Man-made gas hydrates create serious problems for the oil and gas production industry. Prevention of hydrate formation requires significant costs. In addition, it is important to understand the physics and parameters of hydrate formation processes. Therefore, an urgent task is to establish the peculiarities of the kinetics and parameters of hydrate formation in technological processes. The object of the research was the parameters of the beginning of mass crystallization of gas hydrates in reservoir systems. The process of hydrate formation at the phase boundary is manifested by the formation of a thin layer of hydrate in the form of a film. In the course of experimental studies, it was established that this process is visually fixed by clouding of the pre-specular phase boundary. The effect of distortion of the interphase boundary is explained by the formation, growth, and chaotic accumulation of gas hydrate microcrystals at this boundary. Based on the results of theoretical and experimental studies, the methodology of operative laboratory determination of parameters of mass crystallization of gas hydrate is justified. The essence of the technique is to fix these parameters by the optical effect of distortion of the reflection of the light source on the mirror of the "liquid-gas" interphase surface. The results of empirical studies are based on optical phenomena that were recorded on the interphase surface of the gas hydrate layer and gas. They were studied using microscopy, fixation and image processing methods. The main result of the experiments was the information recorded by the optical system and obtained after fixing the pressure and temperature. The technique can be used to establish and operationally control the moment of mass crystallization of gas hydrates directly at the objects of the oil and gas industry (during the implementation of technological processes). This will make it possible to effectively prevent clogging of technological equipment with the solid phase of gas hydrate, as well as to prevent overuse of hydrate formation inhibitors. At the same time, the only limitation of the application of this technique may be the low light permeability of the aqueous solution as part of the formation system.

The processes of oil and gas production – extraction, preparation, storage and transportation of oil, gas and condensate – are accompanied by risks of man-made hydrate formation. Such man-made gas hydrates cause serious problems for the oil and gas production industry. Oil and gas companies bear significant material costs in connection with the prevention of these processes. For prevent or eliminate it in each specific case, it is necessary to understand the physics of processes and parameters of hydrate formation. Therefore, establishing the peculiarities of the kinetics and thermobaric parameters of the hydrate formation process is an urgent problem. Thus, the object for research is the parameters of the beginning of mass gas hydrates crystallization in reservoir systems. At the same time, the most reliable results can be obtained in the process of laboratory monitoring of processes in reservoir systems and technological equipment directly at industrial facilities. The process of hydrate formation at the phase boundary is manifested by the formation of a thin hydrate layer in the form of a film. In the course of experimental studies, it was established that this process is visually fixed by the transformation of the mirror surface of the phase boundary into a matte one. The distortion effect of the interphase boundary is explained by the formation, growth, massive and chaotic accumulation of gas hydrate microcrystals at this boundary. In the work, based on the results of theoretical and experimental studies, the methodology for operational laboratory determination of parameters of mass gas hydrate crystallization is substantiated. The essence of the technique is to establish the parameters for the moment of mass gas hydrates crystallization based on the fixation of the optical distortion effect of the reflection of the light source on the mirror of the liquid-gas interphase surface. The results of empirical studies are based on optical phenomena observed at the interfacial surface of the gas hydrate layer and gas. They were studied using microscopy, fixation and image processing methods. The main experiments result was the information recorded by the optical system and obtained after fixing the pressure and temperature. The technique can be used to establish and operationally control the moment of mass gas hydrates crystallization directly at the objects of the oil and gas industry (during the implementation of technological processes). This will make it possible to effectively prevent clogging of technological equipment with the solid gas hydrate phase, as well as to prevent overuse of hydrate formation inhibitors. At the same time, the only limitation of the application for this technique may be the low light permeability of the aqueous solution as part of the formation system.

Today considerable experience in the development of tar sands is accumulated. However, well-known mining technologies do not cover the entire depth range of natural bitumen deposits. In addition, there are significant energy-intensive technol 309 ogies and negative environmental impacts. In view of this, the purpose of this work is to improve the method of extracting natural bitumen in site for a deposit interval of 75-200 m and to substantiate the basic technological scheme of this method. The proposed method of extracting bitumen from poorly cemented reservoirs in the depth range of 50 – 400 m provides: creation of artificial production; the transfer of the rock into the water mixture composition under the action of high pressure jets of a heated mixture of water, a hydrocarbon solvent and a flotation agent; separation from the rock and concentration of bitumen in the production as a result of its heating, dissolution and flotation; selection of depleted bitum slurry from the production by gas lift. The proposed method of extracting bitumen is the transfer of the rock at the its occurrence site to the suspension condition on the excavation created by the hydraulic production method, separation and concentration of bitumen by dissolving it with a heated hydrocarbon solvent and a flotation agent (hydrocarbon reagents) and extraction in composition of the depleted rock slurry to the surface by the gas lift method. As the preliminary calculations show, the proposed method will allow the efficient extraction of bitumen and highly viscous oil from weakly cemented reservoirs in the depth range of 50-400 m. Also, the proposed technology creates the preconditions for the development of oil sands at a depth of 75-200 m since there is currently no effective technology for the interval. In addition, it can significantly reduce energy costs, environmental pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

Along with renewable energy and hydrogen, gas hydrates may become the most significant energy resource in the coming years. The reserves of gas in the hydrate state exceed all the combined world reserves of traditional energy resources. At the same time, the gas hydrates properties in the conditions their natural occurrence in the composition of hydrate-containing rock cause significant difficulties in their extraction. In this regard, the industrial use of colossal renewable gas resources in the gas hydrate state is just beginning. Based on this, the methods of developing gas hydrate deposits are the object of research. Based on the analysis and generalization of the currently known examples results of experimental and industrial development of gas hydrate deposits, as well as the results of studying the hydrate-bearing rocks properties, an assessment of the prospects for the industrial implementation of gas hydrate deposit development methods is given. Extraction of methane from gas hydrate deposits causes difficulties due to their solid form. Existing promising methods of their development involve the dissociation of gas hydrate into gas and water. Currently implemented research and industrial development projects of gas hydrate deposits have shown a number of problems related, first of all, to the instability of the hydrate-bearing rock after dissociation of the gas hydrate (at the same time, in the vast majority, the natural gas hydrate becomes metastable and weakly cemented). Therefore, there is still no commercially attractive technology for obtaining natural gas from gas hydrate deposits. At the same time, the depressurization method is considered the most promising. Based on this, the improvement of the technology of influence on the hydrate-bearing rock for the natural gas extraction should concern the provision of the rock removal the into the well. At the same time, effective and competitive development of marine gas hydrates deposits can be realized only if taking into account the geological features of the distribution of hydrate-bearing rocks, as well as the gas hydrates properties in their natural occurrence.