Evaluation of the Gas Production Enhancement Effect of Boundary Sealing and Near-Wellbore Stimulation for Class 1 Hydrate Reservoir Step-Wise Depressurization with a Horizontal Well
Source abstract
Abstract
Natural gas hydrates (NGHs) currently lack economic feasibility; efficient exploitation methods must be continuously explored to increase their production capacity. Drawing on field data from China’s first offshore NGH trial production, a numerical simulation method was used to evaluate a comprehensive development strategy that combines a horizontal well with boundary sealing, near-wellbore stimulation, and step-wise depressurization to improve the recovery of Class 1 NGH reservoirs. The results indicated that boundary sealing has a strong enhancement effect: it inhibits water invasion and thus concentrates the energy for hydrate dissociation. The use of high-pressure water jets for near-wellbore stimulation generates highly permeable channels, greatly accelerating hydrate dissociation and gas flow; step-wise depressurization optimizes the production behavior by controlling water production. The combined application of these technologies significantly improves development performance, with cumulative gas production (Vg) increasing to 220.1% and the gas-to-water ratio (Rgw) increasing to 102.6% compared to the base case, providing an effective strategy for the development of Class 1 NGH reservoirs.
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Research context
OpenAlex topics: Methane Hydrates and Related Phenomena · Offshore Engineering and Technologies · Hydraulic Fracturing and Reservoir Analysis
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
Affiliations
Guangzhou Marine Geology Survey, China Geological Survey, Ministry of Natural Resources, Guangzhou 511458, China
National Engineering Research Center of Gas Hydrate Exploration and Development, Guangzhou 511458, China
Funding
National Key R&D Program of China · Guangdong MEPP Fund
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