Massively parallel simulation of field-scale oceanic gas hydrate deposits
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abstract
The quantity of hydrocarbon gases trapped in natural hydrate accumulations is enormous, leading to significant interest in the evaluation of their potential as an energy source. The production potential of a large, deep-ocean hydrate reservoir was studied and strategies were developed for effective production. The simulations model a full three-dimensional system of over 24 sq km extent, examining the productivity of vertical and horizontal wells, single or multiple wells, and variations in reservoir properties. The simulations revealed the challenges inherent in producing from deep, relatively cold systems with extensive water-bearing channels and connectivity to large aquifers. New frontiers in large-scale reservoir simulation of coupled flow, transport, thermodynamics, and phase behavior, including mesh construction, parallel numerical solvers, and large-scale visualization are discussed. This is an abstract of a paper presented at the 2012 AIChE Spring Meeting and 8th Global Congress on Process Safety (Houston, TX 4/1-5/2012).
