EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF ENHANCED GAS RECOVERY FROM GAS HYDRATE BEARING SEDIMENTS BY INHIBITOR AND STEAM INJECTION METHODS

• Main Authors: Kawamura, Taro, Ohtake, Michika, Sakamoto, Yasuhide, Yamamota, Yoshitaka, Haneda, Hironori, Komai, Takeshi, Higuchi, Satoru
• Other Authors: University of British Columbia. Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, International Conference on Gas Hydrates (6th : 2008 : Vancouver, B.C.)
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: English
• Published: 2008
• Subjects: Natural gas; Hydrate; Exploitation; Core sample; Inhibitor; Steam; Dissociation; Methane hydrate
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/1401

The inhibitor and steam injection methods have been examined using a laboratory-prepared methane hydrate bearing sediment. New experimental apparatuses have been designed and constructed. In the case of inhibitor injection, the measurement of gas production vs. time suggested that the inhibitor increased dissociation rate. Core temperature decreased upon the inhibitor injection, in contrast to that in the case of pure water injection. The observed pressure differentials between the inlet and outlet of the core sample suggest that the inhibitor effectively prevented the hydrate reformation within the dissociating core sample. In the case of steam injection coupled with depressurization, it can be seen that the effect of steam (or hot water) injection was clear in the later stage of dissociation, compared with that in the case of depressurization alone. The inner (core) temperature change indicates that the coupling of depressurization and steam injection induces MH dissociation from upstream and downstream to the center of the sample. However, it starts from an upstream region and continues downstream steadily in the case of steam (hot water) injection alone. Non UBC Unreviewed