Effect of Hydrate Formation Conditions on Thermal Conductivity of Gas-Saturated Sediments

Significance Statement

Where the effects of pressure, composition, temperature, composition and water are to be considered, the main components involved in the production of natural gas hydrates are water and natural gas, at conditions of low temperatures and high pressures. Such natural gas hydrates usually form in marine sediments at depths below 300m or in soil beneath permafrost at shallow depths of within 250m. Permafrost is mainly subject to high pressures from crystallization of pore water and from loads applied to gas pockets in frozen sediments i.e. crystallization factor and baric factor. Pioneering scholarly works have estimated, based on available estimates of natural gas hydrate resources, that the amount of methane sequestered in hydrates is in orders of magnitude greater than in conventional and unconventional gas reservoirs summed up as one.

Several techniques exist for methane recovery from hydrates reservoirs namely: thermal stimulation, depressurization, carbon dioxide replacement, inhibitor injection or a combination of these procedures. Normally, methane production from hydrate reservoirs is often simulated with reference to the thermal conductivity of pure methane hydrate, however, this assumption neglects the specificity of hydrate reservoirs thereby entraining grave inaccuracies during methane recovery, specifically for permafrost that contains hydrates and ice.

Evgeny Chuvilin at Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology in collaboration with Boris Bukhanov at Moscow State University investigated the thermal conductivity variations in gas-saturated sediments exposed to hydrate formations at various conditions. Their aim was to model hydrate and ice formation in gas saturated sediments for empirical study of thermal conductivity and its implications in simulation of methane recovery from natural gas hydrate reservoirs and the respective technologies applied. Their research work is now published in Energy & Fuels.

The research team commenced their empirical procedure by utilizing a specially designed gas hydrate system that maintained a high gas pressure and a steady-state thermal regime. The team then used a built-in unit for thermal conductivity measurements. The recorded measurements were then applied to natural samples of fine sand and silty sand collected from gas emanation sites in permafrost and to synthetic sand and sand-clay blends.

Chuvilin and Bukhanov chiefly observed that the thermal conductivities of the hydrates could only either increase or decrease depending on the hydrate formation conditions. They noted that the thermal conductivity increased if the gas hydrates were formed at positive temperatures but decreased during hydrate formation in frozen samples. The researchers also observed that freezing and thawing of hydrate bearing sediments above the equilibrium pressure reduced their thermal conductivity as a result of additional hydrate formation.

A novel empirical technique was also suggested to study the thermal conductivity of hydrate- water-, gas- and ice-bearing sediments under varying temperatures and pressures at gas pressure up to 7 mega Pascal. The observed thermal conductivity behavior results from pore space changes associated with additional hydrate formation, as explained by aid of the models used. These models can be utilized for reference in geo-mechanical and thermal simulations of gas hydrate reservoirs, bearing in mind the conditions of pore hydrate formation, with implications for methane recovery.

Effect of Hydrate Formation Conditions on Thermal Conductivity of Gas-Saturated Sediments. Advances in Engineering

Effect of Hydrate Formation Conditions on Thermal Conductivity of Gas-Saturated Sediments. Advances in Engineering

About the author

Associate Professor, Evgeny M. Chuvilin, PhD

Department of Geocryology, Faculty of Geology
Moscow State University
Leninskie Gory Moscow, 119992, Russia
Telephone: +7(495) 939-1927, Mobil: +7(910)432-5803, E-mail [email protected]

EDUCATION          

  • June 1984: D. Geology, Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia. Ph.D. Thesis on Geocryology.
  • September 1980: S. Geology, Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia

EXPERIENCE

  • 1993 up to now – Associate Professor, Department of Geocryology, Faculty of Geology, MSU;
  • 2014 up to now – Leading Research Scientist (part time), Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (Skoltech);
  • 2006 – 2015 – Senior Researcher ( part time), Schlumberger Moscow Research;
  • 1989 – 1993 – Senior Researcher, Department of Geocryology, Faculty of Geology, MSU;
  • 1988 – 1989 – Professor Assistant, Department of Geocryology, Faculty of Geology, MSU;
  • 1987 – 1988 – Researcher, Department of Geocryology, Faculty of Geology, MSU;
  • 1983 – 1987 – Junior Researcher, Department of Geocryology, Faculty of Geology, MSU.

Relevant Scientific Experience at Field:

  • 1986 up to now – gas hydrate formation and decomposition in sediments, gas and gas hydrate in permafrost;
  • 1980 up to now – formation of composition, structure and properties of frozen sediments and ice;
  • 2011 up to now- experimental quantitative characterization of distribution and content of mud components in rock samples;
  • 2008 up to now – investigation of composition, structure and some properties of rocks;
  • 2000 up to now – investigation of properties of gas hydrate contained sediments;
  • 1995 up to now – migration oil contamination in frozen and freezing sediments;
  • 1984 up to now – migration of salts, chemicals, oil contamination in cryogenic rocks;
  • 1980 up to now water transfer, ice formation, macro and microstructure of frozen sediments.

Projects and Grants

  • Project with Total about simulation of gas-saturated taliks evolution within the permafrost of the oil and gas fields in the North of Western Siberia (2017-2018).
  • RFFI (Russian Foundation for Basic Research) grant for study of effect of ice and hydrate formation in the gas permeability of rocks (2017-2019)
  • RNF (Russian Science Foundation) grant for study of gas hydrates as a source of geological risk in the exploration of oil and gas fields in the Arctic (2016-2018).
  • Project for Total about study permafrost impact on PVT parameters during recent glaciations (2015-2016).
  • RFFI (Russian Foundation for Basic Research) grant for study of role of salt transfer processes as a factor affecting on degradation of underwater permafrost and gas hydrates (2013 – 2015).
  • Project for GAZPROM about study gas permeability of rock during gas hydrate formation (2013-2014).
  • RFFI (Russian Foundation for Basic Research) grant for study of thermal conductivity of gas hydrate saturated sediments (2012 – 2014).
  • RFFI (Russian Foundation for Basic Research) grant for study of submarine permafrost and gas hydrate in arctic shelf (2011 – 2012).
  • Project for GAZPROM about study relict gas hydrate accumulation in Bovanenkovo gas field area, North West Siberia (2010-2011).
  • RFFI (Russian Foundation for Basic Research) – JSPS (Japan Society for the Promotion of Science) grant for gas hydrate study, 2009 – 2010.
  • Grant RFFI. Investigation of saline filtration in frozen soils, 2009-2010.
  • Project for study phase composition and properties of hydrate-bearing rocks (Moscow Research Center Schlumberger 2008-2009).
  • CRDF (The U.S. Civilian Research & Development Foundation) grants for gas hydrate study, 2005 -2007.
  • RFFI (Russian Foundation for Basic Research) – JSPS (Japan Society for the Promotion of Science) grant for gas hydrate study, 2006 – 2007.
  • RFFI- GFEN (National Natural Science Foundation, China) grant for gas hydrate study, 2005 – 2007.
  • INTAS grant for gas hydrate study, 2004 – 2006.
  • RFFI grants for investigation of gas hydrate in sediments, 2001 – 2003 and 2004 – 2006.
  • International project – oil contaminations in permafrost (Norwegian Geotechnical Institute, 1999 – 2000).
  • Grants “Universities of Russia” for study of gas hydrate formation in permafrost, 1996 -1998).
  • International project –gas hydrate in Mackenzie delta, 1995 -1996).
  • Soros international grant for gas hydrate study, 1994 -1995.
  • Project for disposal of salt solution into Permafrost (Yakutia, YAKUTNIIPIALMAZ, 1988 -1990).

Research and educational progress

  • Participation as instructor in education course “Introduction to Petroleum Engineering” in Skoltech.
  • Lectures on the geological faculty of MSU: General geocryology, Physico-chemistry and petrography of permafrost, Gas and gas hydrates in permafrost.
  • Scientific adviser of seventh PhD students of Faculty of Geology, MSU (1996, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2011, 2013).
  • Five times awards diplomas of Soros Associated Professor (1995, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001).
  • Scientific adviser for more than 40 graduate students (specialist, bachelor, master’s degree) of Faculty of Geology, MSU (1986 up to now).
  • Academic status – Associate Professor (1994).
  • Academic status – Senior Researcher (1993).
  • Honorary title- Associate Professor of Institute of glaciology and Geocryology of Chinese Academy of Sciences (1992).

Training

  • 2015-2017- Heriot Watt University (joint gas hydrate research), Edinburg, UK
  • 2011-2013 – PERGAMON meetings (Permafrost and Gas Hydrate Related Methane Release in the Arctic and Impact on Climate Change – European Cooperation for Long-term Monitoring), Belgium.
  • 2012, 2010, 2009, 2007- National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Sapporo, Japan.
  • 2006 – Schlumberger K.K., Technology center, Tokyo, Japan.
  • 2001 – 2002 – National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Sapporo, Japan.
  • 1999, 2003 – Norwegian Geotechnical Institute, Oslo, Norway.
  • 1996 – Geological Survey  of Canada, Ottawa, Canada.
  • 1991, 1992 – Institute of glaciology and Geocryology of Chinese Academy of Sciences.
  • 1990 – University of New York, USA.

LANGUAGE SKILLS

  • English
  • Russian – native

PUBLICATIONS -340 (including papers, chapters and parts in 8 monograph’s and 4 text books, reports, posters). Patents -18.

personal Information: Married, two children.

About the author

Date and place of birth: 27 march 1986, Moscow Region, Ramenskoe City
E-mail: [email protected] , [email protected]

Boris Bukhanov graduated with honors from the Geological Department of the Moscow State University (MSU) in 2009 where he also completed his postgraduate studies in 2013 investigating thermal conductivity of gas and gas hydrates saturated sediments. During his postgraduate research, Boris created a methodology for investigating thermal conductivity of gas- and hydrate-bearing sediments, identified key factors of thermal conductivity, and compared laboratory and real values of thermal conductivity of bottom sediments in the shelf of Laptev Sea.

While studying at MSU, Boris Bukhanov participated in a variety of research projects of the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, Russian Academy of Science, VNIIGAS, Total and others. In 2007, he took part in deep-water drilling in the Lake Baikal, one of the modules of international studies of natural gas hydrates. In 2011 and 2012, Boris took part in the Russia – USA polar expedition to the shelf of Laptev Sea that was part of the international project Investigation of Methane Potential of Seas in East Arctic.

In 2013, Boris Bukhanov started working as a Geologist in the Department for Testing Physical and Mechanical Properties of Frozen Sediments at the Design Institute Fundamentproekt. At the Institute, he participated in projects for the construction of the South Tambey gas field and Yamal LNG plant in Sabetta, Sila Sibiri gas pipeline, power plants in Yakutsk, gas transport systems on Yamburg gas field and others.

In 2014, Boris joined Skoltech’s Center for Hydrocarbon Recovery as research scientist (engineer) in direction of the permafrost and gas hydrates. During this time he took part in different Russian and international grants projects with Herriot-Watt University (UK), Total (France), Moscow State University (Russia), Russian Science Foundation (Russia) etc.

About the author

Date and place of birth: 20 September 1958, Gorky Village, Mordovia, Russia.
E-mail: [email protected] , [email protected]

https://istina.msu.ru/workers/491357

Evgeny Chuvilin graduated from the Geological Department of the Moscow State University (MSU) in 1980 where he also completed his postgraduate studies. In his thesis work (1983) he investigated the formation of microstructure of frozen soils. Since 1983, after completing his PhD, Evgeny accepted a position as Research scientist and then (since 1993 – till now) an Associate Professor at the Geological Department of the Moscow State University. In 1993 he was awarded with the title Senior Research, in 1994 – Associate Professor. A continuous scientific and teaching experience is about 35 years. Evgeny Chuvilin had been awarded the title of the Soros Associate Professor five times (1995, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001). He worked as part-time Senior Researcher at the Schlumberger Moscow Research Center from 2006 till 2015. Since 2014, he has been working as part-time Leading Research Scientist in the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (Center for Hydrocarbon Recovery).

The area of scientific interests – petro-physics and chemistry of frozen and gas hydrates contained sediments, gases and gas hydrates in permafrost, experimental study of properties of ice and hydrate formation processes in sediments, migration of organic and mineral impurities in the permafrost. Under the leadership of Evgeny Chuvilin, experimental technology for studying the processes of hydrate and ice formation in freezing sediments and experimental methods for studying the thermal, filtration properties of frozen and hydrate-containing sediments were developed. He was a participant in the discovery of the self-preservation effect of frozen gas hydrates under nonequilibrium conditions in 1988. Today Evgeny Chuvilin has more than 290 publications (including papers, chapters and parts in 5 monograph’s and 4 text books, reports, posters) and 18 patents. He was supervisor of 45 BS and MS degree works and 8 Ph.D. theses.

Evgeny Chuvilin was the scientific leader of several Russian and International projects and grants on gas hydrate and permafrost topics. Evgeny Chuvilin went repeatedly to foreign scientific trips (USA, Canada, Japan, China, England, Norway), where he has conducted joint research. In 1996−1998 he spent some time in Canada (Carleton University and Canadian Geological Survey) where took part in experimental research of gas hydrates formation in porous media. For one and a half years (2001-2002) he worked in the gas hydrate research laboratory at the Institute of Advanced Industrial Sciences and Technology in Japan (AIST Sapporo).  Currently, he participates in joint experimental studies of gas hydrate with the Heriot-Watt University (Edinburgh) and Total E&P Russie.

Reference

Evgeny Chuvilin, Boris Bukhanov. Effect of Hydrate Formation Conditions on Thermal Conductivity of Gas-Saturated Sediments. Energy Fuels 2017, volume 31, pages 5246−5254.

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