Multiphysics Measurements for Detection of Gas Hydrate Formation in Undersaturated Oil Coreflooding Experiments with Seawater Injection

Bianca L. S. Geranutti, Mathias Pohl, Daniel Rathmaier, Somayeh Karimi, Manika Prasad and Luis E. Zerpa ()
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Bianca L. S. Geranutti: Center for Rock and Fluid Multiphysics, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO 80401, USA
Mathias Pohl: Center for Rock and Fluid Multiphysics, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO 80401, USA
Daniel Rathmaier: Center for Rock and Fluid Multiphysics, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO 80401, USA
Somayeh Karimi: Center for Rock and Fluid Multiphysics, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO 80401, USA
Manika Prasad: Center for Rock and Fluid Multiphysics, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO 80401, USA
Luis E. Zerpa: Center for Rock and Fluid Multiphysics, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO 80401, USA

Energies, 2024, vol. 17, issue 13, 1-18

Abstract: A solid phase of natural gas hydrates can form from dissolved gas in oil during cold water injection into shallow undersaturated oil reservoirs. This creates significant risks to oil production due to potential permeability reduction and flow assurance issues. Understanding the conditions under which gas hydrates form and their impact on reservoir properties is important for optimizing oil recovery processes and ensuring the safe and efficient operation of oil reservoirs subject to waterflooding. In this work, we present two fluid displacement experiments under temperature control using Bentheimer sandstone core samples. A large diameter core sample of 3 inches in diameter and 10 inches in length was instrumented with multiphysics sensors (i.e., ultrasonic, electrical conductivity, strain, and temperature) to detect the onset of hydrate formation during cooling/injection steps. A small diameter core sample of 1.5 inches in diameter and 12 inches in length was used in a coreflooding apparatus with high-precision pressure transducers to determine the effect of hydrate formation on rock permeability. The fluid phase transition to solid hydrate phase was detected during the displacement of live-oil with injected water. The experimental procedure consisted of cooling and injection steps. Gas hydrate formation was detected from ultrasonic measurements at 7 °C, while strain measurements registered changes at 4 °C after gas hydrate concentration increased further. Ultrasonic velocities indicated the pore-filling morphology of gas hydrates, resulting in a high hydrate saturation of theoretically up to 38% and a substantial risk of intrinsic permeability reduction in the reservoir rock due to pore blockage by hydrates.

Keywords: gas hydrate; multiphysics measurements; acoustics; monitoring; rock physics; saturation estimation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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