Experimental Investigation of Gas Flow and Hydrate Formation Within the Hydrate Stability Zone

Meyer, Dylan W.; Flemings, Peter B.; DiCarlo, David; You, Kehua; Phillips, Stephen C.; Kneafsey, Timothy J.

doi:10.1029/2018JB015748

Title: Experimental Investigation of Gas Flow and Hydrate Formation Within the Hydrate Stability Zone

Journal Article · 01 July 2018 · Journal of Geophysical Research. Solid Earth

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JB015748 · OSTI ID:1477334

^[1]; Flemings, Peter B. ^[1];

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The Univ. of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX (United States)
Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin TX USA
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Advanced Light Source (ALS)

Here, we form methane hydrate by injecting methane gas into a brine-saturated, coarse-grained sample under hydrate-stable thermodynamic conditions. Hydrate forms to a saturation of 11%, which is much lower than that predicted assuming three-phase (gas-hydrate-brine) thermodynamic equilibrium (67%). During hydrate formation, there are temporary flow blockages. We interpret that a hydrate skin forms a physical barrier at the gas-brine interface. The skin fails periodically when the pressure differential exceeds the skin strength. Once the skin is present, further hydrate formation is limited by the rate that methane can diffuse through the solid skin. This process produces distinct thermodynamic states on either side of the skin that allows gas to flow through the sample. This study illuminates how gas can be transported through the hydrate stability zone and thus provides a mechanism for the formation of concentrated hydrate deposits in sand reservoirs. It also illustrates that models that assume local equilibrium at the core-scale and larger may not capture the fundamental behaviors of these gas flow and hydrate formation processes.

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Research Organization:: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Fossil Energy (FE)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC02-05CH11231

OSTI ID:: 1477334

Journal Information:: Journal of Geophysical Research. Solid Earth, Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research. Solid Earth Journal Issue: 7 Vol. 123; ISSN 2169-9313

Publisher:: American Geophysical UnionCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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