SUGAR
Klaus Wallmann and Jörg Bialas
Submarine Gas Hydrate Reservoirs:Exploration, Exploitation and Gas Transport
CO2 CH4
Hydrate Structure
Water moleculesWater molecules
Gas moleculesGas molecules
CHCH44 5.7 H 5.7 H22OO
Methane Hydrate Stability
Tishchenko, Hensen, Wallmann & Wong (2005)Buffett & Archer (2004)
Hydrate
Gas
Global Methane Hydrate Distribution
Observations
Source: Makogan et al., 2007
Global Methane Hydrate Distribution
Modeling
Source: Klauda & Sandler (2005)
Global Methane Hydrate Inventory in the Seabed
Kven.(1999)
Mil.(2004)
Buff.(2004)
Klau.(2005)
Best estimate3000 ± 2000
Gt C
Global Methane Hydrate Inventory
Coal Oil Gas Hydrate
Source: Energy Outlook 2007, Buffett & Archer (2004)Coal, oil, gas: reserves economically exploitable at current market pricesGas Hydrates: total marine inventory
Hydrate Exploitation
Methane gas may be produced from hydrate deposits via:
• Pressure reduction
• Temperature increase
• Addition of chemicals (incl. CO2)
Hydrate Exploitation
Energy balance for Blake Ridge (Makogon et al. 2007)2000 m water depth, two ~3 m thick hydrate layers
~40 % of the potential energy can be used for energy production
~60 % of the potential energy is lost during development, gas production, gas pressurization and transport
Japanese Hydrate Exploitation Program
Hydrate exploitation is economically feasible atan oil price of ~54 $/barrel
Gas Hydrates at the Chinese Continental Slope, South China Sea
Source: N. Wu (2007, pers. comm.)
Gas Hydrates at the Indian Continental Slope
Source: M. V. Lall (2007, pers. comm.)
Safety, Costs
Storage of CO2 below the Seabed
SUGAR
Phase Diagram of CO2
Risk of leakage decreases with
water depth
Self-sealingat >350 m
Natural Seepage at the Seafloor-Black Sea Gas Seeps-
Source: Naudts et al. (2006)
The SUGAR Project
• Funded by German Federal Ministries (BMWi, BMBF)
• Funding period: June 2008 – May 2011
• Total funding: ~13 Mio € (incl. support by industries)
A: Exploration
A1: Hydroacoustics
A2: Geophysics
A3: Autoclave-Drilling
A4: Basin Modeling
B: Exploitation and Transport
B1: Reservoir Modeling
B2: Laboratory Experiments
B3: Gas Transport
Prospection
Exploration
Quantification
Exploitation/ CO2 Storage
PelletTransport
The SUGAR Project
Project Academia IndustriesA1 IFM-GEOMAR, University of
BremenL3 Communications ELAC Nautik GmbH
A2 IFM-GEOMAR, BGR Hannover K.U.M. Umwelt- und Meerestechnik GmbH, Magson GmbH, SEND Offshore GmbH
A3 University of Bremen, TU Clausthal
PRAKLA Bohrtechnik GmbH
A4 IFM-GEOMAR IES, TEEC
B1 Fraunhofer UMSICHT, GFZ Potsdam, IFM-GEOMAR
Wintershall, Wirth GmbH
B2 FH Kiel, GFZ Potsdam, Fraunhofer UMSICHT, IOW, IFM-GEOMAR
BASF, CONTROS GmbH, R&D Center at FH Kiel, 24sieben Stadtwerke Kiel AG, RWE Dea, Wintershall, E.ON Ruhrgas AG
B3 IOW, FH Kiel Linde AG, Aker Yards, Lindenau Schiffswerft, Germanischer Lloyd, BASF
SUGAR Partners
- Hydrate deposits are usually formed by gas bubble ascent
- Multi-beam echo-sounders will be further developed and used for flare imaging and hydrate location
A1: Hydro-acoustic detection of hydrate deposits
Hydrate Ridge off Oregon
A2: Geo-acoustic imaging of hydrate deposits
A2: Electro-magnetic imaging of hydrate deposits
Joint inversion of seismic and electro-magnetic data
A3: Autoclave-drilling technology
- develop autoclave technology for MeBo- develop tool for formation independent drilling
A4: Basin Modeling
PetroMod3D (IES)
IFM-GEOMAR
B1, B2: ExploitationReservoir modeling and lab experiments
Hydrate Stability in Seawater (CO2 and CH4)
Duan & Sun (2006)
CO2 hydrates are thermodynamically more stable than CH4 hydrates
CH4(g)-Recovery from Hydrates Exposed to CO2
after 200 h in sandstoneCO2(l)Kvamme et al. (2007)
CO2(l)Hiromata et al. (1996)
after 400 h
CO2(g)/N2(g)Park et al. (2006)
CO2(g)Lee et al. (2003)
after 5 h
after 15 h
B1, B2: Exploitation
Options• Addition of CO2(l), only• Addition of CO2(l) and heat from
- deep and warm formation waters (Schlumberger)- surface water (UMSICHT, mega pump)- in-situ methane burning (GFZ)
• Addition of CO2(l) and polymers (BASF)• Addition of CO2(l) and other gases (IOW)
Exploitation may also be done in two steps1. Step: Hydrate dissociation2. Step: Injection of CO2(l) to refill the pore space
previously occupied by methane hydrates
B1, B2: Exploitation
Critical issues that need to be addressed:
• Sluggish kinetics of gas swapping• Slope stability (avoid steep terrain)• Integrity of the unconsolidated cap sediments
(overpressure < 10 bar)• Permeability of reservoir sediments (use sands)• Clogging by CO2 hydrate formation at the injection point (add polymers or heat)• CO2 content of the produced methane gas (avoid very high temperatures)
B3: Gas Transport
Source: Gudmundsson (NTNU Trondheim), Aker Kvaerner, Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co.
B3: Gas Transport
Source: Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co.
SUGAR Technologies
with India, Brasilia, China, Norway, South Korea, US
• to apply the SUGAR exploration techniques
• to perform a field production test during the second SUGAR phase starting in summer 2011
International cooperation