Abstract
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.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ahmadi G., Ji C., Duane H.S.: Numerical solution for natural gas production from methane hydrate dissociation. J. Pet. Sci. Eng. 41, 169–185 (2004). doi:10.1016/j.profnurs.2003.09.004
Bai Y.H., Li Q.P., Yu X.C., Feng G.Z.: Numerical study on the dissociation of gas hydrate and its sensitivity to physical parameters. China Ocean. Eng. 21(4), 625–636 (2007)
Burshears M., Obrien T.J., Malone R.D.: A multi-phase, multi-dimensional, variable composition simulation of gas production from a conventional gas reservoir in contact with hydrates. SPE 15246, 449–453 (1986)
Civan F.C.: Scale effect on porosity and permeability: kinetics, model and correlation. AIChE J. 47(2), 271–287 (2001). doi:10.1002/aic.690470206
Holder G.D., Patrick F.A.: Simulation of gas production from a reservoir containing both gas hydrate and free natural gas. SPE 11105, 1–4 (1982)
Ji C., Ahmadi G., Smith D.H.: Constant rate natural gas production from a well in a hydrate reservoir. Energy. Convers. Manage 44, 2403–2423c (2003). doi:10.1016/S0196-8904(03)00010-4
Kamath, V.: Study of heat transfer characteristics during dissociation of gas hydrate in porous media. Ph.D thesis, University of pittsburgh, Pittsburgh (1983)
Kim H.C., Bishnoi P.R., Heidemann R.A., Rizvi S.S.H.: Kinetics of methane hydrate dissociation. Chem. Eng. Sci. 42(7), 1645–1653 (1987). doi:10.1016/0009-2509(87)80169-0
Kvenvolden K.A.: A primer on the geological occurrence of gas hydrate. Geol. Soc. London Spec. Publ. 137, 9–30 (1998)
Lake L.W.: Enhanced Oil Recovery. Prentice-Hall Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ (1989)
Makogon Y.F.: Hydrate of Hydrocarbons. PennWell Publishing Co., Tulsa, Oklahomac (1997)
Moridis G.J.: Numerical studies of gas production from methane hydrates. SPE 87330, 1–11 (2002)
Moridis, G.J., Timothy, S.C.: Strategies for gas production from hydrate accumulations under various geological and reservoir conditions. Proceedings, TOUGH Symposium 2003, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, May 12–14 (2003)
Nazridoust K., Ahmadi G.: Computational modeling of methane hydrate dissociation in a sandstone core. Chem. Eng. Sci. 62, 6155–6177 (2007). doi:10.1016/j.ces.2007.06.038
Sloan E.D.: Clathrate hydrates of natural gases, Second edition. Marcel Deckker Inc., New York (1998)
Sun X., Nanchary N., Mohanty K.K.: 1-D modeling of hydrate depressurization in porous media. Transp. Porous Media 58, 315–338 (2005). doi:10.1007/s11242-004-1410-x
Sun X.F., Kishore K.M.: Kinetic simulation of methane hydrate formation and dissociation in porous media. Chem. Eng. Sci. 61, 3476–3495 (2006). doi:10.1016/j.ces.2005.12.017
Tang L.G., Li X.S., Feng Z.P. et al.: Control mechanisms for gas hydrate production by depressurization in different scale hydrate reservoirs. Energy Fuels 21(1), 227–233 (2007). doi:10.1021/ef0601869
Tsypkin G.G.: Regimes of dissociation of gas hydrates coexist with a gas in natural strata. J. Eng. Phys. Thermophys. 74(5), 1083–1089 (2001). doi:10.1023/A:1012999310268
Wu, S.G., Yao, B.C.: Geologic structure and resource evaluation of gas hydrate. Beijing: Science Press (2008). (in Chinese)
Yousif M.H., Abass H.H., Selim M.S., Sloan E.D.: Experimental and theoretical investigation of methane-gas-hydrate dissociation in porous media. SPE 18320, 69–76 (1991)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bai, Y., Li, Q., Zhao, Y. et al. The Experimental and Numerical Studies on Gas Production from Hydrate Reservoir by Depressurization. Transp Porous Med 79, 443–468 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11242-009-9333-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11242-009-9333-1