Laboratory Study of Hydraulic Fracturing Behavior in Unconsolidated Sands for Methane Hydrate Production

Ito, Takatoshi; Igarashi, Akira; Suzuki, Kiyofumi; Nagakubo, Sadao; Matsuzawa, Maki; Yamamoto, Kazuhiko

doi:10.4043/19324-ms

Cited by 44 publications

(26 citation statements)

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“…8. Other groups have reported that a similar tendency of the pressure change occurred when hydraulic fracturing was executed for unconsolidated porous media (Bohloli and de Pater, 2006;Ito, et al, 2008;Ito, et al, 2011). The pressure in injection well then decreased drastically to approximately 0.5 MPa in Run 1.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 53%

Visualization of the flow pattern in methane hydrate reservoir model

Yamada

Chen

Okajima

et al. 2018

JFST

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The objective of this study is to visualize the flow pattern in methane hydrate (MH) reservoir model under atmospheric pressure condition. A method to mimic a real MH reservoir was introduced into the present research to visualize the multiphase flow pattern in porous media under thermal fluid injection. First, porous media mimicking real MH reservoir were prepared in a visualization cell with dual horizontal wells, which were composed of glass beads, ice of sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO 3) aqueous solution and ethanol (C 2 H 5 OH). Thereafter, hydraulic fracturing by injecting C 2 H 5 OH aqueous solution was executed to generate flow path that increases permeability between the injection well and production well. The flow pattern in the reservoir model with the flow path was then visualized during the injection of hydrochloric acid (HCl) aqueous solution. The dominant factors governing the multiphase flow in fractured porous MH mimicking reservoir were evaluated. It was found that the flow path formation with high permeability by hydraulic fracturing and permeability increment by ice melting are of critical importance for the reservoir mimicking system. In addition, it is found that the liquid phase flow may also be affected by the formation of gas phase inside the porous media that mimic the dissociation process in the real MH reservoir.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 53%

Visualization of the flow pattern in methane hydrate reservoir model

Yamada

Chen

Okajima

et al. 2018

JFST

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“…Ito et al conducted a laboratory study of hydraulic fracturing in unconsolidated hydrate-free sand and mud layers mimicking the host sediment of methane hydrate reservoirs. 18 They found that the uid injection induced a fracture-like structure at the interface between the hydrate-free sand and the mud layers. 18 If fractures can be formed in the gas-hydrate-bearing sediments, then they would accelerate pressure propagation and enlarge the hydrate dissociation area, thereby increasing the gas production rate and the present value of the reservoir.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…18 They found that the uid injection induced a fracture-like structure at the interface between the hydrate-free sand and the mud layers. 18 If fractures can be formed in the gas-hydrate-bearing sediments, then they would accelerate pressure propagation and enlarge the hydrate dissociation area, thereby increasing the gas production rate and the present value of the reservoir. However, to the best of our knowledge, no study has been conducted on hydraulic fracturing in gas-hydrate-bearing sediments, either experimentally or numerically.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hydraulic fracturing in methane-hydrate-bearing sand

Konno

Jin

Yoneda³

et al. 2016

RSC Adv.

125

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“…The resulting features were generally sheet-like and formed normal to the least principal compression. Features with similar geometries were also formed by injecting various fluids into unconsolidated sediments (Ito et al 2008), loose sand (Khodaverdian & McElfresh 2000;Di Lullo et al 2004;de Pater & Dong 2009), poorly graded soil (Elwood 2008), clay samples (Au et al 2003;Soga et al 2004) and siliceous powder (Chang 2004;Galland et al 2006). Although the geometries of these features resemble fractures, the mechanics by which they form is likely to be different from classical fracture mechanics (Khodaverdian & McElfresh 2000;Chang et al 2003;Chang 2004;Di Lullo et al 2004).…”

Section: (A) Hydraulic Fractures In Soilmentioning

confidence: 99%

Injection of solids to lift coastal areas

Germanovich

Murdoch

2010

Proc. R. Soc. A.

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Catastrophic flooding in coastal areas is an ongoing problem that may be aggravated by projected sea-level rise. We present a method of flood protection called SIRGE (solid injection for raising ground elevation), where the ground surface is raised by injecting sediment-laden slurry into hydraulic fractures at shallow depths. The injection process is repeated at adjacent locations to create a network of sub-horizontal, overlapping injections of solid material (hydraulic fractures). We argue that injecting sediment over large lateral distances would cause a lasting surface uplift that scales with the thickness of injected sediment at depth. We support this concept by an analysis showing that, in contrast to hydraulic fractures in petroleum reservoirs, hydraulic fractures in soft, shallow formations would typically grow in the toughness-dominated regime. It appears that the SIRGE process could be implemented to lift ground elevations in places such as Venice or New Orleans. Experimental and geological examples indicate that hydraulic fractures of suitable orientation and size can be created in areas with appropriate in situ stresses.

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Laboratory Study of Hydraulic Fracturing Behavior in Unconsolidated Sands for Methane Hydrate Production

Cited by 44 publications

References 0 publications

Visualization of the flow pattern in methane hydrate reservoir model

Visualization of the flow pattern in methane hydrate reservoir model

Hydraulic fracturing in methane-hydrate-bearing sand

Injection of solids to lift coastal areas

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