Integration of triaxial testing and pore-scale visualization of methane hydrate bearing sediments
Understanding mechanical interactions between hydrate and hosting sediments is critical for evaluating formation stability and associated environmental impacts of hydrate-bearing sediments during gas production. While core-scale studies of hydrate-bearing sediments are readily available and some exp...
Published in: | Review of Scientific Instruments |
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Main Authors: | , , , , |
Other Authors: | |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
AIP Publishing
2019
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Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.5125445 http://aip.scitation.org/doi/am-pdf/10.1063/1.5125445 https://pubs.aip.org/aip/rsi/article-pdf/doi/10.1063/1.5125445/15705525/124504_1_online.pdf |
Summary: | Understanding mechanical interactions between hydrate and hosting sediments is critical for evaluating formation stability and associated environmental impacts of hydrate-bearing sediments during gas production. While core-scale studies of hydrate-bearing sediments are readily available and some explanations of observed results rely on pore-scale behavior of hydrate, actual pore-scale observations supporting the larger-scale phenomena are rarely available for hydrate-bearing sediments, especially with methane as guest molecules. The primary reasons for the scarcity include the challenge of developing tools for small-scale testing apparatus and pore-scale visualization capability. We present a testing assembly that combines pore-scale visualization and triaxial test capability of methane hydrate-bearing sediments. This testing assembly allows temperature regulation and independent control of four pressures: influent and effluent pore pressure, confining pressure, and axial pressure. Axial and lateral effective stresses can be applied independently to a 9.5 mm diameter and 19 mm long specimen while the pore pressure and temperature are controlled to maintain the stability of methane hydrate. The testing assembly also includes an X-ray transparent beryllium core holder so that 3D computed tomography scanning can be conducted during the triaxial loading. This testing assembly permits pore-scale exploration of hydrate-sediment interaction in addition to the traditional stress-strain relationship. Exemplary outcomes are presented to demonstrate applications of the testing assembly on geomechanical property estimations of methane-hydrate bearing sediments. |
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