Skip to main content
Log in

Fundamental characteristics of gas hydrate-bearing sediments in the Shenhu area, South China Sea

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Frontiers in Energy Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The basic physical properties of marine natural gas hydrate deposits are important to the understanding of seabed growth conditions, occurrence regularity, and occurrence environment of natural gas hydrates. A comprehensive analysis of the core samples of drilling pressure-holding hydrate deposits at a depth of 1310 m in the Shenhu area of the South China Sea was conducted. The experimental results indicate that the particle size in the hydrate sediment samples are mainly distributed in the range from 7.81 µm to 21.72 µm, and the average particle size decreases as the depth of the burial increases. The X-ray CT analytical images and surface characteristics SEM scan images suggest that the sediment is mostly silty clay. There are a large number of bioplastics in the sediment, and the crack inside the core may be areas of hydrate formation.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Makogon Y F, Holditch S A, Makogon T Y. Natural gas-hydrates—a potential energy source for the 21st Century. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 2007, 56: 14–31

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Sloan E D, Koh C A. Clathrate Hydrates of Natural Gases. 3rd ed. Boca Raton: CRC Press, 2008

    Google Scholar 

  3. Zhao J F, Guo X W, Sun M R, et al. N2O hydrate formation in porous media: a potential method to mitigate N2O emissions. Chemical Engineering Journal, 2019, 361: 12–20

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Dong H S, Zhang L X, Ling Z, et al. The controlling factors and ion exclusion mechanism of hydrate-based pollutant removal. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 2019, 7(8): 7932–7940

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Zhao J F, Wang B, Sum A K. Dynamics of hydrate formation and deposition under pseudo multiphase flow. AIChE Journal, 2017, 63 (9): 4136–4146

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Ripmeester J A, Alavi S. Some current challenges in clathrate hydrate science: nucleation, decomposition and the memory effect. Current Opinion in Solid State and Materials Science, 2016, 20(6): 344–351

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Moridis G J, Reagan M T, Boyle K L, et al. Evaluation of the gas production potential of some particularly challenging types of oceanic hydrate deposits. Transport in Porous Media, 2011, 90(1): 269–299

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Zhao J F, Fan Z, Wang B, et al. Simulation of microwave stimulation for the production of gas from methane hydrate sediment. Applied Energy, 2016, 168: 25–37

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Song Y C, Kuang Y M, Fan Z, et al. Influence of core scale permeability on gas production from methane hydrate by thermal stimulation. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 2018, 121: 207–214

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Wang B, Dong H S, Liu Y, et al. Evaluation of thermal stimulation on gas production from depressurized methane hydrate deposits. Applied Energy, 2018, 227: 710–718

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Zhao J F, Wang J Q, Liu W G, et al. Analysis of heat transfer effects on gas production from methane hydrate by thermal stimulation. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 2015, 87: 145–150

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Feng J C, Wang Y, Li X S, et al. Investigation into optimization condition of thermal stimulation for hydrate dissociation in the sandy reservoir. Applied Energy, 2015, 154: 995–1003

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Cheng C X, Zhao J F, Yang M J, et al. Evaluation of gas production from methane hydrate sediments with heat transfer from overunderburden layers. Energy & Fuels, 2015, 29(2): 1028–1039

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Zhao JF, Fan Z, Dong H S, et al. Influence of reservoir permeability on methane hydrate dissociation by depressurization. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 2016, 103: 265–276

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Zhang L X, Zhao J F, Dong H S, et al. Magnetic resonance imaging for in-situ observation of the effect of depressurizing range and rate on methane hydrate dissociation. Chemical Engineering Science, 2016, 144: 135–143

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Zhao J F, Zhu Z H, Song Y C, et al. Analyzing the process of gas production for natural gas hydrate using depressurization. Applied Energy, 2015, 142: 125–134

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Zhao J F, Liu D, Yang M J, et al. Analysis of heat transfer effects on gas production from methane hydrate by depressurization. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 2014, 77: 529–541

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Zhang L X, Kuang Y M, Zhang X T, et al. Analyzing the process of gas production from methane hydrate via nitrogen injection. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 2017, 56(26): 7585–7592

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Song Y C, Wang J Q, Liu Y, et al. Analysis of heat transfer influences on gas production from methane hydrates using a combined method. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 2016, 92: 766–773

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Wang B, Fan Z, Zhao J F, et al. Influence of intrinsic permeability of reservoir rocks on gas recovery from hydrate deposits via a combined depressurization and thermal stimulation approach. Applied Energy, 2018, 229: 858–871

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Song Y C, Cheng C X, Zhao J F, et al. Evaluation of gas production from methane hydrates using depressurization, thermal stimulation and combined methods. Applied Energy, 2015, 145: 265–277

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Fan Z, Sun C M, Kuang Y M, et al. MRI analysis for methane hydrate dissociation by depressurization and the concomitant ice generation. Energy Procedia, 2017, 105: 4763–4768

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Wang B, Fan Z, Wang P F, et al. Analysis of depressurization mode on gas recovery from methane hydrate deposits and the concomitant ice generation. Applied Energy, 2018, 227: 624–633

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Wang B, Huo P, Luo T T, et al. Analysis of the physical properties of hydrate sediments recovered from the Pearl River Mouth Basin in the South China Sea: preliminary investigation for gas hydrate exploitation. Energies, 2017, 10(4): 531

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Kuang Y M, Yang L, Li Q P, et al. Physical characteristic analysis of unconsolidated sediments containing gas hydrate recovered from the Shenhu Area of the South China Sea. Journal of Petroleum Science Engineering, 2019, 181: 106173

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Wu S, Zhang G, Huang Y, et al. Gas hydrate occurrence on the continental slope of the northern South China Sea. Marine and Petroleum Geology, 2005, 22(3): 403–412

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Zhang H, Yang S, Wu N, et al. Successful and surprising results for China’s first gas hydrate drilling expedition. Fir in the Ice, 2007, 7 (3): 6–9

    Google Scholar 

  28. Zhou S W, Chen W, Li Q P, et al. Research on the solid fluidization well testing and production for shallow non-diagenetic natural gas hydrate in deep water area. China Offshore Oil Gas, 2017, 29(4): 1–8 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  29. Lu H, Kawasaki T, Ukita T, et al. Particle size effect on the saturation of methane hydrate in sediments-constrained from experimental results. Marine and Petroleum Geology, 2011, 28 (10): 1801–1805

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Shepard F P. Nomenclature based on sand-silt-clay ratios. Journal of Sedimentary Petrology, 1954, 24: 151–158

    Google Scholar 

  31. Gustafsson S, Karawacki E, Khan M N. Transient hot-strip method for simultaneously measuring thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity of solids and fluids. Journal of Physics. D, Applied Physics, 1979, 12(9): 1411–1421

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Liu C L, Meng Q G, Hu G, et al. Characterization of hydrate-bearing sediments recovered from the Shenhu area of the South China Sea. Interpretation (Tulsa), 2017, 5(3): SM13–SM23

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Qingping Li.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Lyu, X., Li, Q., Ge, Y. et al. Fundamental characteristics of gas hydrate-bearing sediments in the Shenhu area, South China Sea. Front. Energy 15, 367–373 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11708-020-0714-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11708-020-0714-z

Keywords

Navigation