A new device assembled by engineers with the Technical University of Clausthal in Germany could help unravel the mystery behind sea gas hydrate formation.
Gas hydrates, composed primarily of methane, form in cold, high-pressure environments at several different locations in the Earth's oceans. While our knowledge of these unusual hydrocarbon reserves is limited, there is growing interest in their possible exploitation.
Europe's research community is actively participating in the study of sea gas hydrates through projects such as ANAXIMANDER. The investigation, supported by the Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development Programme, focussed on the Eastern Mediterranean. Participants from the Technical University of Clausthal developed a technique to simulate and analyse gas hydrate formation in the laboratory.
The method was based on X-ray computed tomography (CT), which proved capable of providing feedback on gas hydrate behaviour in three dimensions. It was designed to provide both high resolution and excellent contrast. An air bath helped maintain low temperatures for long periods of time that were necessary to induce precipitation. Furthermore, a special peripheral device was incorporated to facilitate fluid injection into the experimental core. The team at the Technical University of Clausthal also came up with an innovative way to create voids in the test sandpacks using salt crystals.
The subsequent simulations revealed that gas hydrate formation occurred on relatively short time scales. The resulting hydrate layers impeded transport within the sandpack, which was often compounded by pore collapse. As a result it was possible to isolate the gas within the structure for a significant length of time.
In addition to providing insight into sea gas hydrates, the flexible experimental set-up may also be used to study other phenomenon in porous media.
Country: GERMANY
Information Source: Result from the EU funded EESD programme
Collaboration Sought: Information exchange/Training
