IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/energy/v316y2025ics0360544225000556.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Gas recovery from low-permeability muddy silt gas hydrate reservoirs by depressurization coupled with hot water injection: Impact of hydro-lock effect

Author

Listed:
  • Ye, Hongyu
  • Chen, Jingyu
  • Yao, Yuanxin
  • Chen, Daoyi
  • Wu, Xuezhen
  • Li, Dayong
  • Zi, Mucong

Abstract

Thermal stimulation via injecting hot water can assist depressurization in natural gas hydrate (NGH) exploitation. However, whether depressurization coupled with the thermal stimulation (DP + TS) model can enhance gas production in muddy silt NGH reservoirs is still debated. In this study, we aimed to perfect research on the DP + TS model by proposing a hydro-lock effect that can delay pressure propagation and hinder heat and mass transfer in NGH reservoirs. In addition, we established a THMC model to simulate NGH reservoirs located at Site W17 to investigate the production enhancement of the DP + TS model in the initial state and the hydraulic fracturing state. Results indicate that (i) injecting water into reservoirs may cause pressure-holding, NGH reformation, and permeability damage, making the DP + TS model fail to enhance gas recovery and produce additional water. (ii) Hydraulic fracturing enhances permeability, maintaining higher hot water injection rates, easing hydro-lock, and promoting efficient heat and mass transfer. (iii) The DP + TS model can only enhance production when the permeability of the fractured area exceeds a certain value, but its energy efficiency is still lower than that of pure depressurization. These key findings can fill knowledge gaps in the DP + TS model and provide guidance in future NGH exploitation.

Suggested Citation

  • Ye, Hongyu & Chen, Jingyu & Yao, Yuanxin & Chen, Daoyi & Wu, Xuezhen & Li, Dayong & Zi, Mucong, 2025. "Gas recovery from low-permeability muddy silt gas hydrate reservoirs by depressurization coupled with hot water injection: Impact of hydro-lock effect," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 316(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:316:y:2025:i:c:s0360544225000556
    DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2025.134413
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360544225000556
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.energy.2025.134413?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Zhang, Yiqun & Zhang, Panpan & Hui, Chengyu & Tian, Shouceng & Zhang, Bo, 2023. "Numerical analysis of the geomechanical responses during natural gas hydrate production by multilateral wells," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 269(C).
    2. Li, Gang & Li, Xiao-Sen & Yang, Bo & Duan, Li-Ping & Huang, Ning-Sheng & Zhang, Yu & Tang, Liang-Guang, 2013. "The use of dual horizontal wells in gas production from hydrate accumulations," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 1303-1310.
    3. Zhong, Xiuping & Pan, Dongbin & Zhu, Ying & Wang, Yafei & Zhai, Lianghao & Li, Xitong & Tu, Guigang & Chen, Chen, 2021. "Fracture network stimulation effect on hydrate development by depressurization combined with thermal stimulation using injection-production well patterns," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 228(C).
    4. Li, Bo & Liang, Yun-Pei & Li, Xiao-Sen & Zhou, Lei, 2016. "A pilot-scale study of gas production from hydrate deposits with two-spot horizontal well system," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 176(C), pages 12-21.
    5. Ye, Hongyu & Chen, Daoyi & Yao, Yuanxin & Wu, Xuezhen & Li, Dayong & Zi, Mucong, 2024. "Exploration of production capacity-geomechanical evaluation and CO2 reinjection repair strategy in natural gas hydrate production by multilateral horizontal wells," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 296(C).
    6. Tzu-Keng Lin & Bieng-Zih Hsieh, 2020. "Prevention of Seabed Subsidence of Class-1 Gas Hydrate Deposits via CO 2 -EGR: A Numerical Study with Coupled Geomechanics-Hydrate Reaction-Multiphase Fluid Flow Model," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-21, April.
    7. Guo, Yang & Li, Shuxia & Sun, Hao & Wu, Didi & Liu, Lu & Zhang, Ningtao & Qin, Xuwen & Lu, Cheng, 2024. "Enhancing gas production and CO2 sequestration from marine hydrate reservoirs through optimized CO2 hydrate cap," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 303(C).
    8. Yin, Zhenyuan & Huang, Li & Linga, Praveen, 2019. "Effect of wellbore design on the production behaviour of methane hydrate-bearing sediments induced by depressurization," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 254(C).
    9. Wang, Yi & Feng, Jing-Chun & Li, Xiao-Sen & Zhan, Lei & Li, Xiao-Yan, 2018. "Pilot-scale experimental evaluation of gas recovery from methane hydrate using cycling-depressurization scheme," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 160(C), pages 835-844.
    10. Ye, Hongyu & Wu, Xuezhen & Guo, Gaoqiang & Huang, Qichao & Chen, Jingyu & Li, Dayong, 2023. "Application of the enlarged wellbore diameter to gas production enhancement from natural gas hydrates by complex structure well in the shenhu sea area," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 264(C).
    11. Chong, Zheng Rong & Moh, Jia Wei Regine & Yin, Zhenyuan & Zhao, Jianzhong & Linga, Praveen, 2018. "Effect of vertical wellbore incorporation on energy recovery from aqueous rich hydrate sediments," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 229(C), pages 637-647.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ye, Hongyu & Zhang, Qi & Yao, Yuanxin & Duan, Jun & Chen, Daoyi & Lu, Hailong & Wu, Xuezhen & Li, Dayong & Jiang, Yujing & Zi, Mucong, 2025. "Co-production of gas hydrates, shallow gas, and deep gas in the Qiongdongnan Basin: A pathway to commercial production," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 384(C).
    2. Ye, Hongyu & Chen, Daoyi & Yao, Yuanxin & Wu, Xuezhen & Li, Dayong & Zi, Mucong, 2024. "Exploration of production capacity-geomechanical evaluation and CO2 reinjection repair strategy in natural gas hydrate production by multilateral horizontal wells," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 296(C).
    3. Shanling Zhang & Sheng Jiang & Hongda Li & Peiran Li & Xiuping Zhong & Chen Chen & Guigang Tu & Xiang Liu & Zhenhua Xu, 2025. "Current Status and Reflections on Ocean CO 2 Sequestration: A Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-28, February.
    4. Chong, Zheng Rong & Zhao, Jianzhong & Chan, Jian Hua Rudi & Yin, Zhenyuan & Linga, Praveen, 2018. "Effect of horizontal wellbore on the production behavior from marine hydrate bearing sediment," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 214(C), pages 117-130.
    5. Mu, Zongjie & Yan, Zhuang & Qiu, Zilun & Zhang, Panpan & Zhang, Yiqun & Tian, Shouceng & Zhang, Bo, 2025. "Impact of fracture orientation on gas hydrate extraction using horizontal well depressurization and hydraulic fracturing," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 315(C).
    6. Wan, Qing-Cui & Si, Hu & Li, Bo & Yin, Zhen-Yuan & Gao, Qiang & Liu, Shu & Han, Xiao & Chen, Ling-Ling, 2020. "Energy recovery enhancement from gas hydrate based on the optimization of thermal stimulation modes and depressurization," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 278(C).
    7. Li, Xiao-Yan & Feng, Jing-Chun & Li, Xiao-Sen & Wang, Yi & Hu, Heng-Qi, 2022. "Experimental study of methane hydrate formation and decomposition in the porous medium with different thermal conductivities and grain sizes," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 305(C).
    8. Feng, Jing-Chun & Li, Bo & Li, Xiao-Sen & Wang, Yi, 2021. "Effects of depressurizing rate on methane hydrate dissociation within large-scale experimental simulator," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 304(C).
    9. Yun-Pei Liang & Shu Liu & Qing-Cui Wan & Bo Li & Hang Liu & Xiao Han, 2018. "Comparison and Optimization of Methane Hydrate Production Process Using Different Methods in a Single Vertical Well," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-21, December.
    10. Zhang, Jidong & Yin, Zhenyuan & Li, Qingping & Li, Shuaijun & Wang, Yi & Li, Xiao-Sen, 2023. "Comparison of fluid production between excess-gas and excess-water hydrate-bearing sediments under depressurization and its implication on energy recovery," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 282(C).
    11. Sun, Jiaxin & Qin, Fanfan & Ning, Fulong & Gu, Yuhang & Li, Yanlong & Cao, Xinxin & Mao, Peixiao & Liu, Tianle & Qin, Shunbo & Jiang, Guosheng, 2023. "Gas recovery from silty hydrate reservoirs by using vertical and horizontal well patterns in the South China Sea: Effect of well spacing and its optimization," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 275(C).
    12. Sun, Zhen-Feng & Li, Nan & Jia, Shuai & Cui, Jin-Long & Yuan, Qing & Sun, Chang-Yu & Chen, Guang-Jin, 2019. "A novel method to enhance methane hydrate exploitation efficiency via forming impermeable overlying CO2 hydrate cap," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 240(C), pages 842-850.
    13. Guo, Xianwei & Xu, Lei & Wang, Bin & Sun, Lingjie & Liu, Yulong & Wei, Rupeng & Yang, Lei & Zhao, Jiafei, 2020. "Optimized gas and water production from water-saturated hydrate-bearing sediment through step-wise depressurization combined with thermal stimulation," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 276(C).
    14. Shuaishuai Nie & Chen Chen & Min Chen & Jian Song & Yafei Wang & Yingrui Ma, 2022. "Numerical Evaluation of a Novel Development Mode for Challenging Oceanic Gas Hydrates Considering Methane Leakage," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-22, November.
    15. Edyta Kuk & Jerzy Stopa & Michał Kuk & Damian Janiga & Paweł Wojnarowski, 2022. "Optimal Well Control Based on Auto-Adaptive Decision Tree—Maximizing Energy Efficiency in High-Nitrogen Underground Gas Storage," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-22, May.
    16. Huang, Li & Yin, Zhenyuan & Wan, Yizhao & Sun, Jianye & Wu, Nengyou & Veluswamy, Hari Prakash, 2020. "Evaluation and comparison of gas production potential of the typical four gas hydrate deposits in Shenhu area, South China sea," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 204(C).
    17. Liu, Zheng & Zheng, Junjie & Wang, Zhiyuan & Gao, Yonghai & Sun, Baojiang & Liao, Youqiang & Linga, Praveen, 2023. "Effect of clay on methane hydrate formation and dissociation in sediment: Implications for energy recovery from clayey-sandy hydrate reservoirs," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 341(C).
    18. Zhang, Tianjun & Wu, Jinyu & Pang, Mingkun & Liu, Rongtao & Zhu, Shipeng & Pan, Hongyu, 2024. "Experimental study on the negative pressure loss generated by the gas influx process around a long borehole," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 296(C).
    19. Li, Nan & Zhang, Jie & Xia, Ming-Ji & Sun, Chang-Yu & Liu, Yan-Sheng & Chen, Guang-Jin, 2021. "Gas production from heterogeneous hydrate-bearing sediments by depressurization in a large-scale simulator," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 234(C).
    20. Du, Hongxing & Zhang, Yiqun & Zhang, Bo & Tian, Shouceng & Li, Gensheng & Zhang, Panpan, 2023. "Study of CO2 injection to enhance gas hydrate production in multilateral wells," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 283(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:316:y:2025:i:c:s0360544225000556. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/energy .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.