Experimental set-up design for gas production from the Black Sea gas hydrate reservoirs

Abstract

Gas hydrate deposits which are found in deep ocean sediments and in permafrost regions are supposed to be a fossil fuel reserve for the future. The Black Sea is also considered rich in terms of gas hydrates. It abundantly contains gas hydrates as methane (CH4 ∼ 80–99.9%) source. In this study, by using the literature seismic and other data of the Black Sea such as salinity, porosity of the sediments, common gas type, temperature distribution and pressure gradient, the optimum gas production method for the Black Sea gas hydrates was selected as mainly depressurization method. It was proposed that CO2/N2 injection as a production method from the potential Black Sea gas hydrates might not be favorable. Experimental set-up (high pressure cell, gas flow meter, water-gas separator, mass balance, pressure transducers and thermocouples) for gas production from the Black gas hydrates by using depressurization method was designed according to the results of HydrateResSim numerical simulator. It was shown that cylindrical high pressure cell (METU Cell) with 30 cm inner length and 30 cm inner diameter with a volume 21.64 L in this study might reflect flow controlled conditions as in the real gas hydrate reservoirs. Moreover, 100 mesh portable separator in METU cell might be very useful to mimic Class 1 hydrate reservoirs and horizontal wells in gas hydrate reservoirs experimentally.