Methane hydrate gas production by thermal stimulation

• Main Author: McGuire, P. L.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory 1981
• Subjects: Hydrocarbons; Oxygen Compounds; Wells 030900* > Natural Gas > Artificial Stimulation; Plowshare > (-1989); Geologic Structures; Organic Compounds; Porosity; Fluid Injection Processes; Hydrates; Methane; Hydrogen Compounds; Production; Water; Gas Hydrates; Natural Gas Wells; Hot Water; 03 Natural Gas; Permeability; Alkanes; Functional Models; Geologic Fissures; Methane hydrate
• Online Access: https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1199125/

Two models have been developed to bracket the expected gas production from a methane hydrate reservoir. The frontal-sweep model represents the upper bound on the gas production, and the fracture-flow model represents the lower bound. Parametric studies were made to determine the importance of a number of variables, including porosity, bed thickness, injection temperature, and fracture length. These studies indicate that the hydrate-filled porosity should be at least 15%, reservoir thickness should be about 25 ft or more, and well spacing should be fairly large (maybe 40 acres/well), if possible. Injection temperatures should probably be between 150 and 250/sup 0/F to achieve an acceptable balance between high heat losses and unrealistically high injection rates. Numerous important questions about hydrate gas production remain unanswered.