A Review on Submarine Geological Risks and Secondary Disaster Issues during Natural Gas Hydrate Depressurization Production

Abstract

The safe and efficient production of marine natural gas hydrates faces the challenges of seabed geological risk issues. Geological risk issues can be categorized from weak to strong threats in four aspects: sand production, wellbore instability, seafloor subsidence, and submarine landslides, with the potential risk of natural gas leakage, and the geological risk problems that can cause secondary disasters dominated by gas eruptions and seawater intrusion. If the gas in a reservoir is not discharged in a smooth and timely manner during production, it can build up inside the formation to form super pore pressure leading to a sudden gas eruption when the overburden is damaged. There is a high risk of overburden destabilization around production wells, and reservoirs are prone to forming a connection with the seafloor resulting in seawater intrusion under osmotic pressure. This paper summarizes the application of field observation, experimental research, and numerical simulation methods in evaluating the stability problem of the seafloor surface. The theoretical model of multi-field coupling can be used to describe and evaluate the seafloor geologic risk issues during depressurization production, and the controlling equations accurately describing the characteristics of the reservoir are the key theoretical basis for evaluating the stability of the seafloor geomechanics. It is necessary to seek a balance between submarine formation stability and reservoir production efficiency in order to assess the optimal production and predict the region of plastic damage in the reservoir. Prediction and assessment allow measures to be taken at fixed points to improve reservoir mechanical stability with the numerical simulation method. Hydrate reservoirs need to be filled with gravel to enhance mechanical strength and permeability, and overburden need to be grouted to reinforce stability.