Natural gas hydrate accumulation simulation in porous media using a three-dimensional device

A novel three-dimensional natural gas hydrate physical simulation device was designed and developed for study the accumulation and exploitation of hydrate in sediment. The reactor with a capacity of 196 L was built to simulate three-dimensional macroscopic hydrate formation and dissociation behavior, and the maximum operating pressure is 32 MPa. Acoustic, electrical, and thermal properties at different positions can be collected in real-time to examine the state variation of hydrate-bearing sediment during the accumulation of hydrate or the production of natural gas. The preliminary experiment for hydrate accumulation using this device was performed where free methane continuously seeped through the sediment. The experimental results indicated that hydrate only formed and aggregated near the seepage path of fluids. The water saturation was an important for the distribution of hydrate. Copyright © 2011 by The International Society of Offshore and Polar Engineers (ISOPE).