Citation: | Yan-long Li, Neng-you Wu, Fu-long Ning, Gao-wei Hu, Chang-ling Liu, Chang-yin Dong, Jing-an Lu, 2019. A sand-production control system for gas production from clayey silt hydrate reservoirs, China Geology, 2, 121-132. doi: 10.31035/cg2018081 |
Sand production is a crucial problem during the process of extracting natural gas from hydrate reservoirs. To deal with sand-production problems systematically, a sand-production control system (SCS) is first proposed in this paper, specialized for pore-distributed clayey silt hydrate reservoirs. Secondly, a nodal system analysis method (NSAM) is applied to analyze the sand migration process during hydrate exploitation. The SCS is divided into three sub-systems, according to different sand migration mechanisms, and three key scientific problems and advances in SCS research in China Geological Survey are reviewed and analyzed. The maximum formation sanding rate, proper sand-control gravel size, and borehole blockage risk position were provided for clayey hydrate exploitation wells based on the SCS analysis. The SCS sub-systems are closely connected via bilateral coupling, and coordination of the sub-systems is the basis of maintaining formation stability and prolonging the gas production cycle. Therefore, contradictory mitigation measures between sand production and operational systems should be considered preferentially. Some novel and efficient hydrate exploitation methods are needed to completely solve the contradictions caused by sand production.
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SCS node set diagram.
Controlling factors for particle detachment in hydrate reservoirs.
Main particle detachment patterns in hydrate reservoirs. a–Shear failure because of stress change; b–tensile failure caused by fluid seepage; c–fine detachment caused by shale creeping; d–fine detachment because of hydrate decomposition.
Schematic of basic particle transportation morphologies.
Numerical sanding simulation flow chart for clayey hydrate exploitation wells.
Picture of the 3D NGH exploitation simulation system.
Schematic of massive gravel creeping and settlement problems caused by OHGP.
Flow chart of sand retention precision optimization based on the HCEFP method.
Main problems within borehole flow-related sub-systems.
Diagram of the sand-carrying flow simulation in conjunction with PFC3D and TransAt.