Gas hydrate formation in fine sand

Abstract

Gas hydrate formation from two types of dissolved gas (methane and mixed gas) was studied under varying thermodynamic conditions in a novel apparatus containing two different natural media from the South China Sea. The testing media consisted of silica sand particles with diameters of 150–250 μm and 250–380 μm. Hydrate was formed (as in nature) in salt water that occupies the interstitial space of the partially water-saturated silica sand bed. The experiments demonstrate that the rate of hydrate formation is a function of particle diameter, gas source, water salinity, and thermodynamic conditions. The initiation time of hydrate formation was very short and pressure decreased rapidly in the initial stage. The process of mixed gas hydrate formation can be divided into three stages for each type of sediment. Sand particle diameter and water salinity also can influence the formation process of hydrate. The conversion rate of water to hydrate was different under varying thermodynamic conditions, although the formation processes were similar. The conversion rate of methane hydrate in the 250–380 μm sediment was greater than that in the 150–250 μm sediment. However, the sediment grain size has no significant influence on the conversion rate of mixed gas hydrate.