The second natural gas hydrate production test in the South China Sea

Jian-liang Ye; Xu-wen Qin; Wen-wei Xie; Hai-long Lu; Bao-jin Ma; Hai-jun Qiu; Jin-qiang Liang; Jing-an Lu; Zeng-gui Kuang; Cheng Lu; Qian-yong Liang; Shi-peng Wei; Yan-jiang Yu; Chun-sheng Liu; Bin Li; Kai-xiang Shen; Hao-xian Shi; Qiu-ping Lu; Jing Li; Bei-bei Kou; Gang Song; Bo Li; He-en Zhang; Hong-feng Lu; Chao Ma; Yi-fei Dong; Hang Bian

doi:10.31035/cg2020043

2020 Vol. 3, No. 2

Article Contents

Article navigation > China Geology > 2020 > 3(2): 197-209

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Jian-liang Ye, Xu-wen Qin, Wen-wei Xie, Hai-long Lu, Bao-jin Ma, Hai-jun Qiu, Jin-qiang Liang, Jing-an Lu, Zeng-gui Kuang, Cheng Lu, Qian-yong Liang, Shi-peng Wei, Yan-jiang Yu, Chun-sheng Liu, Bin Li, Kai-xiang Shen, Hao-xian Shi, Qiu-ping Lu, Jing Li, Bei-bei Kou, Gang Song, Bo Li, He-en Zhang, Hong-feng Lu, Chao Ma, Yi-fei Dong, Hang Bian, 2020. The second natural gas hydrate production test in the South China Sea, China Geology, 3, 197-209. doi: 10.31035/cg2020043

Citation:

The second natural gas hydrate production test in the South China Sea

a.
China Geological Survey, Ministry of Natural Resources, Beijing 100037, China
b.
Guangzhou Marine Geological Survey, China Geological Survey, Ministry of Natural Resources, Guangzhou 510075, China
c.
Institute of Exploration Techniques, China Geological Survey, Ministry of Natural Resources, Langfang 065000, China
d.
Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
e.
CNPC Offshore Engineering Company Limited, Beijing 100102, China
f.
Oil and Gas Resources Survey, China Geological Survey, Ministry of Natural Resources, Beijing 100083, China
g.
Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou 510000, China

More Information

Corresponding authors: jianliangye@hydz.cn (Jian-liang Ye); qinxuwen@163.com (Xu-wen Qin)

Received Date: 15 April 2020

Revised Date: 08 June 2020

Accepted Date: 12 June 2020

Available Online: 25 June 2020

Publish Date: 25 June 2020

Abstract

Abstract

Clayey silt reservoirs bearing natural gas hydrates (NGH) are considered to be the hydrate-bearing reservoirs that boast the highest reserves but tend to be the most difficult to exploit. They are proved to be exploitable by the first NGH production test conducted in the South China Sea in 2017. Based on the understanding of the first production test, the China Geological Survey determined the optimal target NGH reservoirs for production test and conducted a detailed assessment, numerical and experimental simulation, and onshore testing of the reservoirs. After that, it conducted the second offshore NGH production test in 1225 m deep Shenhu Area, South China Sea (also referred to as the second production test) from October 2019 to April 2020. During the second production test, a series of technical challenges of drilling horizontal wells in shallow soft strata in deep sea were met, including wellhead stability, directional drilling of a horizontal well, reservoir stimulation and sand control, and accurate depressurization. As a result, 30 days of continuous gas production was achieved, with a cumulative gas production of 86.14 ×10⁴ m³. Thus, the average daily gas production is 2.87 ×10⁴ m³, which is 5.57 times as much as that obtained in the first production test. Therefore, both the cumulative gas production and the daily gas production were highly improved compared to the first production test. As indicated by the monitoring results of the second production test, there was no anomaly in methane content in the seafloor, seawater, and atmosphere throughout the whole production test. This successful production test further indicates that safe and effective NGH exploitation is feasible in clayey silt NGH reservoirs. The industrialization of hydrates consists of five stages in general, namely theoretical research and simulation experiments, exploratory production test, experimental production test, productive production test, and commercial production. The second production test serves as an important step from the exploratory production test to experimental production test.
- Natural gas hydrates /
- Second production test /
- Horizontal well /
- Reservoir stimulation /
- Environmental impact /
- NGH exploration trial engineering /
- South China Sea

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