Impact of clays on the compressibility and permeability of sands during methane extraction from gas hydrate
- Chungbuk National University (South Carolina); Louisiana State Univ., Baton Rouge, LA (United States)
The quantity of methane potentially recoverable from gas hydrate is large enough to motivate federally-supported production tests in several countries, which in turn motivates studies of reservoir production efficiency. Evaluating long-term production well viability involves modeling permeability evolution in the reservoir sediments around the production well because processes reducing the flow of gas into the production well also reduce the long-term economic viability of the well. Fine particles, such as clays, exist nearly ubiquitously in the permafrost and marine settings that typically host gas hydrate, and fines reacting to fluid flow by migrating and clogging pore throats can reduce flow toward the production well. Many fines are sensitive to variations in pore-fluid chemistry, swelling in reaction to in situ pore brine being displaced by fresh water liberated from hydrates during dissociation. Additionally, fine particles tend to collect at gas/water interfaces created by the multiphase flow of gas and water. Thus, as methane and fresh water flow from the hydrate-dissociation front toward the production well, fine particles in the reservoir sands, interbedded fine-grained layers and seal layers can be swelled, migrated (or both), potentially clogging pathways and limiting flow to the production well.
- Research Organization:
- Louisiana State Univ., Baton Rouge, LA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Fossil Energy (FE)
- DOE Contract Number:
- FE0028966
- OSTI ID:
- 1807766
- Report Number(s):
- DOE-LSU-28966-1
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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