Analysis of the influence of the hydrate-bearing rocks properties on the prospects their industrial development

Abstract

Along with renewable energy and hydrogen, gas hydrates may become the most significant energy resource in the coming years. The reserves of gas in the hydrate state exceed all the combined world reserves of traditional energy resources. At the same time, the gas hydrates properties in the conditions their natural occurrence in the composition of hydrate-containing rock cause significant difficulties in their extraction. In this regard, the industrial use of colossal renewable gas resources in the gas hydrate state is just beginning. Based on this, the methods of developing gas hydrate deposits are the object of research. Based on the analysis and generalization of the currently known examples results of experimental and industrial development of gas hydrate deposits, as well as the results of studying the hydrate-bearing rocks properties, an assessment of the prospects for the industrial implementation of gas hydrate deposit development methods is given. Extraction of methane from gas hydrate deposits causes difficulties due to their solid form. Existing promising methods of their development involve the dissociation of gas hydrate into gas and water. Currently implemented research and industrial development projects of gas hydrate deposits have shown a number of problems related, first of all, to the instability of the hydrate-bearing rock after dissociation of the gas hydrate (at the same time, in the vast majority, the natural gas hydrate becomes metastable and weakly cemented). Therefore, there is still no commercially attractive technology for obtaining natural gas from gas hydrate deposits. At the same time, the depressurization method is considered the most promising. Based on this, the improvement of the technology of influence on the hydrate-bearing rock for the natural gas extraction should concern the provision of the rock removal the into the well. At the same time, effective and competitive development of marine gas hydrates deposits can be realized only if taking into account the geological features of the distribution of hydrate-bearing rocks, as well as the gas hydrates properties in their natural occurrence.