Abstract
Understanding how interfacial properties affect the nucleation process of gas hydrates allows for the prediction of formation patterns of gas hydrates in natural sediments, facilitation of gas-hydrate production for energy storage, or inhibition of gas-hydrate formation for flow assurance. A predictive macroscopic mathematical model describing the kinetic nucleation of gas hydrates was developed based on Classical Nucleation Theory (CNT) in order to incorporate the interfacial properties of sediments and other interfaces. The model provides insights into the dependence of the formation mechanism of gas hydrates on a wide range of interfacial properties. The models for nucleation of gas hydrates presented in this work predict two different scenarios for gas hydrates formation in sediments. In hydrophilic sediments, gas hydrates start nucleating at the sediment wall towards a slowly nucleating hydrate phase at the center of the pore. In hydrophobic sediments, gas hydrates start nucleating at the center of the pores, growing towards the pore walls and a slowly nucleating hydrate phase anchored at the point where the gas, liquid and solid phases meet. The model predictions capture the qualitative information obtained from examination of gas-hydrate core samples and experimental observations of gas hydrate formation.
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