Numerical Study of Gas Production from a Methane Hydrate Reservoir Using Depressurization with Multi-wells

With the implementation of the production tests in permafrost and offshore regions in Canada, US, Japan, and China, the study of natural gas hydrate has progressed into the stage of technology development for industrial exploitation. The depressurization method is considered as a better strategy to produce gas from hydrate reservoirs based on production tests and laboratory experiments. Multi-well production is proposed to improve gas production efficiency, to meet the requirement for industrial production. For evaluating the applicability of multi-well production to hydrate exploitation, a 2D model is established, with numerical simulations of the performance of the multi-well pattern carried out. To understand the dissociation behavior of gas hydrate, the pressure and temperature distributions in the hydrate reservoir are specified, and the change in permeability of reservoir sediments is investigated. The results obtained indicate that multi-well production can improve the well connectivity, accelerate hydrate dissociation, enhance gas production rate and reduce water production as compared with single-well production.