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.     

Mathematical model of the dissociation of gas hydrates coexisting with ice in natural reservoirs

The dissociation of gas hydrate coexisting with ice in a low-temperature natural reservoir is investigated. A mathematical model of the process consisting of a generalization of the Stefan problem and containing two unknown moving phase transition boundaries — the hydrate dissociation and ice melting fronts — is constructed. It is shown that in high-permeability reservoirs the velocity of the dissociation surface is higher than that of the ice melting surface. As the permeability decreases, the fronts change places. The problem is solved in the self-similar approximation.Translated from Izvestiya Rossiiskoi Akademii Nauk, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No.2, pp. 84–92, March–April, 1993.     

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.     

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.     

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.     

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.     

Mathematical modeling of gas desorption from a gas hydrate

In gas-gashydrate reservoirs the gas is in the free and bound states. The amount of gas bound in the hydrate depends on the thermodynamic conditions. Therefore, when these conditions are varied it is possible for gas to be released from the hydrate in the desorption regime up to total dissociation of the hydrate into gas and water. Below, the problem of extraction of free and bound gas in the desorption regime is considered.Ufa. Translated from Izvestiya Rossiiskoi Akademii Nauk, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No. 5, pp. 118–125, September–October, 1996.     

Injection of carbon dioxide into a reservoir saturated with methane and water

This paper presents a mathematical model for the injection of carbon dioxide into a natural gas reservoir saturated with methane and water accompanied by the formation of carbon dioxide hydrate in an extended region. The dependence of the coordinates of the boundaries of the region of phase transitions on the pressure of the injected gas and the initial parameters of the reservoir are investigated. It is established that the velocity of the near boundary of the region of hydrate formation decreases with increasing water saturation and initial temperature of the reservoir and the velocity of the far boundary of the region of phase transitions increases with increasing pressure of the injected gas and reservoir permeability. It is shown that at high initial temperatures of the reservoir, a regime is possible in which replacement of methane by carbon dioxide without hydrate formation occurs at the far interface, and at the near interface, water is completely incorporated into gas hydrate.     

Mathematical model of axisymmetric quasi-steady-state heat and mass transfer in a gas hydrate reservoir

Two problems of axisymmetric gas (gas and water) flow through a reservoir which contains a heterogeneous mixture, namely, gas hydrate, ice (water), and gas, are considered. The exact solutions to the corresponding steady-state and quasi-steady-state nonlinear problems are found. The critical diagrams are constructed for various flow regimes. The characteristic distributions of the gas hydrate, ice (water), and gas saturations are shown for various values of the parameters.     

Combustion of a Powder Layer of Methane Hydrate: The Influence of Layer Height and Air Velocity Above the Layer

The paper studies the dissociation and combustion of a layer of methane hydrate powder at a forced air flow over the upper surface of the layer (the air velocity is directed parallel to the upper surface of the layer). The influence of the layer thickness and air velocity on the combustion of gas hydrate is investigated. The calculated curves for the effect of the heat transfer coefficient, external convection and vapor concentration on the combustion temperature are obtained. The layer thickness and the air velocity significantly affect the dissociation rate of methane hydrate.

     

降压开采模拟试验的水合物分解阵面演化过程

水合物分解阵面演化过程与开采安全性和产气效率密切相关,是开采原位监测的重要组成部分。在玻璃砂样品中进行了甲烷水合物降压开采模拟试验,探讨了水合物饱和度对渗流阵面和水合物分解阵面演化过程的影响,结合已有理论模型,分析了水合物分解阵面传播速度的关键影响因素。结果表明:渗流阵面和水合物分解阵面的传播距离均与时间平方根呈近似线性关系,传播速度均随水合物饱和度的增加而减小;水合物分解阵面的传播速度随多孔介质的有效渗透率和降压幅度的增加而变快,随孔隙率的增加而变慢,粗砂质地层更有利于水合物降压分解阵面的传播。     

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.     

1-D Modeling of Hydrate Depressurization in Porous Media

A thermal, three-phase, one-dimensional numerical model is developed to simulate two regimes of gas production from sediments containing methane hydrates by depressurization: the dissociation-controlled regime and the flow-controlled regime. A parameter namely dissociation-flow time-scale ratio, R, is defined and employed to identify the two regimes. The numerical model uses a finite-difference scheme; it is implicit in water and gas saturations, pressure and temperature, and explicit in hydrate saturation. The model shows that laboratory-scale experiments are often dissociation-controlled, but the field-scale processes are typically flow-controlled. Gas production from a linear reservoir is more sensitive to the heat transfer coefficient with the surrounding than the longitudinal heat conduction coefficient, in 1-D simulations. Gas production is not very sensitive to the well temperature boundary condition. This model can be used to fit laboratory-scale experimental data, but the dissociation rate constant, the multiphase flow parameters and the heat transfer parameters are uncertain and should be measured experimentally.     

一种新的海洋浅层水合物开采法——机械-热联合法

天然气水合物是国家的战略能源之一.天然气水合物分解相变使其开采难度高于常规化石能源.国际天然气水合物试验性开采表明通过降压、注热等方法难以满足商业化开采的需求,尤其在水合物位于浅层、软土情况下,持续稳定且高效率的热量供给是其瓶颈.天然气水合物机械-热联合开采是一种新概念模式,即通过粉碎水合物沉积物通过管道输运并在内部分解,这样既增加了传热的表面积,又利用海水热量和对流传热提高了能量供给效率.分析表明:利用该方法开采时水温过高会导致水合物分解过快而产生不稳定流,温度过低又导致水合物二次生成或结冰;水流流速既要能使被粉碎的水合物沉积物颗粒悬浮和流动,又不能导致流动失稳.为了实现高效安全的机械-热水合物开采,经过初步分析提出原位水合物地层粉碎的颗粒直径设定在0.1~1.0 cm之间,控制水流速度为0.22~0.67m/s,温差保证在5K以上,混合物中水的体积分数大于0.85.      

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.     

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.     

Mechanical properties of gas hydrate-bearing sediments during hydrate dissociation

The changes in the mechanical properties of gas hydrate-bearing sediments(GHBS) induced by gas hydrate(GH) dissociation are essential to the evaluation of GH exploration and stratum instabilities. Previous studies present substantial mechanical data and constitutive models for GHBS at a given GH saturation under the non-dissociated condition. In this paper, GHBS was formed by the gas saturated method, GH was dissociated by depressurization until the GH saturation reached different dissociation degrees. The stress–strain curves were measured using triaxial tests at a same pore gas pressure and different confining pressures. The results show that the shear strength decreases progressively by 30%–90% of the initial value with GH dissociation, and the modulus decreases by 50% –75%. Simplified relationships for the modulus, cohesion, and internal friction angle with GH dissociated saturation were presented.     

Fluid-solid coupling model for studying wellbore instability in drilling of gas hydrate bearing sediments

As the oil or gas exploration and development activities in deep and ultra- deep waters become more and more, encountering gas hydrate bearing sediments （HBS） is almost inevitable. The variation in temperature and pressure can destabilize gas hydrate in nearby formation around the borehole, which may reduce the strength of the formation and result in wellbore instability. A non-isothermal, transient, two-phase, and fluid-solid coupling mathematical model is proposed to simulate the complex stability performance of a wellbore drilled in HBS. In the model, the phase transition of hydrate dissociation, the heat exchange between drilling fluid and formation, the change of mechanical and petrophysical properties, the gas-water two-phase seepage, and its interaction with rock deformation are considered. A finite element simulator is developed, and the impact of drilling mud on wellbore instability in HBS is simulated. Results indicate that the re- duction in pressure and the increase in temperature of the drilling fluid can accelerate hydrate decomposition and lead to mechanical properties getting worse tremendously. The cohesion decreases by 25% when the hydrate totally dissociates in HBS. This easily causes the wellbore instability accordingly. In the first two hours after the formation is drilled, the regions of hydrate dissociation and wellbore instability extend quickly. Then, with the soaking time of drilling fluid increasing, the regions enlarge little. Choosing the low temperature drilling fluid and increasing the drilling mud pressure appropriately can benefit the wellbore stability of HBS. The established model turns out to be an efficient tool in numerical studies of the hydrate dissociation behavior and wellbore stability of HBS.     

Decomposition of gas hydrates in low-temperature reservoirs

The process of dissociation of gas hydrates coexisting with gas and ice in low-temperature reservoirs is considered. A qualitative analysis of the phase transitions which enables possible configurations of the solutions to be predicted is carried out on the basis of the phase diagram for methane hydrate. Mathematical models of hydrate decomposition in reservoirs which take into account the formation of an extended dissociation zone and the presence of two phase transition fronts are proposed. Moscow. Translated from Izvestiya Rossiiskoi Akademii Nauk, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No. 1, pp. 101–111, January–February, 1998. The work was carried out with financial support from the Russian Foundation for Fundamental Research (project No. 96-01-00521).     

南海水合物黏土沉积物力学特性试验模拟研究

利用自行研制的含水合物沉积物合成、分解与力学性质测量一体化试验设备,以南海水合物区域的海底粉质黏土作为骨架,制备含水合物沉积物样品,并对其进行了三轴压缩试验研究,获得了水合物分解前后的应力应变曲线和抗剪强度特性. 结果表明:在水合物饱和度0%~45% 的范围内,水合物沉积物的应力应变曲线均表现为弹塑性变形,存在明显的应变硬化现象;抗剪强度、内摩擦角和黏聚力随水合物饱和度的增加而增加. 相对而言,内摩擦角随饱和度增加幅度较小,其他参数在水合物饱和度超过25% 时,呈陡然增高趋势;水合物分解后导致抗剪强度最大可降低为初始的1/4,不同初始饱和度条件下水合物完全分解后沉积物的抗剪强度基本相等,并大于同等围压条件下初始不含水合物的沉积物抗剪强度.