Skip to main content
OSTI.GOVU.S. Department of Energy Office of Scientific and Technical Information
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information
 

3-D Geological Modeling for Numerical Flow Simulation Studies of Gas Hydrate Reservoirs at the Kuparuk State 7-11-12 Pad in the Prudhoe Bay Unit on the Alaska North Slope

Journal Article · · Energy and Fuels
 [1];  [1];  [2];  [2];  [2];  [3];  [4]
  1. Japan Oil Engineering Co., Ltd., Tokyo (Japan)
  2. Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security (Japan)
  3. US Geological Survey, Denver, CO (United States)
  4. National Energy Technology Lab. (NETL), Pittsburgh, PA (United States)
+ Show Author Affiliations
Accurate reservoir evaluation requires reliable three-dimensional (3-D) geological models. Here, this study conducted 3-D geological modeling for numerical flow simulation of the B1 sand gas hydrate reservoir at the Kuparuk State 7-11-12 pad, Prudhoe Bay Unit, Alaska North Slope. The model integrates well logs, core, and seismic data to address spatial heterogeneity in geological structures and reservoir properties. Two modeling types were performed: structural framework modeling and petrophysical property modeling. For structural framework modeling, seismic data and well log markers were used to reproduce subsurface structures characterized by a normal fault system. A volume-based modeling algorithm and stair-stepping grid were applied. The resulting 3-D model comprised 2,640,000 grid cells across 264 layers, including seven fault grids. For petrophysical property modeling, total porosity was initially modeled using sequential Gaussian simulation with collocated cokriging. To reproduce the upward coarsening of the B1 sand, upscaled log-derived total porosity and a three-dimensional (3-D) trend depicting total porosity variation were used as primary and secondary data, respectively. Gas hydrate saturation distribution was modeled similarly, with secondary data from estimated porosity distribution and seismic-derived acoustic impedance map enhancing accuracy. Results indicate higher gas hydrate saturation in the upper part of the B1 sand and areas with higher acoustic impedance. Intrinsic permeability was modeled from the total porosity and clay-bound water volume, and effective permeability was derived from the gas hydrate saturation and intrinsic permeability distributions based on the “Tokyo model”. Effective permeability distributions were influenced by the total porosity, gas hydrate saturation, and intrinsic permeability. Within the same layer, higher gas hydrate saturation leads to decreased effective permeability. In total, 100 sets of multiple scenarios were prepared, providing input data for dynamic flow simulations to evaluate the effects of lateral heterogeneity in reservoir properties and the hydraulic characteristics of faults on production behavior for preassessment before the long-term production test.
Research Organization:
National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), Pittsburgh, PA, Morgantown, WV, and Albany, OR (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM)
OSTI ID:
2447061
Report Number(s):
DOE/NETL-2024/4453
Journal Information:
Energy and Fuels, Journal Name: Energy and Fuels Journal Issue: 16 Vol. 38; ISSN 0887-0624
Publisher:
American Chemical Society (ACS)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (41)

Evidence for biodegradation and evaporative fractionation in West Sak, Kuparuk and Prudhoe Bay field areas, North Slope, Alaska journal March 2001
Numerical simulations of depressurization-induced gas production from gas hydrates using 3-D heterogeneous models of L-Pad, Prudhoe Bay Unit, North Slope Alaska journal September 2016
Permafrost-associated natural gas hydrate occurrences on the Alaska North Slope journal February 2011
Geologic controls on gas hydrate occurrence in the Mount Elbert prospect, Alaska North Slope journal February 2011
Physical properties of sediment from the Mount Elbert Gas Hydrate Stratigraphic Test Well, Alaska North Slope journal February 2011
Regional long-term production modeling from a single well test, Mount Elbert Gas Hydrate Stratigraphic Test Well, Alaska North Slope journal February 2011
Mount Elbert Gas Hydrate Stratigraphic Test Well, Alaska North Slope: Coring operations, core sedimentology, and lithostratigraphy journal February 2011
Mount Elbert Gas Hydrate Stratigraphic Test Well, Alaska North Slope: Overview of scientific and technical program journal February 2011
Gas hydrate saturation from acoustic impedance and resistivity logs in the Shenhu area, South China Sea journal September 2011
Non-Gaussian gas hydrate grade simulation at the Mallik site, Mackenzie Delta, Canada journal August 2012
Permeability variation and anisotropy of gas hydrate-bearing pressure-core sediments recovered from the Krishna–Godavari Basin, offshore India journal October 2019
Multiple physical properties of gas hydrate-bearing sediments recovered from Alaska North Slope 2018 Hydrate-01 Stratigraphic Test Well journal January 2021
Influence of Flow Properties on Gas Productivity in Gas-Hydrate Reservoirs: What Can We Learn from Offshore Production Tests? journal May 2021
Permeability Measurement and Prediction with Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Analysis of Gas Hydrate-Bearing Sediments Recovered from Alaska North Slope 2018 Hydrate-01 Stratigraphic Test Well journal February 2022
Planning and Operations of the Hydrate 01 Stratigraphic Test Well, Prudhoe Bay Unit, Alaska North Slope journal March 2022
Numerical Simulations of Depressurization-Induced Gas Hydrate Reservoir (B1 Sand) Response at the Prudhoe Bay Unit Kuparuk 7-11-12 Pad on the Alaska North Slope journal February 2022
Review of Past Gas Production Attempts from Subsurface Gas Hydrate Deposits and Necessity of Long-Term Production Testing journal April 2022
Scientific Results of the Hydrate-01 Stratigraphic Test Well Program, Western Prudhoe Bay Unit, Alaska North Slope journal April 2022
Sensitivity and Uncertainty Analysis for Natural Gas Hydrate Production Tests in Alaska journal July 2022
Geological Reservoir Characterization of a Gas Hydrate Prospect Associated with the Hydrate-01 Stratigraphic Test Well, Alaska North Slope journal July 2022
The Iġnik Sikumi Field Experiment, Alaska North Slope: Design, Operations, and Implications for CO 2 –CH 4 Exchange in Gas Hydrate Reservoirs journal December 2016
Key Findings of the World’s First Offshore Methane Hydrate Production Test off the Coast of Japan: Toward Future Commercial Production journal February 2017
Measurement of anisotropic hydraulic conductivity in unconsolidated sands: A case study from a shoreface deposit, Oyster, Virginia journal June 1997
Current perspectives on gas hydrate resources journal January 2011
Thermal responses of a gas hydrate-bearing sediment to a depressurization operation journal January 2017
The second offshore production of methane hydrate in the Nankai Trough and gas production behavior from a heterogeneous methane hydrate reservoir journal January 2019
Porosity from seismic data: A geostatistical approach journal October 1988
Prediction and validation of gas hydrate saturation distribution in the eastern Nankai Trough, Japan: Geostatistical approach integrating well-log and 3D seismic data journal February 2016
DAS 3DVSP survey at Stratigraphic Test Well (Hydrate-01) conference November 2021
Clathrate Hydrates of Natural Gases book September 2007
Energy resource potential of natural gas hydrates journal January 2002
What in the Reservoir is Geostatistics Good For? journal April 2006
Advantages of Using Vertical Stair Step Faults in Reservoir Grids for Flow Simulation conference February 2009
The Effect of Reservoir Heterogeneity on Gas Production From Hydrate Accumulations in the Permafrost conference May 2010
Evaluation of Long-Term Gas-Hydrate-Production Testing Locations on the Alaska North Slope journal April 2012
Integrating Seismic Data in Reservoir Modeling: The Collocated Cokriging Alternative conference October 1992
The Electrical Resistivity Log as an Aid in Determining Some Reservoir Characteristics journal December 1942
Faulting: A Major Control on Fluid Flow and Production Performance, Prudhoe Bay Field, Alaska conference May 1993
Characterization and Prediction of the Gas Hydrate Reservoir at the Second Offshore Gas Production Test Site in the Eastern Nankai Trough, Japan journal October 2017
Volume Based Modeling - Automated Construction of Complex Structural Models conference January 2013
SS Gas Hydrate: Prediction of Production Test Performances in Eastern Nankai Trough Methane Hydrate Reservoirs Using 3D Reservoir Model conference May 2010

Similar Records

Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
electrical properties
permeability
porosity
saturation
solvates