HR: 1340h
AN: OS23A-1036    [Abstracts]
TI: Experimental study on steam and inhibitor injection into methane hydrate bearing sediments
AU: * Kawamura, T
EM: t-kawamura@aist.go.jp
AF: Methane Hydrate Research Methane Hydrate Research Laboratory, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, 16-1 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Iba 305-8569, Japan
AU: Sakamoto, Y
EM: sakamoto-yasuhide@aist.go.jp
AF: Methane Hydrate Research Methane Hydrate Research Laboratory, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, 16-1 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Iba 305-8569, Japan
AU: Temma, N
EM: n-tanma@aist.go.jp
AF: Institute for Geo-Resource and Environment, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, 16-1 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Iba 305-8569, Japan
AU: Yamamoto, Y
EM: mc-yoshitaka@aist.go.jp
AF: Methane Hydrate Research Methane Hydrate Research Laboratory, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, 16-1 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Iba 305-8569, Japan
AU: Komai, T
EM: takashi-komai@aist.go.jp
AF: Institute for Geo-Resource and Environment, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, 16-1 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Iba 305-8569, Japan
AB: Natural gas hydrate that exists in the ocean sediment is thought to constitute a large methane gas reservoir and is expected to be an energy resource in the future. In order to make recovery of natural gas from hydrates commercially viable, hydrates must be dissociated in-situ. Inhibitor injection method is thought to be one of the effective dissociation method as well as depressurization and thermal stimulation. Meanwhile, steam injection method is practically used for oil sand to recover heavy oil and recognized as a means that is commercially successful. In this study, the inhibitor injection method and the steam injection method for methane hydrate bearing sediments have been examined and discussed on an experimental basis. New experimental apparatuses have been designed and constructed. Using these apparatuses, inhibitor and steam were successfully injected into artificial methane hydrate bearing sediments that were simulated in laboratory scale. In the case of inhibitor injection, characteristic temperature drop during dissociation was observed. And decreases of permeability that is caused by the reformation of methane hydrate were prevented effectively. In the case of steam injection, the phase transition from vapor water to liquid water in methane hydrate bearing sediments was observed. It can be concluded that roughly 44 % of total hydrate origin gas was produced after steam injection. From these approaches, the applicability of these methods as enhanced gas recovery methods are discussed.
DE: 3004 Gas and hydrate systems
SC: Ocean Sciences [OS]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting