Gas hydrates and its production via depressurization
Key words: gas hydrates, solid-ice,
Abstract:
Gas hydrates, the solid-ice like
compounds in which gas molecules are
caged within the lattice structure of ice
crystal. They are stable at high pressure
and low temperature.
The study focuses on gas hydrates and its
production from gas hydrates reservoirs
via depressurization technique as an
effective production strategy.
Depressurization is the most effective and
economic production technique of gas
hydrates among others i.e. thermal
injection and chemical stimulation.
Depressurization method is concern with
reduction of reservoir pressure by
mechanical means which dissociates the
gas hydrates and produces gas. The
numerical studies and field level
verification of depressurization methods
for example gas production test at Mallik
site are discussed. Production test
discussed are Mallik 2007 test, Mallik
2008 test and Nankai offshore production
test.
The study reveals that the
depressurization is more productive and
effective. It can be use as the primary
production method.
Introduction:
Natural gas hydrate, the solid crystalline and
ice like compound which consist of H2O and
gases. In gas hydrates the gas molecules are
entrapped in water cavities that form cage
like crystal structure of hydrogen bonded
water molecules. The gas molecules which are
trapped in between water molecules are
referred as guest molecules such as methane,
production, depressurization method.
ethane, propane and carbon dioxide. The
water molecules are called host molecules.
They are formed at specific conditions, at
lower temperature and high pressure. The gas
hydrate deposits can be found in two
different types of geological settings: in
permafrost region and in deep oceanic
sediments.(1)
History:
In 1810, Sir Humphrey Davy noticed that solid
was formed when chlorine gas (then called
oxymuriatic gas) and water combined above
ice point and first discovered the gas
hydrates. Sir Humphrey Davy first document
the natural gas hydrates formation in 1811. In
1788, Joseph Priestly also performed an
experiment in his Birmingham laboratory in
which he observed that the compounds are
formed (clathrate compound) from freezing
vitriolic air (SO2).Priestly might have
discovered gas hydrates earlier, but there was
no valid record of experiment by Priestly
which results in uncertainty of earlier
discovery.(1)
Potential Future Energy Resource:
Natural gas hydrates contain the massive
storehouse of natural gas and holds a major
potential that can be used as future energy
resource. The 1 m3 of hydrate can hold almost
184m3 volume of gas at standard conditions.
Large value of gas hydrate deposits exist but
these values are not certain. These deposits
contain about 0.21015 1201015 m3 of
methane at STP. The energy in these hydrates
deposits is greater than other fossil fuel
deposits. (1) More than 220 gas hydrates
deposits have been discovered in the globe.(2)
Production Techniques:
In order to get production from natural gas
hydrate reservoirs three methods are
introduced, so far. These methods include:
1. Depressurization: dissociate the gas
hydrates by reducing the pressure of
local formations.
2. Thermal stimulation: increase the
formation temperature to produce
hydrates.
3. Inhibitor injection: the inhibitor is
injected which cause a change in
equilibrium condition. (1)
Type of Gas Hydrates Deposits:
The gas hydrates resources are sketched
through gas hydrate resource pyramid. The
resource pyramid delineates the estimated
total quantity of gas in place and the gas
hydrates resources which are feasible for
production. Those hydrates resources
consider to be easily produced are positioned
at the top of the pyramid and those which are
most challenging and difficult to produce are
positioned at the base of pyramid. (3)
The gas hydrates under existing Arctic infra-
structure are highly saturated with gas
hydrates in high quality reservoir rocks.
Currently, the amount of these deposits in the
North Slope of Alaska is approximately 33
Trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of OGIP. The next type
of the hydrate resources are found under
same geological setting on North Slope but far
from the existing infrastructure. These
deposits contain large amount of gas
hydrates, distinctly trapped in the high quality
reservoirs (sandstone). The total amount of
gas hydrates deposits in North Slope
estimated by the USGS are 590 Tcf. In the
pyramid, the upcoming resources are of those
which contain average saturation (medium or
large amount) of gas hydrates, which are
found in high quality sandstone reservoir in
marine environment. Due to their existence in
deep water they are technically challenging to
produce and have high cost of production as
the deposits found in Gulf of Mexico near an
oil and gas infrastructure. The next resources
in pyramid are those enclosed in marine muds
and shales. Huge amount of gas hydrates
saturation exist in fractures. The extraction of
gas hydrates from these resources will be
more problematic due to their low
permeability, production from these
accumulation require technology
advancement. The gas hydrates resources,
occurs as the mounds that exist on sea floor
and spread out to unknown depth are next in
the pyramid. Production from these deposits
is not easy due to their confined size and the
disturbance of marine-ecosystem during
production. At the bottom of pyramid are
resources in which huge amount of gas
hydrates are relatively uniformly divide
through large volumes of fined grained and un
deformed sediment at low saturation. Huge
amount of gas hydrates over the globe are
placed within these types of resources but
more progress in technology is require to get
methane from these accumulation.(3)
On the basis of properties and behavior of gas
hydrates, the hydrate deposits are classified
into three types:
Class 1 accumulation: Class 1 deposits consist
of two sections in which the multiple phase
zones with free gas and water are lying below
gas hydrates layer. In these deposits, the
hydrates stability zone and the bottom of gas
hydrates layer.
Class 2 accumulation: Class 2 accumulations
are characterized as deposits which
accommodates two sections, the hydrate
layer is underlying the mobile water section
without gas.
Class 3 deposits: The class 3 deposits are
those in which underlying gas or liquid
sections are not present, they only contain
single hydrate section.4
Depressurization:
On the basis of production techniques:
depressurization is considered as most cost-
effective and worthwhile production method.
The thermal dissociation method and
inhibitor method are costly and have
restricted effectiveness.5
In depressurization technique the gas
hydrates are dissociated by dropping the
reservoir pressure. Depressurization induced
dissociation of gas hydrates can be achieved
by direct fall down of reservoir pressure or it
can achieved by pressure fall down in
overlying or underlying zones. These layers or
zones are in contact with gas hydrate
reservoirs and permits variation of pressure to
spread naturally throughout the reservoir.
Initially, it was suspected that gas hydrate
reservoir were frozen solid no free fluid
phases were present in gas hydrates reservoir
that could allow the pressure change to
transmit to reservoir.6 However the
laboratory experiment7, 8shows that small
amount of water is always present in reservoir
which causes gas hydrates to dissociate as
pressure change is transmit to reservoir. The
effective permeability of water is greater than
greater than effective permeability of gas.
The conventional oil and gas method can be
used to attain depressurization by perforation
of production well casing in target zone and
by removing the fluid from the well in
controlled manner, as fluid is filled within the
well from top to bottom. The weight exerts by
fluid column, prevents the reservoir fluids
(water, oil, gas) to flow into the well bore in
uncontrolled manner due to the reservoir
pressure. By removing the small amount of
fluid from the well, the pressure applied at
the bottom of wellbore decreases. Thus
pressure gradient will establish in between
wellbore and reservoir. The pressure change
is transmit to reservoir, which is in contact
with wellbore at the bottom of well through
perforated casing and causes the gas hydrates
to dissociates. (6)
Numerical Studies:
For the production of gas hydrates several
numerical studies (4), (9), (10), (11) have been
conducted. The numerical studies of
production potential of gas hydrates (4) show
that application of depressurization technique
reduces from Class 1 to class 3 gas hydrates
deposits and besides that the application of
thermal stimulation method rises. The Class 1
gas hydrates deposits are the most promising
and favorable targets for production by using
simple depressurization technique.(4) These
deposits can produce huge amount of gas at
elevated rate by virtue of depressurization
techniques.(11) The production rate of CH4
release is initially high, increases with time
and later on declines.(11) The class 1 deposits
produce small amount of water at the time of
production.(11) The class 2 gas hydrates
deposits production strategy employs the
unification of two techniques:
depressurization method and thermal
stimulation method.(4) In these deposits
depressurization method can gives off huge
amount of water, to avoid water production
the combination of two techniques
(depressurization method and thermal
stimulation method) are used in multi-well
system.(4) The class 3 gas hydrates deposits
does not contain permeable zone and these
deposits have low effective permeability due
to which the depressurization technique could
not be applied to such extent as in class 1 and
class 2, thermal stimulation method can
mostly be exercised to get production from
these deposits. (4) The studies (4) shows that
depressurization technique can be almost
applied in all of three deposits to extract gas
from gas hydrates.
Field Tests:
Mallik Site Gas Hydrates Production:
In the year 2002, the syndicate of Scientists
and Engineers belonging to five countries
conduct a maiden production test. The gas
was extract from gas hydrates reservoir by
using the research well JAPEX/JNOC/GSC et al.
Mallik 5L-38 located at Mackenzie Delta,
Canada. Thermal stimulation method was
utilized by injecting hot fluid in the well in-
order to achieve dissociation and produce gas,
about 470 m3 of gas was transported to the
surface. The second production test on same
Mallik site was carried out by JOGMEC and
Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) in 2007.
Depressurization technique was used to
produced gas from the well drilled for 1998
research (JAPAN/JNOC/GSC Mallik 2L-38), well
was used after its amendment and
reconstruction of facilities. The test began on
2 April but the production was interrupted by
the formation sand production (disturb
continuous pumping to induce
depressurization) along fluid in the borehole.
The operation only continued for 60 hours as
a result at least 830 m3 of gas was collected in
12.5 hours of test. (12)
Another gas hydrates production test was
conducted in 2008 by using same well (Mallik
2L-38), this time the sand control equipment
was installed in well and further preventive
were taken in-order come through the
problems that occur in 2007 production test.
Continuous six days or 139 hours production
was taken which provide more or less 13,000
m3 of gas after dissociation of gas hydrate in
the reservoir by using depressurization
technique. The result of the test shows that
depressurization is the appropriate
mechanism for the production of gas
hydrates. (12)
Nankai Trough Offshore Production Test:
Under the supervision of JOGMEC production
test from offshore gas hydrates deposits was
taken at the Eastern Nankai Trough, Japan, in
March 2013. It was the world maiden offshore
gas hydrates production test. During the 6
days of test about 119,500 m3 of gas were
produced by using the depressurization
technique. The outcomes of the test
confirmed that dissociation of gas hydrate in
marine deposits can be achieved by using
depressurization technique. (13)
Conclusion:
The study concluded that:
1) Large amount of gas hydrates resources
are present all over the world.
2) These resources contains vast amount of
energy which can be used as the future
energy source, if they are economically
produced.
3) Production of gas hydrates is difficult due
to the environment in which they are
formed.
4) In-order to produced gas hydrates from
Class1 deposits the depressurization
method is correct approach.
5) Production of gas from Class2 deposits
involves both depressurization and
thermal stimulation method.
6) In class 3 hydrates the application of
depressurization method is limited and
mostly thermal stimulation method can
used to extract gas.
7) The field production test study shows that
depressurization is the correct approach
towards the production of gas from gas
hydrates deposits.
8) Depressurization is more effective and
prolific technique and it can be used as a
chief production strategy.