Determination and Application of Archie Model Parameters in Hydrate Formation under Different Temperature Gradients

Abstract

To investigate the impact of geothermal gradient on the distribution and reserves of hydrate in permafrost regions, it is crucial to utilize the Archie formula to compute hydrate saturation and adjust parameters to enhance the model’s precision under varying temperature gradient conditions. This study formed methane hydrate under four temperature gradients of 0.02 °C/cm, 0.07 °C/cm, 0.11 °C/cm and 0.18 °C/cm, and two sand particle ratios. The values of porosity index (m) and saturation index (n) were fitted according to different conditions. The water saturation and hydrate saturation were then calculated and contrasted with experimental results. Findings indicate that the influence of temperature gradient on the values of m and n is intricate, with n decreasing gradually and m fluctuating with an increase in temperature gradient. The discrepancies between the optimized Archie model and the actual calculated hydrate saturation values ranged from 0.8% to 2.5%, with average errors of less than 3%, proving its applicability. Finally, the optimized Archie model was used to investigate the hydrate saturation and its distribution in different layers, which confirmed the significant effect of temperature gradient on the assessment of hydrate storage and distribution by Archie’s equation.