal surface and in a reservoir region of finite length. The effects of pressure at the reservoir boundaries and the effects of the permeability and initial water saturation of the reservoir on the hydrate formation process were studied. The dependences of the time of the complete conversion of water into gas hydrate in the entire reservoir on the injection pressure and reservoir permeability were obtained.     

Recovery of Methane From Gas Hydrates in a Porous Medium by Injection of Carbon Dioxide

This paper presents a mathematical model for methane hydrate–carbon dioxide replacement by injection of carbon dioxide gas into a porous medium rich in methane and its gas hydrate. Numerical solutions describing the pressure and temperature variation in a reservoir of finite length are obtained. It is shown that the replacement process is accompanied by a decrease in pressure and an increase in temperature of the porous medium. It is established that during the time of complete replacement of methane from a reservoir decreases with increasing permeability of the porous medium and the pressure of the injected gas.     

Injection of A Hydrate-Forming Gas into A Snow Layer Saturated with the Same Gas

The problem of injection of a hydrate-forming gas (methane) into a snow layer whose pores are initially saturated with the same gas is solved. Self-similar solutions describing the temperature and pressure fields and the snow, hydrate, and gas distributions in the layer are constructed. It is shown that, depending on the initial thermobaric state of the snow–methane system and the rate of gas injection, three characteristic zones can be distinguished in the filtration region: a near zone, in which snow is completely converted into hydrate and, consequently, the hydrate layer is saturated with gas; an intermediate zone, in which gas, snow, and hydrate are in phase equilibrium; far zone filled with gas and snow. It is shown that the length of the heated zone decreases with increasing initial snow content in the layer and with decreasing injected gas pressure. It is also shown that the length of the region of hydrate formation increases with increasing permeability. It is noted that the heating of the intermediate zone occurs more rapidly.     

Thermodynamic Conditions of Formation of CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> Hydrate in Carbon Dioxide Injection into a Methane Hydrate Reservoir

The mechanism of replacement of methane by carbon dioxide in the hydrate in the process of CO₂ injection into a reservoir with formation of fronts of methane hydrate dissociation and carbon dioxide hydrate generation is investigated. It is found that such a replacement regime can be implemented in both low- and high-permeability reservoirs. It is shown that in the highintensity injection regime the heat flux from the well does not affect propagation of the fronts of methane hydrate dissociation and carbon dioxide hydrate generation. In this case the replacement regime is maintained by only the heat released at formation of carbon dioxide hydrate. An increase in the injection pressure may lead to suppression of methane hydrate dissociation and termination of the replacement reaction. The critical diagrams of existence of the regime of conversion of methane hydrate to carbon dioxide hydrate are constructed.     

Injection of liquid carbon dioxide into a reservoir partially saturated with methane hydrate

A mathematical model is proposed to describe methane–carbon dioxide replacement in gas hydrate by injecting liquid carbon dioxide into a porous medium initially saturated with methane and its hydrate. Self-similar solutions of the axisymmetric problems are constructed that describe the distribution of the main parameters of the reservoir. It is shown that there exist solutions according to which the process can occur both with and without boiling of carbon dioxide. Diagrams of the existence of each type of solution are constructed.     

The simulation of gas production from oceanic gas hydrate reservoir by the combination of ocean surface warm water flooding with depressurization

A new method is proposed to produce gas from oceanic gas hydrate reservoir by combining the ocean surface warm water flooding with depressurization which can efficiently utilize the synthetic effects of thermal, salt and depressurization on gas hydrate dissociation. The method has the advantage of high efficiency, low cost and enhanced safety. Based on the proposed conceptual method, the physical and mathematical models are established, in which the effects of the flow of multiphase fluid, the kinetic process of hydrate dissociation, the endothermic process of hydrate dissociation, ice-water phase equilibrium, salt inhibition, dispersion, convection and conduction on the hydrate dissociation and gas and water production are considered. The gas and water rates, formation pressure for the combination method are compared with that of the single depressurization, which is referred to the method in which only depressurization is used. The results show that the combination method can remedy the deficiency of individual producing methods. It has the advantage of longer stable period of high gas rate than the single depressurization. It can also reduce the geologic hazard caused by the formation deformation due to the maintaining of the formation pressure by injected ocean warm water.     

Processes of hydrate formation and dissolution behind a shock wave in a liquid containing gas bubbles (mixture of nitrogen and carbon dioxide)

The processes of dissolution and hydrate formation behind a moderate-amplitude shock wave in water containing gas bubbles (mixture of nitrogen and carbon dioxide) are studied in experiments with different initial static pressures in the medium and concentrations of carbon dioxide in bubbles. An increase in static pressure in the gas-liquid medium is demonstrated to enhance the influence of the non-reacting gas (nitrogen) on the processes of dissolution and hydrate formation. __________ Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika i Tekhnicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 50, No. 2, pp. 178–187, March–April, 2009.     

Formation of the impermeable layer in the process of methane hydrate dissociation in porous media

The problem of decomposition of methane hydrate coexisting with water in a highpermeability reservoir is considered. The asymptotic solution is obtained for the decomposition regime in the negative temperature domain. Energy estimates presented show that an impermeable layer saturated with a hydrate-icemixture can be formed in reservoirs with initial positive temperature. The mathematical model of the process of hydrate decomposition is formulated under the assumption on the presence of such a layer in a high-permeability reservoir. In this case the problem is reduced to a purely thermal problem with two unknown moving boundaries. The water-ice phase transition takes place on the leading boundary, while hydrate dissociates at negative temperatures on the slower boundary. The conditions of existence of the layer saturated with a hydrate-ice mixture which is implemented in reservoirs with the high hydrate content are investigated.     

Numerical investigation of the decomposition of gas hydrates coexisting with gas in natural reservoirs

The problem of methane hydrate decomposition in a reservoir saturated with a gas and hydrate mixture is investigated numerically. The results of the numerical simulation and an analytic solution obtained in the linear approximation are compared. It is shown that for high-permeability rocks the convective heat transfer in the near-well space of the reservoir predominates over the conductive transfer. This makes the use of intra-well heaters ineffective. It is found that an increase in the reservoir and well pressures and a decrease in the permeability suppress the formation of an extended hydrate dissociation region. Critical diagrams of existence of the frontal decomposition regime are constructed.     

水合物沉积物力学性质的研究现状

天然气水合物(简称水合物)是一些具有相对较低分子质量的气体如甲烷,二氧化碳、氮气等在一定温度和压力条件下与水形成的内含笼形孔隙的冰状晶体.天然气水合物沉积物(简称水合物沉积物)是指蕴含水合物的砂、黏土以及混和土等土质的沉积物质.主要从现场调查、室内试验和理论模型分析3个方面对甲烷水合物沉积物力学性质的研究现状做了介绍.在现场调查方面着重介绍水合物沉积物原位和调查船上的物性试验,并对原位带孔压测量的圆锥静力触探试验在水合物沉积物力学性质现场调查中的应用前景进行了阐述;在室内试验方面主要介绍了原状和人工合成的水合物沉积物的三轴试验结果,测定弹性参数的声波测试试验结果,天然气和水的含量及沉积物特性对水合物沉积物强度影响的试验结果,以及与水合物开采有关的水合物分解对水合物沉积物强度影响的室内试验和结果;在理论模型方面着重介绍了目前经常采用的几个模型的特点及应用范围.最后提出了今后在水合物沉积物力学性质研究方面应开展的工作重点及发展方向.      

Formation of hydrate in injection of liquid carbon dioxide into a reservoir saturated with methane andwater

Injection of liquid carbon dioxide into a depleted natural gas field is investigated. A mathematical model of the process which takes into account forming CO₂ hydrate and methane displacement is suggested. An asymptotic solution of the problem is found in the one-dimensional approximation. It is shown that three injection regimes can exist depending on the parameters. In the case of weak injection, liquid carbon dioxide boils up with formation of carbon-dioxide gas. The intense regime is characterized by formation of CO₂ hydrate or a mixture of CO₂ and CH₄ hydrates. Critical diagrams of the process which determine the parameter ranges of the corresponding regimes are plotted.     

激波冲击SF6重气泡引发射流的数值模拟

为深入研究重气泡内激波聚焦和射流生成的机理,采用高精度计算格式和高网格分辨率对马赫数为1.23的平面入射激波与SF₆重气泡的作用过程进行数值模拟,计算结果与文献中实验吻合较好。结果显示:入射激波在重气泡内首先在流向上汇聚形成上、下对称的高压区,随后,这对高压区在SF₆重气泡中心对称轴处再次碰撞,完成激波聚焦过程,并在气泡下游界面附近形成远大于初始压力和密度的局部高压高密度区,体现出SF₆重气泡极强的聚能效应;激波聚焦还引起气泡下游界面附近的涡量变化,涡对的旋转能够加速射流形成与发展。因此,SF₆重气泡下游界面附近的高压区和涡量分布对形成射流结构均有促进作用。     

CH4/CO2混合气体爆燃特性研究进展

掌握甲烷与二氧化碳混合气体的爆燃特性对高含二氧化碳天然气的勘探、开发和利用具有安全保 障作用,对涉及甲烷和二氧化碳的其他工业过程如煤炭气化、惰化、抑爆、泄爆等应急处置和安防设计具有指 导价值。为推动相关学科的进步,分类回顾了甲烷与二氧化碳混合气体爆燃特性的实验和理论研究进展,涉 及爆燃范围、爆燃压强、惰化等爆燃特性的实验研究以及爆燃范围领域的理论研究,系统分析和评价了各个研 究领域取得的成果、存在的问题,并从提高实验数据的完整性、可比性和适用面,理论预测方法可靠性的评价 方法与指标,理论预测方法的适用面从常温常压条件向更复杂的情形扩展3个方面展望了未来的研究重点。     

Mathematical model of hydrate formation from microbial methane in marine sediments

A mathematical model of gas hydrate formation from microbial methane in marine sediments is proposed. An analytical solution of the problem is obtained, determining dimensionless parameters are distinguished, and numerical investigation is performed. In the region of main parameters a critical diagram of hydrate existence is plotted. It is shown that at small sediment accumulation rates microbial methane disperses due to diffusion of dissolved gas which does not reach saturation. If the sediment accumulation is intense, the region of possible hydrate formation falls within the region of stable thermodynamic states only at large depths. Correspondingly, in these cases, the probability of formation of hydrate-containing sediment layers is small. The most probable hydrate formation regime is realized at moderate sediment accumulation rates corresponding to Péclet numbers of the order of unity.     

The Experimental and Numerical Studies on Gas Production from Hydrate Reservoir by Depressurization

A set of experimental system to study hydrate dissociation in porous media is built and some experiments on hydrate dissociation by depressurization are carried out. A mathematical model is developed to simulate the hydrate dissociation by depressurization in hydrate-bearing porous media. The model can be used to analyze the effects of the flow of multiphase fluids, the kinetic process and endothermic process of hydrate dissociation, ice-water phase equilibrium, the variation of permeability, convection and conduction on the hydrate dissociation, and gas and water productions. The numerical results agree well with the experimental results, which validate our mathematical model. For a 3-D hydrate reservoir of Class 3, the evolutions of pressure, temperature, and saturations are elucidated and the effects of some main parameters on gas and water rates are analyzed. Numerical results show that gas can be produced effectively from hydrate reservoir in the first stage of depressurization. Then, methods such as thermal stimulation or inhibitor injection should be considered due to the energy deficiency of formation energy. The numerical results for 3-D hydrate reservoir of Class 1 show that the overlying gas hydrate zone can apparently enhance gas rate and prolong life span of gas reservoir.     

Effect of decomposition of a gas hydrate on the gas recovery from a reservoir containing hydrate and gas in the free state

The problem of gas recovery in the process of methane hydrate dissociation in a reservoir saturated with gas-hydrate mixture is considered. The mathematical model of hydrate decomposition into gas and water is generalized to include the negative temperature interval and takes ice formation into account. The solution of the problem is represented in the self-similar approximation. It is shown that there exists a transition hydrate decomposition regime in which water and ice are formed simultaneously. A comparative analysis of the recovery is carried out on the basis of relations derived for the masses of recovered gas in different hydrate dissociation regimes. It is shown that an anomalous increase in the recovered gas volumes is observed in the transition hydrate dissociation regime.__________Translated from Izvestiya Rossiiskoi Academii Nauk, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No. 1, 2005, pp. 132–142. Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Tsypkin.     

天然气水合物降压开采沉积物压缩效应数值模拟研究

深海天然气水合物降压开采过程中,沉积物的压缩会改变储层的物理力学特性,进而对天然气的开采效果产生显著影响.为揭示沉积物压缩效应下井周围储层物理力学特性演化规律,本文建立了考虑沉积物压缩效应的理论模型,通过COMSOL模拟研究了不同初始固有渗透率、初始水合物饱和度和井底压力条件下的降压开采中生产井周围储层的物理力学特性演化规律以及开采效果.结果表明:受沉积物压缩的影响,水合物分解区的渗透率随着与井筒距离的增加先增加后减少;产气与产水速率由零立即上升至峰值,然后迅速下降,并且考虑沉积物压缩时的产气与产水速率比不考虑时低;在水合物完全分解区,渗透率的大小与有效应力成负相关关系,未分解区渗透率的大小与水合物饱和度成负相关关系;井底压力越小,有效应力越大,生产井周围储层的渗透率下降越明显;初始水合物饱和度对产气与产水的影响存在拐点,饱和度拐点位于0.25与0.35之间,高水合物饱和度并不代表储层开采效果好,产气速率的高低还与储层的渗透率有关,高水合物饱和度储层的渗透率较低,产气速率较低;储层初始固有渗透率较高时显著促进了开采效果,但储层变形量较大增加了储层的不稳定性.     

Front Regime of Heat and Mass Transfer in a Gas Hydrate Reservoir under the Negative Temperature Conditions

The analytical self-similar solution to the nonlinear problem of the front regime of heatand- mass transfer in a gas hydrate reservoir under the negative temperature conditions is obtained. In the initial state the reservoir is assumed to be saturated with a heterogeneous gas hydrate–ice–gas mixture. In particular cases there may be no ice or/and gas. The ice and gas are formed behind the gas hydrate dissociation front. The calculations are presented for a stable hydrate–gas system. The critical curves are constructed in the well-pressure–reservoir-permeability plane. These curves separate the domains of the front regime and the regime of volume gas hydrate dissociation ahead of the front. The velocity of the gas hydrate dissociation front is investigated as a function of various problem parameters. The characteristic temperature and pressure distributions corresponding to various regimes on the diagram are investigated.     

Four-Component Gas/Water/Oil Displacements in One Dimension: Part III,Development of Miscibility

The structure of the system of conservation laws in fully compositional three-phase, four-component flow is examined for the first time. Two of the eigenvalues can be found analytically for this flow regime, regardless of the equation of state used to model the phase behavior. A cubic equation of state is used to calculate the gas/oil phase behavior and Henry’s law is used to represent the partitioning of hydrocarbons between the hydrocarbon and water phases. Sample analytical solutions are found for Riemann problems modeling the injection of carbon-dioxide and water into an oil reservoir. Finally, the structure of the solutions at the minimum miscibility pressure (MMP) for the hydrocarbon system is studied. We show that when water is injected simultaneously with gas at the MMP, multicontact miscible displacement of the oil by the injected gas develops only if the fraction of water in the injected fluid is below a critical value. For water fractions above the critical value, water flowing at a high velocity forces the composition path of the solution to remain in the three-phase region in which two hydrocarbon phases are present. We study both condensing and vaporizing gas drives to demonstrate that this result is general.     

Analytical solution of the nonlinear problem of gas hydrate dissociation in a formation

The problem of methane hydrate dissociation in a formation at high pressure gradients, when the flow in the near-well region is described by a nonlinear equation, is considered. In the quasistationary approximation, an analytical solution of the problem representable in the form of an implicit function is obtained. It is shown that during dissociation at high pressure gradients ice may be formed at fairly high initial temperatures. A critical diagram of hydrate dissociation regimes is plotted.