Properties Of Hydrate-bearing Sediments Research Articles

Strain-Softening Characteristics of Hydrate-Bearing Sediments and Modified Duncan–Chang Model

Marine hydrate exploitation may trigger the seabed geological disaster, such as seafloor collapse and landslide. It is critically important to understand the mechanical properties of hydrate-bearing sediment. Strain-softening observation is a typical behavior of hydrate-bearing sediment (HBS) and exhibits more significant at higher hydrate saturation. This paper performed a series of triaxial compression tests on methane hydrate-bearing sand to analyze the influence rule and mechanism of hydrate saturation on the strain-softening characteristic, stiffness, and strength and introduced the strain-softening index to quantificationally characterize the strain-softening behaviors of HBS with different hydrate saturations. Based on the analyses on the mechanical behavior of HBS, the Duncan–Chang model is extended to address the stress-strain curves of HBS. Two empirical formulas with hydrate saturation embedded are used to characterize the enhanced initial modulus and strength for HBS, respectively. To address the strain-softening behavior of HBS, the modified Duncan–Chang model introduced a damage factor into the strength of HBS. To validate the modified Duncan–Chang model, four different triaxial compression tests are simulated. The good consistence between simulated result and experimental data demonstrates that the modified Duncan–Chang model is capable of reflecting the influence of hydrate saturation not only on the stiffness and strength but also on the strain-softening characteristics of HBS.

Tools for pressure core sub-coring and pore-scale micro-CT (computed tomography) scans

Abstract. The pore habits of gas hydrate in natural sediment matrices provide essential clues for understanding physical (mechanical, thermal, hydraulic, and electrical) properties of hydrate-bearing sediments, yet there are no tools that can directly visualize the pore habits of natural gas hydrate other than indirect interpretation based on core-scale or field-scale observations. A significant challenge is to obtain a mini-core from pressure cores retrieved from natural reservoirs for high-resolution micro-CT (computed tomography) scans while maintaining pressure and temperature conditions required for stability of gas hydrate during all operational steps including manipulation, cutting, transferring, sub-coring and CT scanning. We present a new set of tools for pore-scale micro-CT imaging of natural hydrate-bearing sediments while maintaining pressure and temperature control. The tests with laboratory-prepared cores and pressure cores successfully demonstrate the capability of this set of tools to subsample a mini-core from pressure cores, transfer the mini-core to an X-ray transparent core holder, and conduct micro-CT scans. Successfully obtained CT images prove the functionality of this set of tools.

Physical Experiment Research on Dielectric Properties of Hydrate-bearing Sediment in Sandstone Reservoir

Dielectric constants can be used to detect hydrates in permafrost regions. Therefore, this study investigated the relationships between the dielectric constant characteristics of sandstone reservoir hydrate and the hydrate saturation degree through physical simulation experiments, as well as the granularity of the surrounding rock. Methane and tetrahydrofuran (THF) hydrates with quartz sands were prepared, and their dielectric constants were analyzed. With different granularities of quartz sands, the dielectric constants of two different methane hydrate sediments decreased with increasing saturation degrees. At a given saturation degree, the dielectric constant of methane hydrate sediments with small granularity was larger than that with medium granularity, a result attributed to the unreacted water in the larger pores of the latter. In addition, the dielectric constant of methane hydrate sediments was larger than that of THF hydrates, which was also attributed to gas-phase factors and the presence of unreacted water. At a given granularity and saturation, the dielectric constants of both the THF and methane hydrates decreased with increasing saturation degrees. We conclude that at low temperature and under normal pressure, THF hydrates cannot be used as a substitute for methane hydrates in laboratory experiments investigating geophysical phenomena.

Mechanical Properties of Stratified Hydrate-bearing Sediments

Abstract Methane hydrate–bearing layers will be disturbed during the production of methane hydrates, which may induce the deformation or settlement of the layers, and the destruction of engineering structures, so it's important to study the mechanical properties of the hydrate-bearing sediments. In this paper, specimens were prepared in which the methane hydrates were in different location of the specimens by a special deposition method in which the methane hydrate was put in the mold separating with the kaolin, the volume of methane hydrate was 40% of the whole volume of the specimen. A series of triaxial shear tests were carried out under different confining pressures of 1.25 MPa, 2.5 MPa, 3.75 MPa and 5 MPa, conditions with temperature of -6 o C and strain rate of 1%/min. The results indicated that the maximum deviator stress of the sediments increased with the declining of the clay of hydrate and the failure strength achieved maximum when the hydrate clay was in the center of the sediments; the failure strength increased with the increasing of the confining pressure in the low confining pressure stage.

Hydro-bio-geomechanical properties of hydrate-bearing sediments from Nankai Trough

Natural hydrate-bearing sediments from the Nankai Trough, offshore Japan, were studied using the Pressure Core Characterization Tools (PCCTs) to obtain geomechanical, hydrological, electrical, and biological properties under in situ pressure, temperature, and restored effective stress conditions. Measurement results, combined with index-property data and analytical physics-based models, provide unique insight into hydrate-bearing sediments in situ. Tested cores contain some silty-sands, but are predominantly sandy- and clayey-silts. Hydrate saturations Sh range from 0.15 to 0.74, with significant concentrations in the silty-sands. Wave velocity and flexible-wall permeameter measurements on never-depressurized pressure-core sediments suggest hydrates in the coarser-grained zones, the silty-sands where Sh exceeds 0.4, contribute to soil-skeletal stability and are load-bearing. In the sandy- and clayey-silts, where Sh < 0.4, the state of effective stress and stress history are significant factors determining sediment stiffness. Controlled depressurization tests show that hydrate dissociation occurs too quickly to maintain thermodynamic equilibrium, and pressure–temperature conditions track the hydrate stability boundary in pure-water, rather than that in seawater, in spite of both the in situ pore water and the water used to maintain specimen pore pressure prior to dissociation being saline. Hydrate dissociation accompanied with fines migration caused up to 2.4% vertical strain contraction. The first-ever direct shear measurements on never-depressurized pressure-core specimens show hydrate-bearing sediments have higher sediment strength and peak friction angle than post-dissociation sediments, but the residual friction angle remains the same in both cases. Permeability measurements made before and after hydrate dissociation demonstrate that water permeability increases after dissociation, but the gain is limited by the transition from hydrate saturation before dissociation to gas saturation after dissociation. In a proof-of-concept study, sediment microbial communities were successfully extracted and stored under high-pressure, anoxic conditions. Depressurized samples of these extractions were incubated in air, where microbes exhibited temperature-dependent growth rates.

Multi-property characterization chamber for geophysical-hydrological investigations of hydrate bearing sediments.

With the increase in the interest of producing natural gas from methane hydrates as well as potential risks of massive hydrate dissociation in the context of global warming, studies have recently shifted from pure hydrate crystals to hydrates in sediments. Such a research focus shift requires a series of innovative laboratory devices that are capable of investigating various properties of hydrate-bearing sediments (HBS). This study introduces a newly developed high pressure testing chamber, i.e., multi-property characterization chamber (MPCC), that allows simultaneous investigation of a series of fundamental properties of HBS, including small-strain stiffness (i.e., P- and S-waves), shear strength, large-strain deformation, stress-volume responses, and permeability. The peripheral coolant circulation system of the MPCC permits stable and accurate temperature control, while the core holder body, made of aluminum, enables X-ray computer tomography scanning to be easily employed for structural and morphological characterization of specimens. Samples of hydrate-bearing sediments are held within a rubber sleeve inside the chamber. The thick sleeve is more durable and versatile than thin membranes while also being much softer than oedometer-type chambers that are incapable of enabling flow tests. Bias introduced by the rubber sleeve during large deformation tests are also calibrated both theoretically and experimentally. This system provides insight into full characterization of hydrate-bearing sediments in the laboratory, as well as pressure core technology in the field.

&lt;i&gt;In Situ&lt;/i&gt; Measurement of Electrical Resistivity of Ocean Sediments Containing Gas Hydrates

An understanding of the physical properties of hydrate-bearing sediment is necessary for interpretation of geophysical data collected in field settings. We have conducted a laboratory experiment to measure the electrical property of initially water saturated sediment containing natural gas hydrate. When gas hydrate was formed from pore fluid in ocean sediment, bulk sediment resistivity was significantly increased. The resistivity of the sediment was largely changed below 20% hydrate saturation. With the increasing hydrate saturation, the resistivity of sediment was increased and the resistivity of pore fluid was decrease. In the final process of hydrate formation, the resistivity depression was found mainly due to the transition of gas hydrate morphology. The electrical resistivity of hydrate specimens varied from 1.930 Ohm.m to 3.950 Ohm.m for saturation ranging from 0% to 52.68%. Besides, the dependence of the resistivity index versus hydrate saturation is inconsistent with Archies law. The results of our studies have important implications for quantitative laboratory and field calibration of geophysical measurements within gas hydratebearing intervals.

Recognition of gas hydrate using AVO-attribute crossplots based on the porous medium theory

Gas hydrate is gradually considered as a potential energy resource. The presence of gas hydrate is commonly inferred from the appearance of “bottom simulating reflector”(BSR) on seismic section. Understanding the properties of hydrate-bearing sediments and studying the AVO characteristics of BSR are of great significance. Although more and more domestic and international studies have been conducted on the subjects mentioned above, they are still in the primary stage and need a long way to go to be appled in practice, especially in the field of gas hydrate. Aiming at the identification of gas hydrate, we studied the characteristics of the AVO attributes based on the Biot’s theory when the sediments were bearing gas hydrate or free gas. The AVO attribute crossplots obtained from seismic sections with the forward simulation by means of staggered-grid finite-difference were compared with that of theoretic models. The coincidence shows that utilization of AVO attribute crossplots is an effective way to recognize gas hydrate and free gas.