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