Gas hydrates are considered “near-future
energy resources”
due to their vast existence all around the world. Recently, China
has tested gas production from methane hydrate-bearing clayey silts
via horizontal well technology for the first time. This study aims
to investigate the effect of well configuration on gas production
from the Black Sea gas hydrates. Mainly, two different hydrate-bearing
models (single-layer homogeneous hydrate-bearing sands and multilayer
hydrate-bearing turbidite) were constructed in this study. Gas production
numerical simulations were held using the TOUGH + HYDRATE simulator.
Gas production via the horizontal well in single-layer homogeneous
hydrate-bearing sand was higher compared to the vertical well case
at early stages. However, fast depressurization via the horizontal
well caused a rapid decline in reservoir temperature and hydrate dissociation
rate. Then, local hydrate reformation was detected near the wellbore.
In the later periods of gas production, higher gas production with
the vertical well was obtained. The clay layers in the heterogeneous
methane hydrate reservoirs (alternating sand and clay layers in turbidite)
behave like a barrier to depressurization with a horizontal well.
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