Lijia Li, Shu Liu, Xiaoliang Huang^*, Zhilin Qi

FDMP-Fluid Dynamics & Materials Processing, Vol.22, No.1, 2026, DOI:10.32604/fdmp.2026.073294 - 06 February 2026

Abstract Identifying geohazards such as landslides and methane leakage is crucial during gas extraction from natural gas hydrate (NGH) reservoirs, and understanding reservoir settlement behavior is central to this assessment. Horizontal wells can enlarge the pressure relief zone within the formation, improving single-well productivity, and are therefore considered a promising approach for NGH development. This study examines the settlement response of hydrate-bearing sediments during depressurization using horizontal wells. A fully coupled thermal, hydraulic, mechanical, and chemical (THMC) model with representative reservoir properties (Shenhu region in the South China Sea) is presented accordingly. The simulations show that More >

Junyu Deng^1,2, Rui Zhang^1,*, Xudong Zhao³, Hongzhi Xu^1,2, Peng Ji¹, Zizhen Zhang¹, Yifan Yang¹

Energy Engineering, Vol.122, No.10, pp. 4153-4168, 2025, DOI:10.32604/ee.2025.065906 - 30 September 2025

Abstract Field tests have demonstrated that depressurization with controlled sand production is an effective technique for natural gas hydrate extraction. Variations in depositional environments and processes result in significant heterogeneity within subsea natural gas hydrate-bearing sediments. However, the influence of permeability heterogeneity on production performance during depressurization with controlled sand production remains inadequately understood. In this study, a multiphase, multi-component mathematical model is developed to simulate depressurization with controlled sand production in methane hydrate-bearing sediments, incorporating geological conditions representative of unconsolidated argillaceous siltstone hydrate deposits in the Shenhu area of the South China Sea. The effects… More >

Yajie Bai^1,*, Jian Hou^2,3, Yongge Liu^2,3

Energy Engineering, Vol.122, No.6, pp. 2503-2518, 2025, DOI:10.32604/ee.2025.063198 - 29 May 2025

Abstract Natural gas hydrate widely exists in the South China Sea as clean energy. A three-phase transition layer widely exists in low permeability Class I hydrates in the Shenhu offshore area. Therefore, taking into account the low-permeability characteristics with an average permeability of 5.5 mD and moderate heterogeneity, a 3-D geological model of heterogeneous Class I hydrate reservoirs with three-phase transition layers is established by Kriging interpolation and stochastic modeling method, and a numerical simulation model is used to describe the depressurization production performance of the reservoir. With the development of depressurization, a specific range of… More >

Hongzhi Xu^1,2, Jian Wang^1,3, Shuxia Li^1,*, Fengrui Zhao¹, Chengwen Wang¹, Yang Guo¹

FDMP-Fluid Dynamics & Materials Processing, Vol.20, No.3, pp. 505-523, 2024, DOI:10.32604/fdmp.2023.030604 - 12 January 2024

Abstract Natural gas hydrate (NGH) is generally produced and accumulated together with the underlying conventional gas. Therefore, optimizing the production technology of these two gases should be seen as a relevant way to effectively reduce the exploitation cost of the gas hydrate. In this study, three types of models accounting for the coexistence of these gases are considered. Type A considers the upper hydrate-bearing layer (HBL) adjacent to the lower conventional gas layer (CGL); with the Type B a permeable interlayer exists between the upper HBL and the lower CGL; with the type C there is… More >