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.     

Breakdown of under-water gas hydrate deposits

At the floor and upper sediment layers of the submarine volcano Håkon Mosby gas (methane) hydrate deposits have been discovered. Measurements of the water-dissolved methane concentration at different depths near the volcano have shown that its level is higher than the average level in the Ocean. In order to understand the effects observed in concentration distribution, a model is proposed for describing the propagation of methane formed as a result of decomposition of depth and floor hydrate over the hydrosphere. Within the framework of physical modeling the kinetics of methane dissolution and its distribution in the hydrosphere are traced numerically with account for transfer anisotropy in different directions and undercurrents. The dissolution rate and the mass transfer directions are determined and the concentration fields in the floor layers are calculated. It is shown that methane is rapidly dispersed in the hydrosphere and, thus, significant volumes with high methane concentration cannot be formed. Practical recommendations are given for hunting hydrate deposits in water areas. The model proposed is applicable to describing the propagation of any admixture in different anisotropic media.     

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.     

Simulation of the formation of hydrates during gas flow in tubes

Problems of the freezing and decomposition of gaseous hydrates on gas pipeline walls are considered. This process is governed by heat transfer between the gas and surrounding rocks. Simultaneous study of the transport equations in the tube and the heat conduction equations in the hydrate and surrounding rocks makes it possible to follow the variation of the thickness of the hydrate layer in time and with respect to the coordinate. It is shown that there exist gas flow regimes in which there is self-purification of the tube wall of hydrate due to heating of the surrounding rocks. On the other hand, it is possible to have regimes in which there is complete blocking of the flow section by the hydrates.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No. 5, pp. 105–112, September–October, 1982.     

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.     

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.     

Self-similar problem of decomposition of gas hydrates in a porous medium upon depression and heating

We consider the specifics of decomposition of gas hydrates under thermal and depressive action on a porous medium completely filled with a solid hydrate in the initial condition. The existence of volumetric-expansion zones, in which the hydrate coexists in equilibrium with water and gas, is shown to be possible in high-permeable porous media. The self-similar problems of hydrate decomposition upon depression and heating are studied. Ii is shown that there are solutions according to which hydrate decomposition can occur both on the surface of phase transitions and in the volumetric region. We note that, in the first case, decomposition is possible without heat supply to a medium and even with heat removal. Institute of Mechanics of Multiphase Systems, Siberian Division, Russian Academy of Sciences, Tyumen' 625000. Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika i Tekhnicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 39, No. 3, pp. 111–118, May–June, 1998.     

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.     

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.     

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.     

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.     

Theoretical study of the limiting regimes of hydrate formation during contact of gas and water

This paper presents a mathematical model and analytical solutions of the problem of the growth of a hydrate layer during contact of gas and water for two limiting regimes of gas hydrate formation determined by mass transfer and heat transfer. Critical values are obtained for thermal parameters and parameters that determine the flow properties of the hydrate layer (diffusion coefficient and permeability), on which the hydrate formation regime depends.     

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).     

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.     

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.     

Formation of a gas hydrate due to injection of a cold gas into a porous reservoir partly saturated by water

Specific features of formation of gas hydrates due to injection of a gas into a porous medium initially filled by a gas and water are considered. Self-similar solutions of an axisymmetric problem, which describe the distributions of the basic parameters in the reservoir, are constructed. The existence of solutions is demonstrated, which predict gas hydrate formation both on the frontal surface and in the volume zone. __________ Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika i Tekhnicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 49, No. 3, pp. 137–150, May–June, 2008.     

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.     

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.     

Heat transfer during gas hydrate formation in gas-liquid slug flow

A model of heat transfer during gas hydrate formation at a gas-liquid interface in gas-liquid slug flow is suggested. Under the assumption of perfect mixing in liquid plugs, the recurrent relations for temperature in then-th liquid plug and heat and mass fluxes from then-th gas slug are derived. Total mass and heat fluxes in gas-liquid slug flow during gas hydrate formation are determined.