Research Projects

Natural gas hydrates are ice-like materials formed under a specific thermodynamic condition of low temperature and high pressure conditions. Natural gas hydrates consist of water molecules interconnected through hydrogen bonds which create an open structural lattice that has the ability to encage smaller hydrocarbons from natural gas or liquid hydrocarbons as guest molecules. The natural gas can be produced from gas hydrate bearing sediments by altering the thermodynamic condition in-situ; either by a) depressurizing, b) thermal stimulation or c) using chemical inhibitors. However, it poses a complication petrophysically and geologically, such as, a) ensuing permeability for gas hydrate formation at field scale; b) sand production; c) efficient gasification of gas hydrate and associated geomechanical stability of the formation and subsidence of overburden formations and viability for commercial production. This is a coupled thermo-hydro-geochemical and geomechanical problem which needs unconventional production approach unlike oil and gas production methodologies being used. The proposed project aims to experimentally and numerically investigate the various production scenarios and propose a feasible pilot production case in the context of Krishna Godavari Basin in India.

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