Gas Driven Fracture during Gas Production using HeleShaw Cell

• Published in: Qatar Foundation Annual Research Conference Proceedings Volume 2018 Issue 1
• Main Authors: Al-Raoush, Riyadh, Jarrar, Zaher, Alshibli, Khalid, Jung, Jongwon
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: English
• Published: Hamad bin Khalifa University Press (HBKU Press)
• Subjects: Gas Driven Fracture; Methane hydrate; HeleShaw Cell
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10576/28220; https://doi.org/10.5339/qfarc.2018.EEPD707

Methane hydrate is considered a potential energy source, with worldwide reserves on the order of 500-10,000 Gt of carbon. The production of Methane from hydratebearing sediments requires hydrate dissociation for releasing mobile methane gas in sediments prior to gas production operation. Existence of even a small fraction of fines can greatly decrease the permeability of sandy sediments, which will affect the gas recovery process. Fines can migrate through or clog the pores of sandy sediments depending on geometric constraints such as the ratio of the size of the pore throat to the size of the fine particle. In multiphase flow, clogging of fines at the pores causes a change in pressure gradient which affects the flow of gas through the pores and might induce gas driven fracture. In the literature, there is a major knowledge gap that needs to be resolved to develop technical and economically viable methane production strategies from gas hydrate reservoirs. A comprehensive understanding of the underlying physical processes such as fines migration, clogging, and gas-driven fracture during gas production in hydrate bearing sediments is needed. Effects of fines migration and clogging on gas flow path and gas driven fracture were studied for Carbon Dioxide (CO2). This was achieved by conducting multiphase flow experiments on brine saturated sand-kaolinite mixtures using 2D Hele-Shaw cell; a common analogous model that has been used to investigate particle displacement process in sediments and has the unique advantage in allowing real-time visualization. The cell consists of two transparent acrylic sheets that are separated by a small gap. The gap between the two sheets is maintained using filter sheets that have a thickness of 1/16 in. (1.6 mm) at the boundaries. Fluids flow radially between the sheets through a port in the middle of the bottom sheet. Multiphase flow experiments are conducted on samples of brine saturated uniform F75 sand mixed with kaolinite at different percentages by weight (0% to 20%). Pressure ...