Lateral bearing characteristics of subsea wellhead assembly in the hydrate trial production engineering

Conductor and suction anchor are the key equipment providing bearing capacity in the field of deep-water drilling or offshore engineering,which have the advantages of high operation efficiency and short construction period.In order to drill a horizontal well in the shallow hydrate reservoir in the deep water,the suction anchor wellhead assembly is employed to undertake the main vertical bearing capacity in the second round of hydrate trial production project,so as to reduce the conductor running depth and heighten the kick-off point position.However,the deformation law of the deep-water suction anchor wellhead assembly under the moving load of the riser is not clear,and it is necessary to understand the lateral bearing characteristics to guide the design of its structural scheme.Based on 3D solid finite element method,the solid finite element model of the suction anchor wellhead assembly is established.In the model,the seabed soil is divided into seven layers,the contact between the wellhead assembly and the soil is simulated,and the vertical load and bending moment are applied to the wellhead node to simulate the riser movement when working in the deep water.The lateral bearing stability of conventional wellhead assembly and suction anchor wellhead assembly under the influence of wellhead load is discussed.The analysis results show that the bending moment is the main factor affecting the lateral deformation of the wellhead string;the anti-bending performance from increasing the outer conductor diameter is better than that from increasing the conductor wall thickness;for the subsea wellhead,the suction anchor obviously improves the lateral bearing capacity and reduces the lateral deformation.The conduct of the suction anchor wellhead assembly still needs to be lowered to a certain depth that below the maximum disturbed depth to ensure the lateral bearing stability,Thus,a method for the minimum conductor running depth for the suction anchor wellhead assembly is developed.The field implementations show that compared with the first round of hydrate trial production project,the conductor running depth is increased by 9.42 m,and there is no risk of wellhead overturning during the trial production.The method for determining the minimum conductor running depth in this paper is feasible and will still play an important role in the subsequent hydrate exploration and development.

Passability test and simulation of sand control string with natural gas hydrates completion in large curvature hole

To meet the requirements of marine natural gas hydrate exploitation,it is necessary to improve the penetration of completion sand control string in the large curvature borehole.In this study,large curvature test wells were selected to carry out the running test of sand control string with pre-packed screen.Meanwhile,the running simulation was performed by using the Landmark software.The results show that the sand control packer and screen can be run smoothly in the wellbore with a dogleg angle of more than 20°/30 m and keep the structure stable.Additionally,the comprehensive friction coefficient is 0.4,under which and the simulation shows that the sand control string for hydrate exploitation can be run smoothly.These findings have important guiding significance for running the completion sand control string in natural gas hydrate exploitation.

The second natural gas hydrate production test in the South China Sea

Clayey silt reservoirs bearing natural gas hydrates(NGH)are considered to be the hydrate-bearing reservoirs that boast the highest reserves but tend to be the most difficult to exploit.They are proved to be exploitable by the first NGH production test conducted in the South China Sea in 2017.Based on the understanding of the first production test,the China Geological Survey determined the optimal target NGH reservoirs for production test and conducted a detailed assessment,numerical and experimental simulation,and onshore testing of the reservoirs.After that,it conducted the second offshore NGH production test in 1225 m deep Shenhu Area,South China Sea(also referred to as the second production test)from October 2019 to April 2020.During the second production test,a series of technical challenges of drilling horizontal wells in shallow soft strata in deep sea were met,including wellhead stability,directional drilling of a horizontal well,reservoir stimulation and sand control,and accurate depressurization.As a result,30 days of continuous gas production was achieved,with a cumulative gas production of 86.14×104 m3.Thus,the average daily gas production is 2.87×10^4 m^3,which is 5.57 times as much as that obtained in the first production test.Therefore,both the cumulative gas production and the daily gas production were highly improved compared to the first production test.As indicated by the monitoring results of the second production test,there was no anomaly in methane content in the seafloor,seawater,and atmosphere throughout the whole production test.This successful production test further indicates that safe and effective NGH exploitation is feasible in clayey silt NGH reservoirs.The industrialization of hydrates consists of five stages in general,namely theoretical research and simulation experiments,exploratory production test,experimental production test,productive production test,and commercial production.The second production test serves as an important step from the exploratory production test to experimental production test.

Experimental study on characteristics of pore water conversion during methane hydrates formation in unsaturated sand

Understanding the pore water conversion characteristics during hydrate formation in porous media is important to study the accumulation mechanism of marine gas hydrate.In this study,low-field NMR was used to study the pore water conversion characteristics during methane hydrate formation in unsaturated sand samples.Results show that the signal intensity of T_(2) distribution isn’t affected by sediment type and pore pressure,but is affected by temperature.The increase in the pressure of hydrogen-containing gas can cause the increase in the signal intensity of T_(2) distribution.The heterogeneity of pore structure is aggravated due to the hydrate formation in porous media.The water conversion rate fluctuates during the hydrate formation.The sand size affects the water conversion ratio and rate by affecting the specific surface of sand in unsaturated porous media.For the fine sand sample,the large specific surface causes a large gas-water contact area resulting in a higher water conversion rate,but causes a large water-sand contact area resulting in a low water conversion ratio(C_(w)=96.2%).The clay can reduce the water conversion rate and ratio,especially montmorillonite(C_(w)=95.8%).The crystal layer of montmorillonite affects the pore water conversion characteristics by hindering the conversion of interlayer water.

Migration and accumulation characteristics of natural gas hydrates in the uplifts and their slope zones in the Qiongdongnan Basin,China

Various factors controlling the accumulation of natural gas hydrates(NGHs)form various enrichment and accumulation modes through organic combination.This study mainly analyzes the geological and geophysical characteristics of the NGHs occurrence in the uplifts and their slope zones within the deep-water area in the Qiongdongnan(QDN)Basin(also referred to as the study area).Furthermore,it investigates the dominant governing factors and models of NGHs migration and accumulation in the study area.The results are as follows.(1)The uplifts and their slope zones in the study area lie in the dominant pressure-relief direction of fluids in central hydrocarbon-rich sags in the area,which provide sufficient gas sources for the NGHs accumulation and enrichment through pathways such as gas chimneys and faults.(2)The top and flanks of gas chimneys below the bottom simulating reflectors(BSRs)show high-amplitude seismic reflections and pronounced transverse charging of free gas,indicating the occurrence of a large amount of gas accumulation at the heights of the uplifts.(3)Chimneys,faults,and high-porosity and high-permeability strata,which connect the gas hydrate temperature-pressure stability zones(GHSZs)with thermogenic gas and biogenic gas,form the main hydrate migration system.(4)The reservoir system in the study area comprises sedimentary interlayers consisting of mass transport deposits(MTDs)and turbidites.In addition,the reservoir system has developed fissure-and pore-filling types of hydrates in the pathways.The above well-matched controlling factors of hydrate accumulation enable the uplifts and their slope zones in the study area to become the favorable targets of NGHs exploration.

Evaluation of clayed silt properties on the behavior of hydrate production in South China Sea

Gas hydrate is one kind of potential energy resources that is buried under deep seafloor or frozen areas.The first trial offshore production from the silty reservoir was conducted in the South China Sea by the China Geological Survey(CGS).During this test,there were many unique characteristics different from the sand reservoir,which was believed to be related to the clayed silt physical properties.In this paper,simulation experiments,facilities analysis,and theoretical calculation were used to confirm the hydrate structure,reservoir thermo-physical property,and bond water movement rule.And the behavior of how they affected production efficiency was analyzed.The results showed that:It was reasonable to use the structure I rather than structure II methane hydrate phase equilibrium data to make the production plan;the dissociation heat absorbed by hydrate was large enough to cause hydrate self-protection or reformation depend on the reservoir thermal transfer and gas supply;clayed silt got better thermal conductivity compared to coarse grain,but poor thermal convection especially with hydrate;clayed silt sediment was easy to bond water,but the irreducible water can be exchanged to free water under high production pressure,and the most obvious pressure range of water increment was 1.9–4.9 MPa.

Assessment of natural gas hydrate reservoirs at Site GMGS3-W19 in the Shenhu area,South China Sea based on various well logs

To obtain the characteristics of the gas hydrate reservoirs at GMGS3-W19,extensive geophysical logging data and cores were analyzed to assess the reservoir properties.Sediment porosities were estimated from density,neutron,and nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR)logs.Both the resistivity and NMR logs were used to calculate gas hydrate saturations,the Simandoux model was employed to eliminate the effects of high clay content determined based on the ECS and core data.The density porosity was closely in agreement with the core-derived porosity,and the neutron porosity was higher while the NMR porosity was lower than the density porosity of sediments without hydrates.The resistivity log has higher vertical resolution than the NMR log and thus is more favorable for assessing gas hydrate saturation with strong heterogeneity.For the gas hydrate reservoirs at GMGS3-W19,the porosity,gas hydrate saturation and free gas saturation was 52.7%,42.7%and 10%,on average,respectively.The various logs provide different methods for the comprehensive evaluation of hydrate reservoir,which supports the selection of candidate site for gas hydrate production testing.

Application of wellhead suction anchor technology in the second production test of natural gas hydrates in the South China Sea

Traditional suction anchor technology is mainly used in the fields of subsea structure bearing foundations,single-point mooring systems and offshore wind power.It is characterized by providing sufficient lateral and vertical bearing capacities and lateral bending moment.The anchor structure of a traditional suction anchor structure is improved with wellhead suction anchor technology,where a central pipe is added as a channel for drilling and completion operations.To solve the technical problems of a low wellhead bearing capacity,shallow built-up depth,and limited application of conductor jetting in the second production test of natural gas hydrates(NGHs)in the South China Sea(SCS),the China Geological Survey(CGS)took the lead in independently designing and manufacturing a wellhead suction anchor,which fulfilled the requirements of the production test.This novel anchor was successfully implemented in the second production test for the first time,providing a stable wellhead foundation for the success of the second production test of NGHs in the SCS.

Molecular simulation studies on natural gas hydrates nucleation and growth:A review

How natural gas hydrates nucleate and grow is a crucial scientific question.The research on it will help solve practical problems encountered in hydrate accumulation,development,and utilization of hydrate related technology.Due to its limitations on both spatial and temporal dimensions,experiment cannot fully explain this issue on a micro-scale.With the development of computer technology,molecular simulation has been widely used in the study of hydrate formation because it can observe the nucleation and growth process of hydrates at the molecular level.This review will assess the recent progresses in molecular dynamics simulation of hydrate nucleation and growth,as well as the enlightening significance of these developments in hydrate applications.At the same time,combined with the problems encountered in recent hydrate trial mining and applications,some potential directions for molecular simulation in the research of hydrate nucleation and growth are proposed,and the future of molecular simulation research on hydrate nucleation and growth is prospected.

Seismic fine imaging and its significance for natural gas hydrate exploration in the Shenhu Test Area, South China Sea

Shenhu area in South China Sea includes extensive collapse and diapir structures,forming high-angle faults and vertical fracture system,which functions as a fluid migration channel for gas hydrate formation.In order to improve the imaging precision of natural gas hydrate in this area,especially for fault and fracture structures,the present work propose a velocity stitching technique that accelerates effectively the convergence of the shallow seafloor,indicating seafloor horizon interpretation and the initial interval velocity for model building.In the depth domain,pre-stack depth migration and residual curvature are built into the model based on high-precision grid-tomography velocity inversion,after several rounds of tomographic iterations,as the residual velocity field converges gradually.Test results of the Shenhu area show that the imaging precision of the fault zone is obviously improved,the fracture structures appear more clearly,the wave group characteristics significantly change for the better and the signal-to-noise ratio and resolution are improved.These improvements provide the necessary basis for the new reservoir model and field drilling risk tips,help optimize the favorable drilling target,and are crucial for the natural gas resource potential evaluation.

Formation mechanism,experimental method,and property characterization of graindisplacing methane hydrates in marine sediment:A review

Grain-displacing hydrate deposits exist at many marine sites,which constitute an important part of methane hydrate resources worldwide.Attributed to the difficulties in acquiring field data and synthesizing experimental samples,the formation and property characterization of grain-displacing hydrate remains less understood and characterized than the pore-filling hydrate in current literature.This study reviews the formation mechanisms of grain-displacing hydrate from the perspective of geological accumulation and microscale sedimentary property.The experimental methods of synthesizing grain-displacing hydrate in the laboratory and the current knowledge on the property of grain-displacing hydrate sediment are also introduced.Shortcomings in current theories and suggestions for future study are proposed.The work is hoped to provide valuable insights for the research into the hydrate accumulation,geophysics,and hydrate exploitation targeted at the grain-displacing hydrate in the marine sediments.

Experimental investigation of hydrate formation in water-dominated pipeline and its influential factors

Blockage in water-dominated flow pipelines due to hydrate reformation has been suggested as a potential safety issue during the hydrate production.In this work,flow velocity-dependent hydrate formation features are investigated in a fluid circulation system with a total length of 39 m.A 9-m section pipe is transparent consisted of two complete rectangular loops.By means of pressurization with gas-saturated water,the system can gradually reach the equilibrium conditions.The result shows that the hydrates are delayed to appear as floccules or thin films covering the methane bubbles.When the circulation velocity is below 750 rpm,hydrate is finally deposited as a“hydrate bed”at upmost of inner wall,narrowing the flow channel of the pipeline.Nevertheless,no plugging is observed during all the experimental runs.The five stages of hydrate deposition are proposed based on the experimental results.It is also revealed that a higher driving pressure is needed at a lower flow rate.The driving force of hydrate formation from gas and water obtained by melting hydrate is higher than that from fresh water with no previous hydrate history.The authors hope that this work will be beneficial for the flow assurance of the following oceanic field hydrate recovery trials.

Hydrate phase transition and seepage mechanism during natural gas hydrates production tests in the South China Sea:A review and prospect

Natural gas hydrates(NGHs)are globally recognized as an important type of strategic alternative energy due to their high combustion efficiency,cleanness,and large amounts of resources.The NGHs reservoirs in the South China Sea(SCS)mainly consist of clayey silts.NGHs reservoirs of this type boast the largest distribution range and the highest percentage of resources among NGHs reservoirs in the world.However,they are more difficult to exploit than sandy reservoirs.The China Geological Survey successfully carried out two NGHs production tests in the Shenhu Area in the northern SCS in 2017 and 2020,setting multiple world records,such as the longest gas production time,the highest total gas production,and the highest average daily gas production,as well as achieving a series of innovative theoretical results.As suggested by the in-depth research on the two production tests,key factors that restrict the gas production efficiency of hydrate dissociation include reservoir structure characterization,hydrate phase transition,multiphase seepage and permeability enhancement,and the simulation and regulation of production capacity,among which the hydrate phase transition and seepage mechanism are crucial.Study results reveal that the hydrate phase transition in the SCS is characterized by low dissociation temperature,is prone to produce secondary hydrates in the reservoirs,and is a complex process under the combined effects of the seepage,stress,temperature,and chemical fields.The multiphase seepage is controlled by multiple factors such as the physical properties of unconsolidated reservoirs,the hydrate phase transition,and exploitation methods and is characterized by strong methane adsorption,abrupt changes in absolute permeability,and the weak flow capacity of gas.To ensure the long-term,stable,and efficient NGHs exploitation in the SCS,it is necessary to further enhance the reservoir seepage capacity and increase gas production through secondary reservoir stimulation based on initial reservoir stimulation.With the constant progress in the NGHs industrialization,great efforts should be made to tackle the difficulties,such as determining the micro-change in temperature and pressure,the response mechanisms of material-energy exchange,the methods for efficient NGHs dissociation,and the boundary conditions for the formation of secondary hydrates in the large-scale,long-term gas production.

A 3D basin modeling study of the factors controlling gas hydrate accumulation in the Shenhu Area of the South China Sea

Great advancement has been made on natural gas hydrates exploration and test production in the northern South China Sea.However,there remains a lot of key questions yet to be resolved,particularly about the mechanisms and the controls of gas hydrates enrichment.Numerical simulaution would play signficant role in addressing these questions.This study focused on the gas hydrate exploration in the Shenhu Area,Northern South China Sea.Based on the newly obtained borehole and multichannel reflection seismic data,the authors conducted an integrated 3D basin modeling study on gas hydrate.The results indicate that the Shenhu Area has favorable conditions for gas hydrate accumulation,such as temperature,pressure,hydrocarbon source,and tectonic setting.Gas hydrates are most concentrated in the Late Miocene strata,particularly in the structual highs between the Baiyun Sag and the Liwan Sag,and area to the south of it.It also proved the existence of overpressure in the main sag of source rocks,which was subject to compaction disequilibrium and hydrocarbon generation.It also shown that the regional fault activity is not conducive to gas hydrate accumulation due to excess gas seepage.The authors conjecture that fault activity may slightly weaken overpressure for the positive effect of hydrocarbon expulsion and areas lacking regional fault activity have better potential.

Stability analysis of seabed strata and casing structure during the natural gas hydrates exploitation by depressurization in horizontal wells in South China Sea

Natural gas hydrates(NGHs)are a new type of clean energy with great development potential.However,it is urgent to achieve safe and economical NGHs development and utilization.This study established a physical model of the study area using the FLAC^(3D) software based on the key parameters of the NGHs production test area in the South China Sea,including the depressurization method,and mechanical parameters of strata,NGHs occurrence characteristics,and the technological characteristics of horizontal wells.Moreover,this study explored the law of influences of the NGHs dissociation range on the stability of the overburden strata and the casing structure of a horizontal well.The results are as follows.With the dissociation of NGHs,the overburden strata of the NGHs dissociation zone subsided and formed funnelshaped zones and then gradually stabilized.However,the upper interface of the NGHs dissociation zone showed significant redistribution and discontinuity of stress.Specifically,distinct stress concentration and corresponding large deformation occurred in the build-up section of the horizontal well,which was thus prone to suffering shear failure.Moreover,apparent end effects occurred at the end of the horizontal well section and might cause the deformation and failure of the casing structure.Therefore,it is necessary to take measures in the build-up section and at the end of the horizontal section of the horizontal well to prevent damage and ensure the wellbore safety in the long-term NGHs exploitation.

Distributed optical fiber acoustic sensor for in situ monitoring of marine natural gas hydrates production for the first time in the Shenhu Area,China

The distributed acoustic sensor(DAS)uses a single optical cable as the sensing unit,which can capture the acoustic and vibration signals along the optical cable in real-time.So it is suitable for monitoring downhole production activities in the process of oil and gas development.The authors applied the DAS system in a gas production well in the South China Sea for in situ monitoring of the whole wellbore for the first time and obtained the distributed acoustic signals along the whole wellbore.These signals can clearly distinguish the vertical section,curve section,and horizontal production section.The collected acoustic signal with the frequency of approximately 50 Hz caused by the electric submersible pump exhibit a signal-to-noise ratio higher than 27 dB.By analyzing the acoustic signals in the production section,it can be located the layers with high gas production rates.Once an accurate physical model is built in the future,the gas production profile will be obtained.In addition,the DAS system can track the trajectory of downhole tools in the wellbore to guide the operation.Through the velocity analysis of the typical signals,the type of fluids in the wellbore can be distinguished.The successful application of the system provides a promising whole wellbore acoustic monitoring tool for the production of marine gas hydrate,with a good application prospect.

Identification of functionally active aerobic methanotrophs and their methane oxidation potential in sediments from the Shenhu Area,South China Sea

Large amounts of gas hydrate are distributed in the northern slope of the South China Sea,which is a potential threat of methane leakage.Aerobic methane oxidation by methanotrophs,significant methane biotransformation that occurs in sediment surface and water column,can effectively reduce atmospheric emission of hydrate-decomposed methane.To identify active aerobic methanotrophs and their methane oxidation potential in sediments from the Shenhu Area in the South China Sea,multi-day enrichment incubations were conducted in this study.The results show that the methane oxidation rates in the studied sediments were 2.03‒2.36μmol/gdw/d,which were higher than those obtained by sediment incubations from other areas in marine ecosystems.Thus the authors suspect that the methane oxidation potential of methanotrophs was relatively higher in sediments from the Shenhu Area.After the incubations family Methylococcaea(type I methanotrophs)mainly consisted of genus Methylobacter and Methylococcaea_Other were predominant with an increased proportion of 70.3%,whereas Methylocaldum decreased simultaneously in the incubated sediments.Collectively,this study may help to gain a better understanding of the methane biotransformation in the Shenhu Area.

Velocity-porosity relationships in hydrate-bearing sediments measured from pressure cores,Shenhu Area,South China Sea

Evaluating velocity-porosity relationships of hydrate-bearing marine sediments is essential for characterizing natural gas hydrates below seafloor as either a potential energy resource or geohazards risks.Four sites had cored using pressure and non-pressure methods during the gas hydrates drilling project(GMGS4)expedition at Shenhu Area,north slope of the South China Sea.Sediments were cored above,below,and through the gas-hydrate-bearing zone guided with logging-while-drilling analysis results.Gamma density and P-wave velocity were measured in each pressure core before subsampling.Methane hydrates volumes in total 62 samples were calculated from the moles of excess methane collected during depressurization experiments.The concentration of methane hydrates ranged from 0.3%to 32.3%.The concentrations of pore fluid(25.44%to 68.82%)and sediments(23.63%to 54.28%)were calculated from the gamma density.The regression models of P-wave velocity were derived and compared with a global empirical equation derived from shallow,unconsolidated sediments data.The results were close to the global trend when the fluid concentration is larger than the critical porosity.It is concluded that the dominant factor of P-wave velocity in hydrate-bearing marine sediments is the presence of the hydrate.Methane hydrates can reduce the fluid concentration by discharging the pore fluid and occupying the original pore space of sediments after its formation.

Application of frequency division inversion in the prediction of heterogeneous natural gas hydrates reservoirs in the Shenhu Area,South China Sea

Drilling results suggest that the thickness of natural gas hydrates(NGHs)in the Shenhu Area,South China Sea(SCS)are spatially heterogenous,making it difficult to accurately assess the NGHs resources in this area.In the case that free gas exists beneath hydrate deposits,the frequency of the hydrate deposits will be noticeably attenuated,with the attenuation degree mainly affected by pore development and free gas content.Therefore,the frequency can be used as an important attribute to identify hydrate reservoirs.Based on the time-frequency characteristics of deposits,this study predicted the spatial distribution of hydrates in this area using the frequency division inversion method as follows.Firstly,the support vector machine(SVM)method was employed to study the amplitude versus frequency(AVF)response based on seismic and well logging data.Afterward,the AVF response was introduced as independent information to establish the nonlinear relationship between logging data and seismic waveform.Then,the full frequency band information of the seismic data was fully utilized to obtain the results of frequency division inversion.The inversion results can effectively broaden the frequency band,reflect the NGHs distribution,and reveal the NGHs reservoirs of two types,namely the fluid migration pathway type and the in situ self-generation self-storage diffusion type.Moreover,the inversion results well coincide with the drilling results.Therefore,it is feasible to use the frequency division inversion to predict the spatial distribution of heterogeneous NGHs reservoirs,which facilitates the optimization of favorable drilling targets and is crucial to the resource potential assessment of NGHs.

Characteristics of major and trace elements in surface sediments of the Makran Accretionary Prism, Pakistan and their implications for natural gas hydrates

To accurately identify the natural gas hydrates(NGH)in the sea area of the Makran Accretionary Prism,Pakistan,this paper presents the testing and analysis of major and trace elements in sediment samples taken from two stations(S2 and S3)in the area by the China Geological Survey.As shown by testing results,all major elements are slightly different in content between the two stations except SiO2 and CaO.This also applies to the trace elements that include Sr and Ba primarily and Cr,Ni and Zn secondarily.It can be concluded in this study that the tectonic setting of the Makran Accretionary Prism is dominated by oceanic island arc and that provenance of the Makran Accretionary Prism is dominated by felsic igneous provenance,which is at the initial weathering stage and mainly consists of granodiorite.Besides terrigenous detritus,there are sediments possibly originating from Makran-Bela Ophiolite from the northwestern part and Murray Ridge igneous rocks from the southeastern part.The V/Cr,Ni/Co,and V/(V+Ni)ratios indicate that sediments of the two stations are in an oxidation-suboxidation environment.However,the authors infer that the sedimentary environment of the sediments 3.0 m below the seafloor tends to be gradually transformed into a reduction environment by comparison with the Qiongdongnan Basin in the South China Sea where NGH has been discovered.The sediments in the Makran Accretionary Prism are rich in organic matter,with total organic carbon(TOC)content greater than 1%.According to comprehensive research,the organic matter in the sediments mainly originates from marine algae and has high TOC content,which is favorable for the formation of NGH.