Patent Grant
11492884
The present invention relates to a yielding method of sand reservoir type methane hydrate existing in a frozen soil reservoir on the land, a subsea reservoir and the like.
Methane hydrate is attracting worldwide attention as a next-generation energy resource, and various development methods are being studied by research teams in various countries (Patent Literature 1) (Patent Literature 2). Until now, Japanese researchers have already conducted several field yielding trials and been able to verify that a depressurization method is effective as a method for decomposing methane hydrate (Non-patent Literature 1).
However, in field yielding trials conducted in Japan or other foreign countries in the past, there are problems of both of compaction of reservoir and production of sand, and both are considered to be the biggest hurdle to overcome for achieving a stable production of methane hydrate (Non-patent Literature 2). This is because solid methane hydrate exists in the reservoir composed of sand particles that are unsolidified or weakly solidified, and the solid methane hydrate also plays a role of supporting the sand particles by filling the pores between the particles. On the other hand, when methane hydrate is decomposed into methane gas and water, the adhesion force within the sand particles will be deprived and resulting in fluidity. The fluidized sand will be carried into the mine due to the occurrence of water or gas, and it will damage the equipment in the mine.
In order to avoid production obstacles due to production of sand, the gravel pack screen method, which has a practical effectiveness in conventional petroleum oil and gas production, was introduced in the latest second marine yielding trial. However, this approach simply filters out the outflowed sand, and cannot suppress the occurrence of the fluidity of the sand, and its effect is extremely limited as a countermeasure against production of sand in methane hydrate production. The inadequacy is clarified by the same yielding trial (Non-patent Literature 3).
In the conventional yielding method, there are existing problems so-called “compaction of reservoir” and “production of sand”. An innovative methane hydrate yielding method is provided by the present invention, which can solve the problems of the compaction of reservoir and the production of sand.
The present invention is a yielding method comprising the following steps (a) to (e) for targeting a sand reservoir type methane hydrate existing between the sand particles of a frozen soil reservoir on the land or a subsea reservoir.
(a) A reservoir grouting process of injecting grouting agent or a filling material into the methane hydrate reservoir to be developed.
(b) Prior to the reservoir grouting process (a), a planning process of calculating and determining the type of injected grouting agent, operation method and conditions, various parameters, etc.
(c) After the reservoir grouting process (a), a production process of recovering methane gas by decomposing methane hydrate into methane gas and water from the reservoir that has undergone the reservoir grouting.
(d) After the reservoir grouting process (a) and prior to the production process, if necessary, a hydraulic fracturing and chemical treatment process for improving the reservoir permeation rate of the grouted reservoir that has undergone the reservoir grouting.
(e) After the planning process (b) and prior to the reservoir grouting process (a), a pretreatment process of intentionally raising production of sand in advance by constructing a cavity, in order to construct a space for constructing a grouting body through the filling material.
Within the above-mentioned processes (a) to (e), in order to maximize economic efficiency, it is possible to omit some processes, to carry out some processes several times, or to change implementing procedure.
Preferably, the grouting agent is selected from those capable of sufficiently adhering sand particles with weak solidification constituting the reservoir within a range where the permeability of the reservoir will not largely decrease. For example, it can be selected from those are capable of adhering the sand particles, via the formation of precipitates, polymers, and other solids, including cement, water glass, polymers (acrylamide type, epoxy resin, phenol resin, furan resin, urea type, urethane type, etc.), or calcium carbonate.
Preferably, the filling material is selected from those capable of constructing a grouting body with sufficient strength and good permeability, which is constructed by filling the filling material into cavities, resulted from natural or artificial production of sand. For example, it can be selected from resin-coated sand, resin-coated ceramic particles, resin-coated glass beads, and sand, glass beads, ceramic particles having a surface coated with the grouting agent
Preferably, as a method of injecting the grouting agent or the filling material into the reservoir, a chemical injection method of infiltrating the grouting agent into the gaps within the sand particles, and a high-pressure injection method of cutting the sand by a high-pressure jet flow and forcing the grouting agent or the filling material into the reservoir, are adopted.
By artificially adhering the unsolidified or weakly solidified sand reservoir and constructing a grouting body having sufficient strength and good permeability around the mine well, the compaction of reservoir and the production of sand during the production of methane hydrate can be solved, and thus, it is possible to provide an innovative production technique of methane hydrate.
In addition, the grouted methane hydrate reservoir has properties similar to those of conventional petroleum oil and gas reservoirs, and can make the existing petroleum oil and gas development technologies to yield a maximum production, which is economically advantageous.
For example, methane hydrate exists in the subsea reservoir of the Nankai Trough nearby Japan. The bottom of the sea is assumed to be about 1000 m deep. In addition, there is a concentrated zone of methane hydrate in the sand reservoir MH about 300 m deeper than the subsea surface. This target reservoir MH is assumed to be the target reservoir to be developed, and the layer thickness thereof is assumed to be several tens of meters.
In the production of methane hydrate, as shown in
The working ship 1 is provided with a grouting agent tank 102, a pump 103, a winch 104, and a muddy water treatment device 105. The winch 104 winds and stores an injection hose 107, and can be extended and wound as needed. The injection hose 107 is used to feed the grouting agent G in the grouting agent tank 102. It is also possible to use a digging pipe to replace the hose, depending on working conditions.
On the other hand, a muddy water hose 106 is used for transporting the muddy water returned from the mine well to the working ship 1. The muddy water from the muddy water hose 106 is appropriately treated by the muddy water treatment device 105.
A mine injection device 109 is used for injecting the grouting agent into the target reservoir.
However, this is just an illustrative example. The present invention is not limited thereto, and the present invention can be applied to the subsea and reservoir with different depths or the target reservoir MH with different layer thicknesses. In addition, the casing may be not installed in the target reservoir MH, and it is possible to carry out other support measures on the mine wall or to produce in a bare mine. Furthermore, the method is applicable not only to the target reservoir MH of the subsea but also to the methane hydrate layer on the land.
The target reservoir MH is a reservoir mainly composed of sand particles 11, and it is assumed that methane hydrate 11 exists in a gap within the sand particles 13. Here, the methane hydrate is in a solid state because it is in a stable region. The sand particles are firmly fixed to each other in the presence of solid methane hydrate.
In this status, since methane hydrate decomposes into water and methane gas when the pressure is lowered, methane gas can be produced from methane hydrate by the depressurization method.
However, if no countermeasure is taken in this status, the adhesion force within the sand particles will be deprived due to the decomposition of methane hydrate, and the fluidity is disadvantageously occurred in the sand particles. As a result, a large amount of sands 11 will flow out together with methane gas or water, which causes a serious production failure.
Therefore, there is a need for a method capable of preventing the outflow of the sands 11 within a range in which the permeability of the target reservoir MH does not largely decrease for the stable production of the methane hydrate.
Through the reservoir grouting as described in the present invention, a grouting agent capable of sufficiently fixing sand particles 11 is so injected into the porosity of the target reservoir MH as to artificially fix the sand particles. By controlling the injection conditions, the target reservoir MH after the reservoir grouting will have the permeability sufficient for the production of methane hydrate, as well as have a property that the fluidity of sand particles, the compaction of reservoir and the production of sand will not occur even if the methane hydrate is decomposed.
As shown in
The mine injection device 109 is provided with a body, a connection portion (hanging tool), an upper parker 71, and a lower parker 73, and is connected through a hose 77 to an on-ground device (or that on the ship). The body has a hollow cylindrical shape, and outflow holes for the grouting agent and the muddy water are provided on the wall surface. It should be noted that, depending on the working conditions, it is possible to use the digging pipe to replace the hose 77.
The injection of the grouting agent is carried out according to the following procedures. In addition, it may be carried out by different procedures depending on the site situation.
Depending on the type of the grouting agent and the gel time, it may be solidified in the hose (or the digging pipe) 77 or the mine injection device 109, and the device may become unusable again. In this case, the muddy water is circulated through the hose (or the digging pipe) 77 after the injection of grouting agent is completed, and the remained grouting agent G in the device can be discharged.
<Step 1 (Planning Process)>
In step 1, based on information, such as the geology and reservoir conditions, etc., of the development target, the type of the grouting agent to be injected, operation method and conditions, parameters, etc., must be calculated and determined in accordance with production simulation, economic evaluation, etc.
In the above planning process, it is necessary to know all or portions of the following information (a) to (e) as input data or judgment materials in advance.
(a) Reservoir structure, reservoir continuity, lithofacies, grain size, and estimated recoverable reserves.
(b) Shape, boundary, respective depth, thickness, porosity, permeability, saturation, temperature, pressure of the reservoir layer.
(c) Stable regions and decomposition conditions of methane hydrate.
(d) Applicable target, application condition, application limit of each grouting agent.
(e) Quantitative variation in temperature, pressure, porosity, saturation rate of each phase fluid, permeation rate, etc., in accompanied with the reaction mechanism of and the progress of the reaction of each grouting agent.
The above information (a) and (b) can be obtained from a methane hydrate development entity (petroleum oil company, etc.), and can also be explored and measured independently. Information (c) can be retrieved from existing literature. Information (d) can be obtained from the grouting agent manufacturer as well as in its own tests. Information (e) is one of the key points of the present invention and is established by an original experiment or simulation.
Furthermore, information other than the above information may be required depending on the individual project.
A plan for reservoir grouting can be formulated by using all or some of the above known information via production simulation or economic evaluation. In formulating the plan, some or all of the following items (a) to (n) shall be considered.
(a) Types of the grouting agents.
(b) Optimal grouting position and extent. The range is expressed as the grouting radius or the range of the grouting agent diffusing in the reservoir.
(c) Concentration, amount and compounding ratio of the grouting agent.
(d) The injection position, injection method, injection order, injection pressure, injection rate, etc of the grouting agent.
(e) Optimal gel time of the grouting agent.
(f) Types, concentration, amount to be used, timing of utilization, etc., of additives when used in combination with the grouting agent.
(g) Types, mass, concentration, chemical properties, wettability, etc., of the product originated from the grouting agent reaction.
(h) Permeability, porosity, pressure, temperature, strength, etc., of the target reservoir MH with the reservoir grouting.
(i) Variating trends in the amount, concentration, and viscosity of the remaining unreacted grouting agent.
(j) Composition, viscosity, pH, etc., of the grouted reservoir fluid.
(k) Operating method for discharging the unreacted grouting agent, density of muddy water, viscosity, muddy water circulation rate, etc.
(l) Necessity of recovery operation of permeability of target reservoir, type of operation, method, etc.
(m) Expected transition of each parameter representing the expected production of methane gas or water and the properties of the reservoir.
(n) Indices representing operating costs and economic efficiency under the above conditions and parameters.
Among the above, (a) types of the grouting agents is so selected that it can be injected into the reservoir through the production well and can sufficiently adhere the sand particles with weak solidification constituting the reservoir. In some cases, it is possible to change the grouting agent with a different grouting agent G at some point.
At present, it is envisioned that the grouting agent G will be a type of grouting agent, which is capable of adhering sand particles, via the formation of precipitates, polymers, and other solids, including cement, water glass, polymers (acrylamide, urea, urethane, etc.), or calcium carbonate.
However, it is not limited to the above type, and better ones are planned to develop in the future. At the time of development, the grouting agent is preferably selected on the viewpoint that it can be injected into the reservoir through the production well and that the weakly solidified sand particles that make up the reservoir can be sufficiently fixed.
<Step 2 (Reservoir Grouting Process)>
In step 2, the grouting agent is injected into the target reservoir MH by the method as shown in
In the injection of the grouting agent, there are a pattern for completely grouting the target reservoir MH and a pattern for partially grouting the target reservoir MH. The former (completely grouting) has the advantage that the target reservoir MH can be grouted by alternated injection and alternated production (as illustrated in
On the other hand, the latter (partially grouting) is a pattern (as illustrated in
<Step 3 (Hydraulic Fracturing and Chemical Treatment Process)>
In Step 3, a mine well test is performed for the target reservoir MH as grouted in Step 2, and the permeability and production capacity of the reservoir are mainly evaluated. If necessary, the process is performed to improve the permeability of the target reservoir MH. For example, (a) hydraulic fracturing or (b) chemical treatment may be performed.
(a) Hydraulic fracturing is originally a technique for forming cracks (fracturing) in a shale layer with a low permeability mainly for the development of shale gas and shale petroleum oil, but in the present invention, this is carried out for the grouted portion where the permeation rate is significantly reduced due to the solidification of the grouting agent or the reaction product thereof.
On the other hand, in (b) the chemical treatment, hydrochloric acid or hydrofluoric acid is mainly used to remove fine particles and the like in the pores, thereby improving the permeability. In addition, in order to eliminate the decrease in permeability due to the excess reactants and by-products of the reaction in the reservoir grouting process, it is also possible to inject a chemical agent which reacts with the substance and urges the product to dissolve in a liquid, a gas or a fluid in the reservoir.
If the target reservoir MH as grouted in Step 2 has a sufficient permeability, this step may not be performed.
<Step 4 (Production Process)>
In Step 4, methane hydrate is decomposed from the target reservoir MH as grouted by the above steps by the depressurization method or the like to recover methane gas.
The effectiveness of the reservoir grouting or the initial production plan is evaluated from the results of actual gas production, etc., and it will contribute to the formulation of the subsequent production plan and the development and improvement of the grouting agent G.
The mine well 101 is provided with a horizontal portion 111 extending in the target reservoir MH. The horizontal portion 111 is so provided with a large number of gunper holes 31, as shown in
In order to ensure the grouting of reservoir and the maximization of production area, a plurality of wells 101 are drilled along a certain direction in the target reservoir MH as shown in
In the actual development, the mine well arrangement is not limited as shown in the illustration, and can be determined according to the flow as shown in
Depending on the conditions of the reservoir layer, the mine wells 101 are alternately divided into one group of production wells and the other group of injection wells.
While injecting the grouting agent G from the first mine well 101a, methane gas is produced from the second mine well 101b and the third mine well 101c by the depressurization method.
As shown in
Specifically, the first mine well 101a will be switched to the methane gas production well, and the second mine well 101b and the third mine well 101c will be switched to the injection mine well of the grouting agent G. As a result, it is possible to improve both groups of mine wells uniformly and stably to some extent without the compaction of reservoir and the production of sand.
When the grouting of
After the methane hydrate is decomposed to some extent, the first mine well 101a will be switched to the injection well again as shown in
When proceeding to the status as shown in
With the above approach, it is possible to have a promoted grouting by alternating injection, while alternating production can be achieved, and it is possible to achieve grouting by utilizing the horizontal mine wells and aim to maximize the production area and improve the recovery rate.
Furthermore,
At the appropriate depth of the vertical well (101) throughout the target reservoir MH, the injection operation of the grouting agent is carried out using the mine injection device as shown in
The grouted portion acts like filters that block sand from flowing-in from the perimeter while merely allowing fluids, such as water or methane gas, to enter the mine. The effect of preventing the production of sand due to reservoir grouting only executed around the mine well can be achieved, while minimizing the budget of executing grouting reservoir grouting.
In the second embodiment of the present invention, a porous grouting body is formed of the filling material in the target reservoir around the mine well, and it can prevent the production of sand in the mine during production of methane hydrate.
The filling material as described in the present invention is a material prepared by coating the surface of the particles 21 with an adhesion agent 22. Particles 21 are silica sand, ceramic, or glass beads with a diameter of 0.1 mm to 10 mm. The adhesion agent 22 is in its solid state at room temperature and in a dry environment, but it has a property of fixing the particles 21 through generation of a solid substance, such as calcium carbonate and a polymer substance, by a chemical reaction resulted from a hot water, a combination agent or a catalyst.
At the time of filling, the filling material is dispersed in a liquid 24 serving as the transporting medium, and liquid-like or slurry-like injection material with an appropriate viscosity is constructed. The injection material is fed into the mine by the mine injection device and injected into the cavity of the target reservoir. The injected injection material can so fill the cavity that the liquid 24 penetrates into the target reservoir and the remaining filling material can adhere to the grains. The filling rate of the cavity can be estimated from the injection amount of the injection material, injection rate, injection pressure, etc.
Once the cavity is fully filled, a hot water, the combination agent or the catalyst is injected into the reservoir to facilitate the chemical reaction by the adhesion agent 22. Thus, a chemical reaction is originated by the adhesion agent 22 to form a solid material, and the particles 21 can be fixed. Between the adhered particles 21, there is a pore space 23 through which fluid can pass. Thus, the porous grouting body having sufficient strength and good permeability can be prepared, and stable gas production can be realized while preventing the production of sand.
Preferably, the filling material is selected from those capable of forming a grouting body having sufficient strength and good permeability in a reservoir environment where methane hydrate exists. For example, it is selected from resin-coated sand (resin-coated sand), resin-coated ceramic particles, resin-coated glass beads, and sand, glass beads or ceramic particles having a surface coated with the above-mentioned grouting agent.
Preferably, the liquid 24, as the transporting medium, can adopt muddy water or other liquid, whose specific gravity can be adjusted to balance the reservoir pressure and viscosity can be so adjusted that the dispersed filling material does not readily precipitate.
As shown in
The preparation of the grouting body is carried out according to the following procedures.
Thus, the filling material F can be injected into the target reservoir around the mine well. The filling material F will become a porous grouting body having sufficient strength and good permeability after its solidification, and stable gas production can be realized while preventing the production of sand.
As a method for intentionally occurring the production of sand, methane hydrate may be decomposed by hydrothermal circulation or by input of chemical substances such as inhibitors, other than depressurization by the submersible pump. Further, as a method for forming the cavity in the target reservoir, other than the method for decomposing the methane hydrate, reservoir cutting by high pressure fluid injection or reservoir cutting by a machine fed into the mine may be used. Furthermore, as a method for injecting the filling material into the reservoir cavity, other devices or methods may be used in addition to the mine injection device shown in
Having such an embodiment makes it possible to prevent excessive production of sand during the production of methane hydrate.
The structure, system, program, material, connection relationship of parts, chemical substance to be used, and the like of the present invention can be variously modified without violating the spirits of the present invention.
Materials such as metal, plastic, composite material, ceramic and concrete can be arbitrarily selected.
For example, two or more parts can be combined into single one, or conversely, one part can be composed of two or more parts and connected to each other. In addition, as to the grouting agent, the grouting agent may be so blended with an additive (adsorption accelerator, surfactant, catalyst, etc.) as to allow the grouting agent to function well, or the improver may be so mixed with gas bubbles, such as N2 or CO2, or microvalves, as to allow the grouted reservoir to have a permanent permeability.
Further, the grouting may be performed not only at one time for one reservoir but also at a plurality of positions in multiple stages. On the contrary, it is also possible to perform the grouting for a plurality of thin reservoirs at once.
Moreover, the above-described embodiment is mere one of the best embodiments at present.
Further, the control and the like may be controlled by a control part of a drillship or a ground site, or may be controlled by a control part installed in the sea, a mine mouth, or in a mine.
Further, the order of the processes can be appropriately changed as long as a predetermined effect can be achieved.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| JP2018-119449 | Jun 2018 | JP | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/JP2018/033532 | 9/11/2018 | WO |
| Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| WO2020/003551 | 1/2/2020 | WO | A |
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7404441 | Hocking | Jul 2008 | B2 |
| 20050103498 | Yemington | May 2005 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 2009030378 | Feb 2009 | JP |
| 2011012451 | Jan 2011 | JP |
| Entry |
|---|
| Koji Yamamoto, “Development method of methane hydrate resource”, International Symposium on Methane Hydrate Resources, Nov. 17, 2010. |
| Research Consortium for Methane Hydrate Resources in Japan, “Report on the Results of the First Marine Yielding Trial”, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Methane Hydrate Development Implementation Study Conference (The eighth series), 2007. |
| Koji Yamamoto, Methane Hydrate Resource Development and Research Consortium, “Report on the Second Marine Yielding Trial”, Methane Hydrate Forum, Nov. 29, 2017. |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20210222536 A1 | Jul 2021 | US |
