Progress in numerical simulation of sand production from hydrate reservoirs

Abstract:

Sand production is one of the critical issues that threaten safe, efficient, controllable and long-term gas production from hydrate reservoirs. Numerical simulation of the occurrence, development and control of sand production from hydrate reservoirs is considered to be an effective and economicmethod to reveal the sand production mechanism and clarify the sand production behaviors. It is of great significance for the scientific design of completion modes for sand control and the promotion of hydrate industrialization. Therefore, this paper systematically summarizes the research status of numerical simulation of the sand production from hydrate reservoirs. We first briefly discuss the multi-field coupling mechanism of sand production from hydrate reservoirs. Then we analyze the numerical study of sand production based on the continuum theory for sand production criteria. Furthermore, weintroduce the sand production mechanism and the prediction of sand production behavior based on the discrete medium theory. We summarize the key factors of sand production models established by the discrete element method (DEM), including hydrate pore habits, hydrate dissociation and fluid-solid coupling. Finally, the shortcomings of the current study are discussed, and some suggestions are provided for more accurate models of sand production from hydrate reservoirs in the future.    


  

Key words:gas hydratenumerical; simulation; multi-field coupling; sand production criteria; DEM

Received: 2019-12-30

Corresponding Authors: nflzx@cug.edu.cn

Cite this article:NING Fulong, DOU Xiaofeng, SUN Jiaxin, LIU Zhichao, LI Yanlong, LI Xiaodong, ZHAO Yingjie, LIU Changling, LU Hongfeng, YU Yanjiang, LI Zhi, LUO Qiang, CAO Xinxin. Progress in numerical simulation of sand production from hydrate reservoirs. Petroleum Science Bulletin, 2020, 02: 182-203.

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