Underground Storage of Natural Gas in Hydrate State: Numerical Experiment

Abstract

Abstract The paper is devoted to simulation of the initial stage of natural gas hydrate underground storage: gas injection into aquifer just below permafrost rocks. It is based on the mathematical model of multiphase non-isothermal real gas and water flow in porous media. The model takes into account the transformation of gas and water into hydrate at certain temperature which depends on gas flow pressure. The dynamics of hydrate and water saturation as well as the pressure and temperature fields in a reservoir with given porosity, permeability and initial values of pressure, temperature and water saturation have been studied. An implicit finite-difference scheme is used to approximate the original boundary-value problem. The finite-difference equations have been solved using simple iteration and sweeping algorithms. Several examples of calculations corresponding to real cases are given. Calculations have revealed that the final result strongly depends on the combination of porosity and permeability of a reservoir.