Modeling the mechanical response of gas hydrate reservoirs in triaxial stress space

Exploitation of gas from deep-sea methane hydrate-bearing layers might lead to some geological disasters, including marine landslides and excessive settlement of marine ground. The first offshore gas production tests for methane hydrate-bearing sediments were carried out in eastern Nankai Trough. However, knowledge on mechanical behavior of gas hydrate reservoirs with similar gradation and minerology component to the marine sediment is still insufficient. Consequently, proper modeling of geomechanical properties of methane hydrate-bearing sediments is crucial for reservoir simulation and deep ocean ground stability analysis for long-term gas production in the future. This study conducted a series of triaxial shear tests to examine the shear response of methane hydrate-bearing sediments with a similar grading curve and minerology components to the hydrate-rich sediments in Nankai Trough. The test results demonstrated that the presence of hydrate mass between sand grains altered the stress-strain pattern from strain-hardening to postpeak strain-softening. A simple constitutive model based on several empirical relationships of granular materials is proposed to describe the stress-strain relationship of methane hydrate-bearing sediments under triaxial stress condition. This model can reproduce the enhancement of shear strength, initial stiffness, and dilation behavior of methane hydrate-bearing sediments containing different amounts of fines content with a rise in the methane hydrate saturation at a wide range of effective confining pressures. The numerical results indicate that the parameter A associated with initial stiffness of stress-strain curve and the parameter $\text{α}$ related with dilation properties are jointly governed by the confining pressure, fines content, and hydrate saturation.     

天然气水合物沉积物分解过程中本构关系研究

天然气水合物具有储量大、分布广泛、清洁燃烧等优点,近年来受到研究人员的广泛关注。为了实现天然气水合物资源的安全高效开采,对其沉积层的力学稳定性进行系统评估是十分必要的。本研究在实验室内重塑了40%孔隙度的天然气水合物沉积物试样,并基于力学实验设备,对其在不同围压条件下分解过程中的力学强度及变形进行了一系列测试,获取了相应的应力应变数据。研究结果表明,水合物分解会造成沉积层强度的降低。此外,基于实验数据,在借鉴土力学邓肯-张本构模型的基础上,考虑了围压及分解时间对沉积物力学特性的影响,本文构建了适用于不同围压条件下天然气水合物沉积物分解过程中的本构模型,研究结果表明,该模型可以较好地模拟沉积物试样在分解过程中的应力应变关系,可为实现天然气水合物的安全开采提供一定的理论依据。     

排气状态对非饱和土抗剪强度的影响

为研究排气状态对非饱和土抗剪强度的影响,以云南昆明的红粘土和粉土为试验土样,以不排气不排水和排气不排水为控制条件进行三轴剪切试验。试验结果表明,排气条件下的非饱和土强度相较不排气时有所提高,且排气状态对红粘土抗剪强度的影响程度大于对粉土的影响程度;粘聚力与饱和度的关系呈非规律性,内摩擦角随饱和度的增大而减小;排气不排水条件下,粘聚力和内摩擦角均随干密度的增大而增大。试验结果证实了排气状态对非饱和土体抗剪强度的显著影响。     

含水合物沉积物的渗透率实验研究

天然气水合物储层的渗透率是影响水合物开采时气、水运移的关键,也是水合物开采潜力评价、资源评价、开采工艺选择等需要了解的关键参数.目前,国内外学者对天然气水合物储层的渗透率进行了一定的研究并有了初步认识.但是,对于围压、轴向压力、水合物饱和度、赋存模式等对水合物沉积物渗透率的影响机制和机理还不清楚.本文在自主设计的水合物...     

Compressional wave velocity of hydrate-bearing bentheimer sediments with varying pore fillings

A potential alternative energy resource to meet energy demands is the vast amount of gas stored in hydrate reserves. However, major challenges in terms of exploration and production surround profitable and effective exploitation of these reserves. The measurement of acoustic velocity is a useful method for exploration of gas hydrate reserves and can be an efficient method to characterize the hydrate-bearing sediments. In this study, the compressional wave velocity (P-wave velocity) of consolidated sediments (Bentheimer) with and without tetrahydrofuran hydrate-bearing pore fillings were measured using the pulse transmission method. The study has found that the P-wave velocity of consolidated sediments increase with increasing hydrate formation and confining pressure. Of the two samples tested, the increase in wave velocity of the dry and hydrate-bearing samples amounted to 27.6% and 31.9%, respectively. Interestingly, at the initial stage of hydrate formation, there was no change in P-wave velocity, which was followed by a steady increase as the hydrate crystals began to agglomerate and then it increased rapidly to a constant value, suggesting that the test solution had converted to a hydrate solid.     

A state-dependent subloading constitutive model with unified hardening function for gas hydrate-bearing sediments

Natural gas hydrate in ocean sediments and permafrost areas may become a significant potential energy resource. Since the hydrate dissociation may affect the stability of production wells and even lead to geological hazards, it is essential to study the mechanical properties of gas hydrate-bearing sediments (GHBS) for the efficient and safe extraction of gas hydrate. This study presents an extended subloading Modified Cam-Clay model for clayey-silty and sandy GHBS. The state-dependent unified hardening function and equivalent skeleton void ratio are newly introduced to consider the coupled effects of stress level, void ratio, dilatancy, and hydrate saturation on the mechanical behavior of GHBS. Based on the theory of hyperelasticity, an elastic constitutive relation accounting for the influences of cementation caused by hydrate formation and sediment structure change caused by hydrate dissociation is established by using a stiffness evolution function related to hydrate saturation. The bonding and debonding law of strength reflecting the hydrate cementation and its degradation are used. The model is applied to simulate different triaxial tests of GHBS, and its performance in predicting the isotropic compression, strain hardening and softening, shear contraction and dilation, and collapse induced by hydrate dissociation is investigated.     

甲烷水合物及其沉积层导热特性的研究现状

总结了近年来国内外甲烷水合物及其沉积层导热特性的研究现状,从实验测试和模拟研究两方面分析了甲烷水合物及其沉积层的导热影响因素、相关规律和导热机理。研究结果表明：纯质水合物的导热性能与外界温度、压力、客体分子数量、多孔介质、笼形结构等因素有关,其值大小主要由主体水分子形成的笼形结构决定;而水合物沉积层导热系数的大小主要依赖于实验样品的组成成分、初始水饱和度、各组分分布,与温度、压力以及垂直有效应力关系不大。最后,指出了现存研究方法中一些值得改进的地方,并对今后的研究工作进行了展望。     

Production behavior of methane hydrate in porous media using huff and puff method in a novel three-dimensional simulator

The gas production behavior of methane hydrate in porous media using the huff and puff method was investigated in the Cubic Hydrate Simulator (CHS), a novel developed three-dimensional 5.8-L cubic pressure vessel. Three horizontal layers equally divide the CHS into four regions. A 9-spot distribution of the vertical wells, a single horizontal well and a 25-spot distribution of the thermometers are arranged on each layer, respectively. The vertical wells at the axis of the CHS were used as the injection and production wells. The huff and puff method includes the injection, soaking and production stages. The amount of water injected and produced, the gas production rate, the percentage of the hydrate dissociation and the gas-to-water ratio were evaluated. Under the thermodynamic conditions in this work, the gas production from the sediment in this work using the huff and puff method is economically profitable from the relative criterion point of view. The sensitivity analysis demonstrates the dependence of the gas production on the initial hydrate saturation, and the temperature and the injection rate of the injected hot water.     

基于电-力-声多物理场耦合数值模型的含水合物多孔介质声速和衰减特性研究

在物理模拟实验中对水合物微观赋存模式和饱和度进行准确控制和评价尚存在技术困难,仅依赖实验技术研究含水合物沉积物声学特性、建立储层参数解释模型存在局限性。采用基于有限元的数字岩石物理技术,针对悬浮、接触和胶结三种典型的水合物微观赋存模式分别建立多孔介质的三维电-力-声多物理场耦合模型,考察了微观赋存模式和水合物饱和度对多孔介质声速和衰减的影响规律,对比了声速数值模拟与理论模型计算结果,建立了声波衰减参数与水合物饱和度之间的关系式。研究结果表明：（1）对于三种水合物赋存模式,由于水合物相比孔隙水具有更高的弹性模量,多孔介质的声速随着水合物饱和度的增大而增大;水合物的存在导致声波在传播过程中遇到更多不连续的声阻抗界面,声衰减随着水合物饱和度的增大而近似线性增大;（2）悬浮和接触赋存模式条件下,水合物饱和度对多孔介质的声速和衰减影响规律基本一致;对于相同的水合物饱和度,胶结模式条件下含水合物多孔介质具有更高的声速和更小的声衰减;（3）通过合理选择参数值,利用权重方程与Lee改进的Biot-Gassmann Theory(BGTL)模型估算的含悬浮和接触模式水合物多孔介质的声速较为准确;通过等效...     

含甲烷水合物沉积物电–声响应特性联合探测：装置开发与实验研究

为了满足开展天然气水合物模拟实验、测试电学和声学特性参数以及建立特性参数与含水合物饱和度之间关系的需求，开发了一套电–声响应特性联合探测实验装置，以海沙模拟松散沉积物开展了甲烷水合物生成和分解模拟实验，联合探测了电学和声学参数，分析了被测体系的电学和声学响应特性。研究表明：（1）通过电–声响应联合探测实验装置能够同步获取宽频率范围电学阻抗谱和超声波接收信号波形；（2）通过设计电声复合传感器及其阵列式排布方式和“分时轮流”工作模式能够获取电学和声学参数的空间分布信息；（3）基于所提出的波动百分比和相关系数指标对不同频率阻抗模值进行评价所获得的100 kHz阻抗模值随含水合物饱和度的增加先减小后增大，经过有效压力校正后的超声波接收信号波动幅度值随含水合物饱和度的增加而升高；（4）上述两者分别可以作为分析和建立与含水合物饱和度之间关系的电学和声学有效特征参数。所开发的实验装置为将来开展含水合物复杂沉积物的模拟实验与测试工作提供了必要条件，所得到的电学和声学有效特征参数为含水合物饱和度计算模型的建立奠定了基础。     

Mechanical experiments and constitutive model of natural gas hydrate reservoirs

Natural gas hydrate is a new type of green energy resources and has great development prospects, and it has attracted worldwide attentions. The exploitation of natural gas hydrate may result in a series of geological disasters. Therefore, the constitutive model of natural gas hydrate bearing sediments needs to be established to reveal deformation laws of the reservoir sediments and accurately evaluate mechanical properties of hydrate reservoirs. This is the basic guarantees for the effective exploitation of natural gas hydrate resources. The triaxial compressive tests were conducted on samples of natural gas hydrate sediment. Furthermore, the Duncan-Chang hyperbolic model was modified by considering the influences of hydrate saturation based on the test results to obtain the constitutive model according with the deformation characteristics of natural gas hydrate reservoirs. The results show that the stress-strain curves of natural gas hydrate reservoirs show unobvious compaction stage and peak strength, short elastic stage, long yield stage, and significant strain hardening characteristics. After applying loads on natural gas hydrate bearing sediments, the internal solid particles were dislocated and slid. When the loads were small, the sediments demonstrated elastic deformation. With the increase of loads, plastic flows appeared in the interior, and the hydrate crystals were re-orientated, thus the sediments showing plastic deformation. Initial tangent elastic modulus increased with the effective confining pressures, which had little correlations with hydrate saturation. Furthermore, the damage ratio increases with the increase of effective confining pressures, while slightly decreases with the increase of natural gas hydrate saturation. The predicted results of stress-strain curves of sediments with different hydrate saturations well coincide with the results of triaxial compressive tests, indicting the feasibility and rationality of this model.     

CO2 sequestration in depleted methane hydrate deposits with excess water

The recent increase in atmospheric CO₂ concentration makes it necessary to investigate new ways to reduce CO₂ emissions. Simultaneously, natural gas hydrate mining technology is developing rapidly. The use of depleted methane hydrate (MH) deposits as potential sites for CO₂ storage is relatively safe and economical. This method can alleviate the shortage of hydrate displacement gas with CO₂. The purpose of this study was to investigate CO₂ hydrate formation characteristics during the seepage process—in reservoirs with excess water—and their effect on CO₂ storage. The experimental process can be divided into 5 parts: MH formation, water injection, MH dissociation, CO₂ hydrate formation, and CO₂ hydrate dissociation. Magnetic resonance imaging was employed to monitor the distribution of liquid water, and the effects of different parameters on the formation and dissociation of CO₂ hydrates were analyzed. It was found that a state of initial water saturation can effectively control hydrate saturation in artificial MH reservoirs for hydrate reservoirs with excess gas. In the process of CO₂ flow, initial water saturation was not the main controlling factor for CO₂ hydrate formation. Increasing the flow pressure and reducing the flow rate were beneficial for CO₂ hydrate formation. This study is of great significance for advancing the science of CO₂ geological storage in the form of deep‐sea hydrates.     

含水合物沉积物力学-声学联合试验设备的开发和初步应用

为开展天然气水合物沉积物力学、声学特性的试验研究，对高压-温控三轴试验设备的管道线路进行重新规划，并引入GCTS超声波测试系统。为了检验仪器性能，利用福建标准砂和甲烷气体制备不同水合物饱和度的沉积物试样，开展不同有效围压下的三轴排水剪切试验。结果表明：设备能稳定制备含水合物试样并进行力学试验，试验全过程可实时测试试样的压缩波速和剪切波速；波速变化与试样内部密实度、颗粒分布的变化等密切相关，可反映试样体积的变化及剪切初期的剪胀特性；通过固结后的波速计算试样的泊松比，在0.16～0.31之间。     

静三轴试验中固化疏浚泥的力学特性研究

为正确理解固化疏浚泥的力学性质,通过对固化疏浚泥进行固结不排水静三轴压缩试验,研究了围压和固化剂掺量对固化疏浚泥的破坏形式、应力—应变关系及抗剪强度参数的影响。试验结果表明,随着固化剂掺量的增加,固化疏浚泥的应力—应变关系由应变硬化型变为应变软化型;破坏形式由塑性破坏向脆性破坏过渡,而围压对其破坏形式无影响;固化疏浚泥的强度和抗变形能力均随着围压和掺量的增加而增大,但当围压小于土体内结构体的屈服强度时,围压对抗变形能力的影响可忽略;粘聚力和内摩擦角随固化剂掺量分别呈对数型和线性规律增长。     

Experimental study on dynamic acoustic characteristics of natural gas hydrate sediments at different depths

Acoustic properties are important geophysical parameters, compared to resistivity, pore water and other parameters that need to be obtained through drilling, the acoustic wave velocity of hydrate deposits is much easier to obtain. Therefore, the study of acoustic characteristics of hydrate reservoir is the basis for geophysical exploration and resource evaluation for hydrates. In this study, an experimental apparatus was developed to measure dynamic P- and S-wave velocity of gas hydrate bearing sediment. The effect of sensitivity factors including hydrate saturation, confining pressure, and reservoir solid phase particle size on the acoustic characteristics of hydrate reservoir were explored. The experimental results showed that the longitudinal and transverse wave velocities of natural gas hydrate rock samples correlated positively with hydrate saturation and confining pressure and the particle size of the solid phase exhibited little effect on the vertical and horizontal wave velocity of the gas hydrate reservoir. The results of this study indicated that the compression factor of different rock samples is the main factor affecting the vertical and horizontal wave velocity of the reservoir through mechanical experiments. At the same time, acoustic experiments and computed tomography results revealed the existence of different contact modes between natural gas hydrate and sediment particles under different saturations. Furthermore, the possibility of detecting the microscopic distribution of hydrates in sediments by acoustic waves was verified. The data can be used in well logging to determine hydrate saturation and other properties of hydrate bearing formations.     

基于TDR双参数的沉积物中水合物饱和度测量

针对沉积物中水合物饱和度的测量问题,立足于时域反射技术（TDR）能够同时获得含水合物沉积物表观介电常数和电导率的优点,提出了一种基于介电常数/电导率双参数的水合物饱和度评价新方法。在分析介电常数和电导率测量原理的基础上,设计了四氢呋喃（THF）水合物模拟实验与参数测量系统以及实验方案;基于TDR测量响应分析了孔隙水电导率对水饱和的以及含水合物的模拟沉积物介电常数和电导率的影响;利用TDR获取的不同水合物饱和度条件下的介电常数测量数据对比分析了经典介电常数模型的性能,并以Lichteneker-Rother（LR）模型为原型建立了水合物饱和度与介电常数之间的关系模型,以阿尔奇公式为原型建立了基于TDR测量电导率的水合物饱和度计算模型。研究结果表明：采用LR模型和Maxwell-DeLoor模型能够较准确地描述TDR测量表观介电常数与水合物饱和度之间的关系;基于表观介电常数/电导率双参数的水合物饱和度联合评价方法为提高评价结果的准确度和可靠性提供了新途径。将来需要结合水合物储层实际特征开展模拟实验并进一步完善饱和度计算模型,将基于TDR双参数的饱和度联合评价方法推广应用到含天然气水合物沉积物。     

不同加卸载条件下孟底沟水电站花岗岩蠕变特性研究

针对孟底沟水电站坝区花岗岩开展了不同加卸载应力条件下的三轴蠕变试验,系统分析了不同加卸载过程中坝区花岗岩的变形特征、蠕变速率和破坏强度的变化规律,揭示了蠕变破坏模式。结果表明,孟底沟花岗岩存在蠕变应力门槛值,蠕变后期存在完整的减速、等速和加速蠕变阶段,岩石产生大量塑性变形,体积由压缩转为扩容;轴压恒定相比偏应力恒定卸围压蠕变更具时效特征,卸围压条件下出现劈裂和剪切共存的破坏模式;岩石破坏强度低于常规峰值强度,卸围压相比加轴压方式岩石强度下降幅度更大,粘聚力的降低是造成强度折减的主要因素。     

某区域岩石力学参数试验研究

通过对松辽盆地龙西地区代表性岩样进行力学性质试验研究.得到岩石的弹性模量、泊松比、抗压强度、内聚力及内摩擦角等主要力学参数.试验结果显示,最初围压不断增大,岩石的强度极限也明显增大.但随着围压的增加,强度增量幅度变得越来越小,虽然岩石弹性模量有增大趋势,但不完全呈正比关系,而泊松比的变化规律却不明显.分析单轴与三轴抗压强度与弹性模量的线性关系,以及围压对岩石三轴抗压强度、弹性模量的影响,发现单轴和三轴抗压强度随弹性模量的增加而增大,且三轴抗压强度随弹性模量的变化比单轴的变化幅度大.试验可得出不同井的弹性模量、泊松比及抗压强度的比例关系,从而根据不同围压下三轴压缩强度试验,得出龙西地区几种代表性岩心的内聚力及内摩擦角.为后续的地应力测试实验提供初期数据,并为射孔完井得相关参数优化提供参考.     

多孔介质中甲烷水合物的生成特性研究进展

天然气水合物是一种清洁高效的能源,常常在自然界中的海底沉积物多孔介质孔隙中生成,同时水合物在工业上还能与多孔介质材料一起作为储存及分离气体的一种方式,因此开采利用水合物以及发挥水合物工业技术的前提都跟多孔介质有莫大的关系,对多孔介质中天然气水合物生成特性的研究进行总结与分析具有非常重要的意义。本文总结分析了国内外关于不同类型多孔介质中甲烷水合物的生成过程及特性的研究文献,将多孔介质根据其孔径大小进行划分。结果显示,在微孔介质中,甲烷水合物的生成侧重于气体的存储及运输方面;在介孔介质中,甲烷水合物的生成动力学受孔径影响较大;在大孔的沉积物中,甲烷水合物的生成及分布的机理性研究仍比较缺乏。因此,需要进一步的研究来丰富甲烷水合物在多孔介质中的生成动力学理论,本文将在文献调研的基础上为今后的研究方向提出一些展望和思路。     

运聚体系—天然气水合物不均匀性分布的关键控制因素初探

海域天然气水合物的聚集和分布呈现出明显的不均匀性。本文运用“天然气水合物油气系统”的理论和方法,从墨西哥湾、布莱克海台、水合物脊、南海海槽等国际典型水合物赋存区的稳定条件、气体组分和来源、流体运移、沉积条件四个方面解剖各区水合物的成藏控制因素。通过分析和对比认识到水合物赋存区的范围相对较小,海底温度和压力可视为均一条件,热成因气和生物成因气均可作为水合物的气体来源,同一个区域内的气体组分相对稳定,但有利沉积体和为含气流体运移提供通道的运移条件,也即“天然气水合物运聚体系”是控制水合物分布的关键因素。南海北部陆坡神狐海域水合物储集于颗粒相对较粗、孔隙空间相对较大沉积体中,而下部的气烟囱和断层构成了神狐海域的含气流体运移通道,这种有利的运聚体系有机结合可能是天然气水合物富集的关键因素。因此,针对水合物储集体的精细沉积学解释和流体运移通道的解剖,可能是南海北部陆坡天然气水合物勘探中需要引起重视的一个方向。